Issues re: using SanDisk Cruzer Mini flash drives on a Mac

Question

Given some strange behavior, I'm wondering whether SanDisk Cruzer Mini flash drives cause known problems when used with Macs.
Two problems I've had:
1. Not being able to re-save edited Word documents back to the flash drive without first renaming those files. If I try to re-save a document in the normal way (i.e., by just clicking 'Save' to overwrite the existing version on the drive) I get error messages about 'permissions.'
2. Getting 'insufficient disk space' error messages when trying to save to the flash drive, even though according to Get Info the flash drive still has plenty of space left.
Also, does completely wiping a flash drive using 'zero disk' (in Disk Utility or other programs) work exactly the same on a flash drive as on a hard drive?
Thanks.

Answer 1

It would seem SanDisk Cruzers and Macs have some compatibility problems. You are the second person with problems in two days. I'm not sure why you should have the problems you describe as USB flash drives should just work. I can suggest you try repartitioning and formatting the drive for the Mac rather than using the FAT32 format that usually is how the flash drives come from the factory. Try the following:
Extended Hard Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder. If you need to reformat your startup volume, then you must boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger or Leopard.)
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Set the number of partitions from the drop down menu (use 1 partition unless you wish to make more.) Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (only required for Intel Macs) then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
This may help, but if you plan to use the flash drive on a Windows machine, then you will need to restore it to the FAT32 format.
And, yes, zeroing the disk works the same on flash drives as on hard drives.