[SOLVED] install stopped on magic number

[pags]

Are you sure it is a real 32 GB flash drive?
There is an invasion of fake flash drives recently...you mentioned E-bay, just google "ebay fake flash" and you'll see what I mean.
They come from China, they are cheap and falsely report  higher capacities than the real ones.
I bought one (16 GB supposedly)  but the real value was 8 GB.
Not only that, but after trying to write more than 8 GB it get corrupted and I had to return it.

Ex: http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2009/08/26/test-and-detect-fake-or-counterfeit-usb-flash-drives-bought-from-ebay-with-h2testw/

Is not necessarily your case, but just an idea to have in mind.

I had not thought of that, but in this case you might be right

Disk /dev/sdd: 33.6 GB, 33554432000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4079 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk iDisk /dev/sdd: 33.6 GB, 33554432000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4079 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00413a8cdentifier: 0x00413a8c

You can check this against fdisk output of your own drives:
4079*8225280 = 33,550,917,120
(close enough).

So, that information is valid...

[Was_Just19]

You can check this against fdisk output of your own drives:
4079*8225280 = 33,550,917,120
(close enough).

So, that information is valid...

Duh!
I guess I was just too eager .....   

[Ferdes Fides]

You can check this against fdisk output of your own drives:
4079*8225280 = 33,550,917,120
(close enough).

So, that information is valid...

Hello,

So the final decision is that this flash drive is 32gb ?
And I should go ahead and run the fdisk routine that Johnboy recommends ?
I've got it up and running on the 16gb, so there is no rush, hurry, or anything like that.


Thanks for the response,

patrick013

[pags]

Are the drive contents, or format, dear to you?

If not, and you're OK with blowing it away (to be fdisk'ed later), there is a test you could try (but you would do so at your own risk, since you would have to recreate the partition table, and it would execute a write cycle for every cell on the drive...and there is risk involved).

Having stated that disclaimer, you could try:

Code:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX

where X is the letter that represents your flash drive.
(Be aware that if you get this wrong, and enter the letter for your internal drive, you will completely erase your PC!) 

when the command gets to the end of the device, and can't write anymore, it will display how much data was copied.  This will definitively tell you the size of the drive.  It will also completely erase it, preparing it for a brand new fdisk session (writing the dos label "o", and everything  ).

If you're at all nervous, the DO NOT do this!!!

If you would like more details, or the results of this explained, post here, and we can take this further...

[Ferdes Fides]

Are the drive contents, or format, dear to you?

If not, and you're OK with blowing it away (to be fdisk'ed later), there is a test you could try (but you would do so at your own risk, since you would have to recreate the partition table, and it would execute a write cycle for every cell on the drive...and there is risk involved).

Having stated that disclaimer, you could try:

Code:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX

where X is the letter that represents your flash drive.
(Be aware that if you get this wrong, and enter the letter for your internal drive, you will completely erase your PC!) 

when the command gets to the end of the device, and can't write anymore, it will display how much data was copied.  This will definitively tell you the size of the drive.  It will also completely erase it, preparing it for a brand new fdisk session (writing the dos label "o", and everything  ).

If you're at all nervous, the DO NOT do this!!!

If you would like more details, or the results of this explained, post here, and we can take this further...

Hello,

I think I can type in /sdd for the flash drive.  There's nothing on it, just install attempts.
I'll probably have some time tonight to try this.  Who knows, maybe I can install on 24gb
hypothetically, instead of 32gb if the last area is damaged somehow.

patrick

[pags]

Hello,

I think I can type in /sdd for the flash drive.  There's nothing on it, just install attempts.
I'll probably have some time tonight to try this.  Who knows, maybe I can install on 24gb
hypothetically, instead of 32gb if the last area is damaged somehow.

patrick

Even if it's damaged, dd will fail to copy, and end, so you'll have an idea of the amount of valid, usable space on the flash drive, starting from the beginning...

[Ferdes Fides]

Hello,

This has been solved.   Sent the darn thing back to China and rec'd a refund.
Back to the 16gb, using it right now.  Looking at a Kingston 64 gb external SSD.


Thanks for the responses.

patrick013