USB drive... borked?

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fiskrond
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USB drive... borked?

#1 Post by fiskrond »

generic (ut163) USB stick showing mounted as 'sdb2' on Pup desktop when plugged in.
Have been able to format it with Gparted... so there is somekind of access to it, however I am out of my depth...

In Windows (Device Manager) it is showing as a Hard Drive... whereas it should be showing as a Portable Drive. It does not show anywhere else in Windows, but appears in UEFI bios.

Can't no longer do anything with it. :-/

Have I killed it inadvertently through using 'live' boot-ins and not really knowing what I was doing with partitions on the stick itself?... is it recoverable for use?

(am running 2 physically separate PC's.. one with Pup and other Win7)

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8Geee
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#2 Post by 8Geee »

What do you want to do with that stick?

Boot a Puppy?
Store files?
Use as sfs?

What format did you use in Gparted?
Did you flag that partition? (right-click on the formatted portion)

Regards
8Geee
Linux user #498913 "Some people need to reimagine their thinking."
"Zuckerberg: a large city inhabited by mentally challenged people."

fiskrond
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#3 Post by fiskrond »

Partitioned as NTFS
Just want to use it as a standard data transfer drive..

error message:
"Libparted Error
The backup GPT table is corrupt, but the primary appears OK, so that will be used."

Not sure if I've trashed the firmware partition and/or if it can be rebuilt... fairly certain that Windows can't do anything with it.. but Linux can at least see at and format it, so that's a start.. :-)

What should I be flagging it as?
Last edited by fiskrond on Thu 30 Nov 2017, 01:51, edited 1 time in total.

jafadmin
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#4 Post by jafadmin »

delete the partitions with Gparted and create a MS-DOS partition table on it instead of GPT.

Then create the NTFS partition.

fiskrond
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#5 Post by fiskrond »

have deleted with Gpart... no option for MS-DOS.. (not even showing as greyed out)
only have the following:

ext2
ext3
ext4
f2fs
fat16
fat32
linux-swap
lvm2 pv
ntfs
cleared
unformatted



I tried Fat32 before NTFS... no joy with that being recognised either..

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perdido
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#6 Post by perdido »

Making an MS-DOS partition table.
Not the same as making a partition.
A drive needs a partition table before it can have a partition.

Start Gparted
Highlight the drive you are working on.
Make sure it is the correct drive or you can lose data.
From the Gparted taskbar menu
Device-->Create Partition Table

That gets you to creating an MS-DOS partition table.

Make sure you are working on the correct drive or you can lose data or worse.

.

fiskrond
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#7 Post by fiskrond »

okay.. following from your(plural) and appreciated advice, I have done the following:

Gparted> sdb USB drive > device > create partition table > msdos > apply

New > Create new Partition > create as Primary Partition, NTFS > add, apply
"All operations successfully completed"

[reboot]

Created a test 'Calc' spreadsheet in Puppy... what 'save as' options should I see?... can only see 'root', nothing relating to USB device..

fiskrond
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#8 Post by fiskrond »

It's not the end of the world if I've knackered the USB....

I just want to understand what I've done wrong so as to not repeat.. :-D

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perdido
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#9 Post by perdido »

Ok, will try to make sense of this for you.
Assuming you are booting from CD?
Just save your spreadsheet like you would as if you were using a hard drive. The file gets saved to computer memory for now.
When you are shutting down puppy it will ask you if you want to make a save file. Thats when you decide where the save file will
be located. The save file houses a file system that has all the changes you have made to puppy and will load next run of puppy.
***
A little background about first run of puppy and the save file / save folder

First run of puppy install can either go frugal install(save file) or full install (no save file) or no install at all if you want to run from CD.

When shutting down for the first time puppy gives you the option to create a save file (or save partition too), but only if you did
a frugal install or no install. If you do a full install to hard drive you get no save file or save partition.

So if you have booted from CD and did not do a full install then at first shutdown puppy asks you if you want a save file and where
you want to keep it at. Thats when you would choose the location of the save file.
------
The freshly formatted NTFS usb stick you just made should be seen by windows now and have no problems. That would be a good way to verify the usb stick is ok.

More help on the way from others so if I just confused you more someone else will say it better :)

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perdido
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#10 Post by perdido »

Couple things I forgot to mention.

You can use the file manager to make a directory anywhere in the file system you wish. Just like windows. File manager is ROX Filer (the "file" icon)
Then maybe save the spreadsheet to the directory you made.

To get access to the usb stick you have to mount it first. Click on it with ROX file manager and it will mount and show the contents of the drive.

.

peterw
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USB can be resurrected with luck

#11 Post by peterw »

In the past I have had issues with USB sticks that I could not get to work. However, the HP programme got them going again and is my go to if all else fails. https://hp-usb-disk-storage-format-tool ... m/download The only problem is that you need a MS Windows installation to use it.

mostly_lurking
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#12 Post by mostly_lurking »

fiskrond wrote:Created a test 'Calc' spreadsheet in Puppy... what 'save as' options should I see?... can only see 'root', nothing relating to USB device..
You mean when you open the save dialog, it shows you the "root" directory? Go one folder up, or click on "File System" in the left-side "Places" column, then go to "mnt" - this is the folder in which Puppy usually creates its mount points (the locations where the file systems of hard drives and other devices are added to the operating system's "overall" file system) -, then to "sdb1", if that's the name of your USB partition. Make sure the partition is mounted (on the desktop, this is indicated by a colored dot or "x" symbol on the drive icon), or else you might accidentally save the file to the mount directory instead of the device that's supposed to be mounted there, and end up with a situation like this: problem to mount NTFS partition

PS: in the save dialog, you can drag your "sdb1" folder to the free space in the "Places" column to bookmark it for quick access.

fiskrond
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#13 Post by fiskrond »

okay..
thanks all for help so far... (LinPup is installed to a single HDD on a separate test PC)

can now save/read a test document to USB in Linux

Tried the HP prog but USB still not recognised in Windows as accessible drive.. Device Manager can see it but that is all.

In all probability it looks like I've managed to 'flip a bit' on the USB probably whilst trying different installs.. FreeBSD seems to have been the culprit as I had to rebuild my main PC from scratch after that sorry episode!

Am now trawling the net for a way to reset USB to original settings from within Linux... anyone managed this before?

jafadmin
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#14 Post by jafadmin »

fiskrond wrote:
Am now trawling the net for a way to reset USB to original settings from within Linux... anyone managed this before?

Here's what I do:
1) wipe the first 100 Meg of the USBFlash using "dd": dd bs=1M if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd? count=100
2) use gparted to create new MSDOS partition table on /dev/sd?
3a) if you MUST have an ntfs filesystem, format it to ntfs with a windows machine
3b) otherwise, format it Fat32 with ANY OS
4) Prosper ..

fiskrond
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#15 Post by fiskrond »

I've done that...

Whole drive wiped & msdos table installed
Formatted to Fat32.. no joy
Wiped again, msdos table installed
Formatted to NTFS... no joy

Am installing WINE to see if I can get 'BootIt' (Windows prog) to run.... has option to 'bit flip' on it...

Unless of course there is a native Linux prog that can do this..?

Is it possible that I have done something irreversible to the USB stick?

belham2
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#16 Post by belham2 »

fiskrond wrote:I've done that...

Whole drive wiped & msdos table installed
Formatted to Fat32.. no joy
Wiped again, msdos table installed
Formatted to NTFS... no joy

Am installing WINE to see if I can get 'BootIt' (Windows prog) to run.... has option to 'bit flip' on it...

Unless of course there is a native Linux prog that can do this..?

Is it possible that I have done something irreversible to the USB stick?

Hi Fiskrond,

Is it possible you could try something for me, in the exact order and exact way I say it? And forget every thing you've done up to this point and think that you might be repeating?

I) Take the USB drive. USB drives usually use a 4096 (not 1MB) byte sector, and if they are older USB, you can use 512 byte block to be safe. Anyhow, I want you to boot up a functioning Puppy OS, no matter if it is 'frugal' installed or if you full installed it.

II) After it has booted, first thing I want you to do is stick the USB in, don't mount it, and then type in an opened root terminal:

A) dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd#1 bs=446 count=1

(this should take a couple of secs, we are going after the MBR on what I assume is your only and first partition on this drive)

B) next, run this: dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd# bs=4096

(don't ask, because, yes, this step should normally obviate the need for A) above. Just do it.


III) after all this is complete....I want you to unplug the USB, and restart the Puppy OS. Then, when it is back to the desktop, start Gparted (this is important) before you plug the USB back in. When the USB is plugged back in (with Gparted running), hit "Refresh" on Gparted.

IV) Use Gparted to set up Msdos.

V) Next.....unplug the USB...DO NOT format it in Gparted and/or the Puppy OS.

VI) Start your Windows OS up.

VII) Go into Disks, click on the drive, and tell Windows to format it to Fat32 or NTFS.

VIII) When it is finished, DO NOT try to access it on Windows. Unplug it.

IX) Go back to your Puppy OS. Boot it up.

X) Plug in the USB......and tell me if, through whatever File Manager the Puppy OS is using, if you can both see the USB, if it is accessible and if you can transfer any simple file onto the USB and delete it back off.

XI) If you can, then your problem is you are not understanding how to set it up in Windows, which we will deal with later.


So, first, give all the above a whirl and report back. Remember, toss aside what you think you know about USBs overall and what you've done so far.


P.S. You might have physically damaged your USB stick, and yes, it might have failed. But nowadays, it takes a mighty thud and/or serious screwup to damage a USB drive (unless the drive you purchased is a known faulty USB drive). Don't get yourself thinking you somehow "flipped a bit" by running something like FreeBSD and/or running live boots off of it :?

fiskrond
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#17 Post by fiskrond »

belham2 wrote:
fiskrond wrote:I've done that...

Whole drive wiped & msdos table installed
Formatted to Fat32.. no joy
Wiped again, msdos table installed
Formatted to NTFS... no joy

Am installing WINE to see if I can get 'BootIt' (Windows prog) to run.... has option to 'bit flip' on it...

Unless of course there is a native Linux prog that can do this..?

Is it possible that I have done something irreversible to the USB stick?

Hi Fiskrond,

Is it possible you could try something for me, in the exact order and exact way I say it? And forget every thing you've done up to this point and think that you might be repeating? (sounds good to me! lol)

I) Take the USB drive. USB drives usually use a 4096 (not 1MB) byte sector, and if they are older USB, you can use 512 byte block to be safe. Anyhow, I want you to boot up a functioning Puppy OS, no matter if it is 'frugal' installed or if you full installed it.

II) After it has booted, first thing I want you to do is stick the USB in, don't mount it, and then type in an opened root terminal:

A) dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd#1 bs=446 count=1

(this should take a couple of secs, we are going after the MBR on what I assume is your only and first partition on this drive)
returns the following:
1+0 records in
1+0 records out
446 bytes (446 B) copied, 0.000641143 s, 696 kB/s


B) next, run this: dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd# bs=4096
returns:
dd: error writing '/dev/sd#': No space left on device
46957+0 records in
46956+0 records out
192331776 bytes (192 MB) copied, 0.678743 s, 283 MB/s


(don't ask, because, yes, this step should normally obviate the need for A) above. Just do it. I wouldn't dare even ask.. and if I did I wouldn't understand the answer.. lol


III) after all this is complete....I want you to unplug the USB, and restart the Puppy OS. Then, when it is back to the desktop, start Gparted (this is important) before you plug the USB back in. When the USB is plugged back in (with Gparted running), hit "Refresh" on Gparted.

IV) Use Gparted to set up Msdos.

V) Next.....unplug the USB...DO NOT format it in Gparted and/or the Puppy OS.

VI) Start your Windows OS up.

VII) Go into Disks, click on the drive, and tell Windows to format it to Fat32 or NTFS.
It's not there... :-/
This is what I don't understand... works fine in Puppy, used to work fine in Windows until few days ago when I used it to re-start my migration to Linux. Only presence now showing in Windows is in Device Manager.. but in the wrong category.. is showing under 'Disk Drives' whereas it should be under 'Portable Devices'.
It no longer shows anywhere else.. not in Explorer, not in Disk Manager.. nowhere!

Have I found a way to break things that surpasses the incredible capacity of a toddler to break anything known to mankind? :?


VIII) When it is finished, DO NOT try to access it on Windows. Unplug it.

IX) Go back to your Puppy OS. Boot it up.

X) Plug in the USB......and tell me if, through whatever File Manager the Puppy OS is using, if you can both see the USB, if it is accessible and if you can transfer any simple file onto the USB and delete it back off.

XI) If you can, then your problem is you are not understanding how to set it up in Windows, which we will deal with later.


So, first, give all the above a whirl and report back. Remember, toss aside what you think you know about USBs overall and what you've done so far.


P.S. You might have physically damaged your USB stick, and yes, it might have failed. But nowadays, it takes a mighty thud and/or serious screwup to damage a USB drive (unless the drive you purchased is a known faulty USB drive). Don't get yourself thinking you somehow "flipped a bit" by running something like FreeBSD and/or running live boots off of it :?

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bigpup
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#18 Post by bigpup »

The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

belham2
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#19 Post by belham2 »

fiskrond wrote:
VII) Go into Disks, click on the drive, and tell Windows to format it to Fat32 or NTFS.
It's not there... :-/
This is what I don't understand... works fine in Puppy, used to work fine in Windows until few days ago when I used it to re-start my migration to Linux. Only presence now showing in Windows is in Device Manager.. but in the wrong category.. is showing under 'Disk Drives' whereas it should be under 'Portable Devices'.
It no longer shows anywhere else.. not in Explorer, not in Disk Manager.. nowhere!



Ok, you're telling me, if I understand correctly, that the USB works fine & dandy (whatever you do) in Puppy but that the moment you plug it in to Windows, it is non-functional and not recognized by Windows except that is shows in "Device Manager" only? And this would be true even if you HAD formatted the device to Fat 16/32 or NTFS while it was still in Gparted (which we didn't do for this test)??

Can I ask, if you do format it to Fat 16, try, then try FAt 32, try, then try NTFS (all done in Puppy), the USB in each case still only shows in "Device Manager" only? And for each format try, you left the device plugged into Windows and rebooted???

Also, in Device Manager, is a yellow exclamation beside the listed USB in each format attempt?

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Burn_IT
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#20 Post by Burn_IT »

It may be that Windows is remembering the drive.
You should go into Device Manager and expand the list of USB devices (including none attached ones) and delete the entiries so that they will be refreshed the next time the device is plugged in.
"Just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush" - T Pratchett

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