Most generic cfadisk.inf files require manual editing to match your specific hardware ID. If you skip this, the driver installation will fail or not show up.
On Windows 10/11 (for USB-attached CF readers):
To "put together" the text for a cfadisk.inf file, you essentially need to modify a template of the Hitachi Microdrive filter driver to match your specific USB or SD card's hardware ID. This process "tricks" Windows into treating removable media as a fixed local disk.
Below is the standard text structure of the file and the specific line you must edit. 1. Identify Your Hardware ID
Before editing the file, you need the unique ID for your drive: Open Device Manager (type devmgmt.msc in Run).
Expand Disk Drives, right-click your USB/SD card, and select Properties.
Go to the Details tab and select Device Instance Path (or Hardware IDs) from the dropdown. Cfadisk Inf
Right-click the value and select Copy. It will look something like: USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_Cruzer&Rev_1.00\1234567890ABCDEF&0. 2. The cfadisk.inf Text Template
Open your cfadisk.inf file in a text editor like Notepad. Locate the [cfadisk_device] section and replace the existing placeholder with your ID.
[Version] Signature="$Windows NT$" Class=DiskDrive ClassGuid=4d36e967-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318 Provider=%HGST% DriverVer=12/14/2002,1.0.0.1 [Manufacturer] %HGST%=cfadisk_device [cfadisk_device] ; --- EDIT THE LINE BELOW --- %Microdrive_devdesc% = cfadisk_install,USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_Cruzer&Rev_1.00 ; --------------------------- [cfadisk_install] CopyFiles=cfadisk_copyfiles [cfadisk_copyfiles] cfadisk.sys [cfadisk_install.Services] AddService=cfadisk,2,cfadisk_ServiceInstallSection [cfadisk_ServiceInstallSection] DisplayName=%cfadisk_ServiceDesc% ServiceType=1 StartType=3 ErrorControl=1 ServiceBinary=%12%\cfadisk.sys LoadOrderGroup=PnP Filter [Strings] HGST="Hitachi Global Storage Technologies" Microdrive_devdesc="Hitachi Microdrive Filter Driver" cfadisk_ServiceDesc="Hitachi Microdrive Filter Driver" Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard 3. How to Customise the Line
Locate: Look for the line starting with %Microdrive_devdesc% = cfadisk_install,.
Modify: Delete everything after the comma and Paste your hardware ID.
Trim: For better compatibility, it is often recommended to delete the unique serial number part at the very end of your ID (the part after the second backslash \). Most generic cfadisk
Example: Change USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_Cruzer\12345&0 to just USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_Cruzer.
Save: Save the file and proceed to update your driver via Device Manager by pointing it to this folder.
Are you setting this up for Windows 10 or an older version like XP/7, as driver signing requirements differ? Removable USB Flash Drive as Local HDD in Windows
After reboot:
By default, when you connect a CF card via an internal IDE or SATA adapter (common in old industrial PCs, legacy car PCs, or retro gaming machines), Windows reads a specific bit in the card's firmware.
Most CF cards are manufactured with the "Removable" bit set to 1. The cfadisk.inf driver forces Windows to ignore that bit and treat the card as Fixed. To "put together" the text for a cfadisk
A typical custom INF file contains:
[Version] Signature="$WINDOWS NT$" Class=DiskDrive ClassGuid=4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 Provider=%ProviderName% DriverVer=09/04/2012,5.1.2600.0[Manufacturer] %MfgName%=DiskDrive,NTx86
[DiskDrive.NTx86] %DeviceDesc%=cfadisk_install,IDE\DiskCF____________________________
Key Section – Hardware ID: