BBC Microbits and blocked USB storage

[Warwick_Tech]

Hi All,

 

We have a USB ban in school via the following GPO

 

This allows us to still have our cameras work for photography and not worry about hardware ID's etc.

 

However the Microbit registers as a USB device so is blocked under the current settings; without going through every USB ID does anyone have a similar situation they are finding themselves in?

 

I thought of using Impero SentryStick but I haven't used it before and have no idea if it's as good/better or worse than the GPO (if anyone is using sentrystick I would be intrigued)

 

Regards,

[chazzy2501]

I think in the end I gave up on hardware ID's as it comes up as a generic USB storage device. I limited USB to write only, then no one used them so I disabled usb again.

 

 

I think they have Bluetooth so you might be able to use laptops instead.

[mavhc]

If you're using it with python you can access it via usb serial instead, with https://codewith.mu/

[MrWonder]

Upgrade Micro:Bit to latest firmware version, and @ https://makecode.microbit.org/ , it will appear as a serial DAPLink device, allowing direct programming to flash memory rather than having to copy hex file to USB storage drive.

[Kellarly]

Thanks for that! I've got a school borrowing some from me later this month. I'll get them all updated to sort that.

[LeMarchand]

On 10/06/2025 at 14:24, MrWonder said:

Upgrade Micro:Bit to latest firmware version, and @ https://makecode.microbit.org/ , it will appear as a serial DAPLink device, allowing direct programming to flash memory rather than having to copy hex file to USB storage drive.

 

Is this v0257 or the pre-release v0258? If the former, how do you stop them showing as a USB device?

Edited July 29, 2025 by LeMarchand

[CRL1997]

Is it on all pcs? If not why don't you create an OU and move the Pc's you want use Microbits on, then unlink the GPO for USB? I use Impero and its spot on for stuff like this. 

[LeMarchand]

12 hours ago, CRL1997 said:

Is it on all pcs? If not why don't you create an OU and move the Pc's you want use Microbits on, then unlink the GPO for USB? I use Impero and its spot on for stuff like this. 

 

That was how they are allowed but I'd rather not have USB drive access anywhere - especially in a room that they are allowed to use unsupervised.

[CRL1997]

Yeah i get it... But the only way i have is like that, so my photography room has its own GPO allowing USB then in Impero i have all USBs blocked apart from the cameras numbered the same as computer, i.e camera 2 wont work on Pc1. 

 

Nightmare 

[LeMarchand]

Alas no Impero. I was hoping that the Microbits would present differently, but I can't see how to do this.

[mavhc]

On 29/07/2025 at 16:25, LeMarchand said:

 

Is this v0257 or the pre-release v0258? If the former, how do you stop them showing as a USB device?

https://microbit.org/get-started/user-guide/firmware/ says v0243

[LeMarchand]

Cheers, I'll try the linked instructions next week.https://microbit.org/get-started/user-guide/transfer-code-to-the-microbit/#computer

[JRA]

On 02/08/2025 at 11:48, LeMarchand said:

Cheers, I'll try the linked instructions next week.https://microbit.org/get-started/user-guide/transfer-code-to-the-microbit/#computer

 

Did this work in the end? I'm gonna re-tackle the Microbits here with W11 this term.

[LeMarchand]

9 minutes ago, JRA said:

 

Did this work in the end? I'm gonna re-tackle the Microbits here with W11 this term.

 

That was 6 months ago! 😁

 

Just checked my mail and it looks like ours were on a suitable version so I re-disabled USB access and no-one complained...

[Warwick_Tech]

 

A previous colleague wrote a powershell script to automate updates as long as you have the latest .hex file - assuming D is your plugged in MicroBit

 

Copy-Item "\\[location of Hex file]\0249_kl26z_microbit_0x8000.hex" -Destination "D:\"

Start-Sleep -Seconds 180


$path = 'D:\FAIL.TXT'

if ( -not ( Test-Path -Path $path ) ) {

    D:\DETAILS.TXT

} 
 else {


    Write-Output "failed attempt trying again"
    Copy-Item "\\[location of Hex file]\0249_kl26z_microbit_0x8000.hex" -Destination "D:\"

    Start-Sleep -Seconds 180

    Remove-Item D:\FAIL.TXT -Recurse -Force -Confirm:$false

    D:\DETAILS.TXT
  

 }