Flash USB pen drive - can`t remove!

Hi.
First time here - please be gentle.
I am working on iMac 24``, Snow Leopard.
Recently used my flash USB stick, then ejected it and unplugged, but ever since every time I restart the machine the feral USB disk shows up again, like a ghost.
Funniest part is, that I can erase it, format it and such using the Disk Utility! No disk, but still operational. Can even store data on the non-existent drive!
When I eject it it still shows the faded icon in Disk Utility and it`s even poss to mount it again!
The port us being used by another device, which works all fine.
Please help.
Thanks!

Do a PRAM reset to see if that cures the ghost pen drive.

chscag said:

Do a PRAM reset to see if that cures the ghost pen drive.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply, Chscag - been there, done that, and repeated just a second ago. The ghost drive still in the system.

OK, it was worth a try. Now try resetting the SMC if you have not already done so. Here's how: Shut the iMac completely off, remove it from the AC main power and let it set for 10 minutes. Plug it back in and reboot.

KK - will attack from that flank and post an update in no time. Thanks.

So, I tried, mate, but to no avail. Connected the actual stick via USB, unmounted it, unplugged, restarted and the icon is still on the screen!

Don't know what to tell you. Other than hiring an exorcist to "drive the demon" from your iMac, you might consider a reinstall. Snow Leopard does a friendly reinstall in that it will not remove your apps and documents. It only overwrites system files and kexts. After the reinstallation you'll need to access software update to bring Snow Leopard back up to 10.6.8.

Perhaps this would not a big deal for some and could be easily taken off view by hiding disks from the desktop, but I`m not that kind of bloke. I will proceed with reinstall right away. If that doesn`t help - I will be definitely contacting Vatican.
Either way will post the update after every step, so one day some other unfortunate user will (hopefully) find the right resolution in this post.

I did not do the reinstall, because the installer told me, that system can not start from the HD disk installed on my computer. How about that? There was an exclamation mark on both **** and HD drive icons.
I noticed something else - the **** drive (the non-existent one) is being recognized by System Profiler as disk0s1 and my HD is disk0s2 - isn`t that weird a bit? Like my HD is the slave disk, or something?
Not fun at this stage.

I`m getting this list of disks in Terminal:

localhost:~ USER$ ls /Volumes
**** HD Mac OS X Install DVD

This clearly shows **** as a master.
Somehow during erasure process od USB stick it became a master disk.

Anybody has any idea how to swap those priorities between **** and original HD?

Thanks

Anybody else has any suggestions? Post is still open...

What happens if you make a new user Account ?? Does the Disk still show up as a "Demon" ??

Have you tried right clicking on the ghost and m,oving it to Trash?

Deleting means Ejecting (Eject icon appears in place of trash bin automatically).
When I create alt account the "disk" is still there.
Tried Disk Utility options (from CD), like unmounting, and it still comes back...