Verification keeps failing for USB flashed with Portable Windows Etcher 5.1

balenaEtcher
#1

I’m trying to install Tails on a USB from Windows 8.1 (64-bit): Tails - Install from Windows

This requires flashing the USB with BalenaEtcher, which is where I’m getting stuck.
I have made some twenty attempts now using both versions 5.1.103 and 5.1.116 of Portable Etcher for Windows with an 8gb and a 32gb USB. I either get a mismatched checksum during verification (5.1.103), or Etcher simply states verification has failed (5.1.116).

After that neither Explorer nor Etcher can find the USB anymore, until I either take it out and reinsert or I reformat it using the command terminal. I have verified the Tails image I am using, so I doubt that is the problem.

Since obtaining a Tails bootable live USB is somewhat urgent and I’m running out of ideas, I’m hoping you fine people can help me figure out why the verification keeps failing.

#9

Hello etchernoob

Welcome to the Balena Forums.

I have passed this issue on to our Etcher team for further investigation.

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#12

Hi @etchernoob

We think this might be another instance of this issue other users have reported with Tails flashing Checksums do not match - #82 by zvin

Could you try the instructions on the link below and see if that solves your problem?

The second point seems to be happening frequently to Windows users who flash images containing partitions that windows can read (FAT mostly).
To avoid it, you should follow the instructions here How to prevent creation of "System Volume Information" folder in Windows 10 for USB flash drives? - Super User

Thank you

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#14

Thanks you very much!

Adding the DisableRemovableDriveIndexing value to the registry key and disabling Windows Search worked like a charm.

Presumably I can re-enable both Search and Indexing now that the USB has been successfully flashed?

#15

Correct. There’s a way we can lock the drive to (hopefully) prevent this from happening but unfortunately it’s not as straightforward with the current implementation

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