Clearing "lost+found" File from USB

[moresouth]

Somehow or another I have the aforementioned file locked onto a USB stick and this is stopping me from using it. I was planning to put LXDE 2012 on it and install on a newer netbook I now have.

Unfortunately, this odd ball file seems to be locked in some way. I can't access it to see what it may have lost or found, I can't delete it as I'm unauthorized to do so and overwriting the USB still leaves it there. GParted shows it but won't remove or overwrite it. I can't even get to it as "root". Clicking "Root" in file manager gives me a long list of files on the HDD. The USB is ignored.

I have no idea where it came from or why it's refusing to depart. How can I permanently erase this and get my USB stick back in use?

moresouth

[Old-Polack]

Somehow or another I have the aforementioned file locked onto a USB stick and this is stopping me from using it. I was planning to put LXDE 2012 on it and install on a newer netbook I now have.

Unfortunately, this odd ball file seems to be locked in some way. I can't access it to see what it may have lost or found, I can't delete it as I'm unauthorized to do so and overwriting the USB still leaves it there. GParted shows it but won't remove or overwrite it. I can't even get to it as "root". Clicking "Root" in file manager gives me a long list of files on the HDD. The USB is ignored.

I have no idea where it came from or why it's refusing to depart. How can I permanently erase this and get my USB stick back in use?

moresouth

lost+found is a product of formatting the partition. If you want to remove it you have to do that as root, but it hurts nothing being there.

[TerryH]

I can't even get to it as "root". Clicking "Root" in file manager gives me a long list of files on the HDD. The USB is ignored.

Clicking "Root" is not doing something as root, it is just accessing the "/ " root partition directory.  You must actually complete the required action as the root user.

[muungwana]

"lost+found" is supposed to be a folder and it is created by ext family file systems when the partition is formatted.

Are you sure it is a file and not a folder?.

[Neal ManBear]

Somehow or another I have the aforementioned file locked onto a USB stick and this is stopping me from using it. I was planning to put LXDE 2012 on it and install on a newer netbook I now have.

>snip<

moresouth

     
Is the stick formatted as ext4? Reformat it as ext3 and then install LXDE 2012.     

[cyrwyn]

Any version of ext filesystem will recreate the lost+found folder when mounted. You can't get rid of it, but it should be an empty folder, taking little space.

[Just17]

Any version of ext filesystem will recreate the lost+found folder when mounted. You can't get rid of it, but it should be an empty folder, taking little space.

IIRC, ext2 does not ....  as it has no journalling .... 

[AS]

Any version of ext filesystem will recreate the lost+found folder when mounted. You can't get rid of it, but it should be an empty folder, taking little space.

IIRC, ext2 does not ....  as it has no journalling .... 

lost+found exists on nearly every *nix filesystem, including ext2, its purpose is to allow the "recover"  "lost files" because of an unclean unmount of a filesystem, when "files are found" from fsck.

The purpose of the journal is different, in that when present the latest write operations (possibly not completed at time of a crash) will be re-applied upon remount of the filesystem, thus decreasing the possibility of inconsistent behavior.

[Just17]

Any version of ext filesystem will recreate the lost+found folder when mounted. You can't get rid of it, but it should be an empty folder, taking little space.

IIRC, ext2 does not ....  as it has no journalling .... 

lost+found exists on nearly every *nix filesystem, including ext2, its purpose is to allow the "recover"  "lost files" because of an unclean unmount of a filesystem, when "files are found" from fsck.

The purpose of the journal is different, in that when present the latest write operations (possibly not completed at time of a crash) will be re-applied upon remount of the filesystem, thus decreasing the possibility of inconsistent behavior.

mis-remembering .....  again .....   

Thanks for the correction    and apology to cyrwyn

[Xenaflux]

mis-remembering .....  again .....

I use " Sermion 10mg 2x a day ". It helps a great deal   

[Just17]

mis-remembering .....  again .....

I use " Sermion 10mg 2x a day ". It helps a great deal   

do I know you?

[Xenaflux]

do I know you?

We met yesterday on that other page !  Remember ?

[Just17]

do I know you?

We met yesterday on that other page !  Remember ?

oh dear .......  what was the name of that stuff again ?

[Archie]

Back on topic ...

As the OP mentioned:

Somehow or another I have the aforementioned file locked onto a USB stick and this is stopping me from using it. I was planning to put LXDE 2012 on it and install on a newer netbook I now have.

I am guessing that the OP is convinced that lost+found is stopping him from using the USB stick. And stopping means what?? Saving files on the USB stick? Running LiveUSB Creator? Mounting the darn blasted thing?

[Neal ManBear]

For using PCLinuxOS LiveUSB Creator, ext3 would be the best file system to use. If only saving files is wanted, either ext3 or ext4 could be used.     

lost+found will not prevent the use of the stick. The problem may be one of ownership. Open / in your file manager superuser mode (root mode) and look for your stick's folder. Right click it and check to see if it is owned by root. If it is, change it so that it is owned by you.