Author Topic: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick  (Read 11036 times)

Offline Xenaflux

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #45 on: March 08, 2012, 06:02:26 AM »
Quote
Clonezilla aim?

If you copy the usb disk to another device, and it can be resolved on that, then it may be a hardware/fault issue on the first device.

Also there may be some internal jumper leads page 10,11,12:
http://www.apacer.com/en/support/downloads/AP-UMxxxxXXXXG-XXXX_SPEC_rev1.5.pdf


OK, I understand what you mean.
Downloaded pdf , but only will look/do tomorrow, as my eyes right now are no bigger than  green peas !

Thanks
Xena
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Offline djohnston

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #46 on: March 08, 2012, 01:06:10 PM »
Quote
Do you have a Windows boot partition or Windows installed in VBox?


Yes, I have both. On my box upstairs.

Hate to say it, but that cheap stick probably has some proprietary crap on it. I think Just19's right. It's probably a firmware chip embedded in the stick. If you're ready to try a quick fix, this is what people say works. The zip has a single executable file. You can run it from your booted Windows session. If you'd rather try it in VirtualBox, attach this iso to your VBox session, as well as the USB stick. The iso is less than 1MB, is non-bootable and only contains the Windows executable. I've already tried running it in Dosbox, but the error is "Can not run in DOS mode".
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Offline AS

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #47 on: March 08, 2012, 01:11:55 PM »
Quote
Do you have a Windows boot partition or Windows installed in VBox?


Yes, I have both. On my box upstairs.

Hate to say it, but that cheap stick probably has some proprietary crap on it. I think Just19's right. It's probably a firmware chip embedded in the stick. If you're ready to try a quick fix, this is what people say works. The zip has a single executable file. You can run it from your booted Windows session. If you'd rather try it in VirtualBox, attach this iso to your VBox session, as well as the USB stick. The iso is less than 1MB, is non-bootable and only contains the Windows executable. I've already tried running it in Dosbox, but the error is "Can not run in DOS mode".



already tried it seems, with no luck!

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,103287.msg881578.html#msg881578

Offline Xenaflux

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #48 on: March 08, 2012, 04:51:52 PM »
I just ran testdisk,with no results

Here is end message ( have full message in file if you want to know )

Disk /dev/sdg - 2006 MB / 1914 MiB - CHS 1019 62 62 (RO)

Clear MBR partition table by writing zero bytes to it? (Y/N)
TestDisk 6.13-WIP, Data Recovery Utility, November 2011
Christophe GRENIER <grenier@cgsecurity.org>
http://www.cgsecurity.org

Clear partition table, confirm ? (Y/N)

TestDisk 6.13-WIP, Data Recovery Utility, November 2011
Christophe GRENIER <grenier@cgsecurity.org>
http://www.cgsecurity.org


Write error: Can't clear partition table.


@ djohnston
Had tried that one already
Thanks


If every one agrees , I would like to end my suffering and reach for the hammer.

If someone still wants to play...also OK with me...we play

Xena
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as in what direction we are moving.
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Offline AS

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #49 on: March 08, 2012, 05:04:19 PM »

If every one agrees , I would like to end my suffering and reach for the hammer.

If someone still wants to play...also OK with me...we play

Actually I have tried the inverse  :D
my USB stick is recognized with write protect off:

# dmesg:
scsi 7:0:0:0: Direct-Access     HP       v100w            PMAP PQ: 0 ANSI: 0 CCS
sd 7:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg3 type 0
sd 7:0:0:0: [sdc] 7827456 512-byte logical blocks: (4.00 GB/3.73 GiB)
sd 7:0:0:0: [sdc] Write Protect is off

# hdparm -r1 /dev/sdc

/dev/sdc:
 setting readonly to 1 (on)
 readonly      =  1 (on)


unplug / re-plug in:
# dmesg:
scsi 7:0:0:0: Direct-Access     HP       v100w            PMAP PQ: 0 ANSI: 0 CCS
sd 7:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg3 type 0
sd 7:0:0:0: [sdc] 7827456 512-byte logical blocks: (4.00 GB/3.73 GiB)
sd 7:0:0:0: [sdc] Write Protect is off

 ???

Offline Xenaflux

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #50 on: March 08, 2012, 05:21:22 PM »
Quote
Actually I have tried the inverse  Cheesy
my USB stick is recognized with write protect off:

I read it, but what is it that you want to say

Sorry AS, but....still a little sleepy ( 7.00 )

EDIT:

mine says
[root@localhost ~]# hdparm -r1 /dev/sdb

/dev/sdb:
 setting readonly to 1 (on)
 readonly      =  1 (on)
[root@localhost ~]#
« Last Edit: March 08, 2012, 05:23:46 PM by Xenaflux »
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Offline AS

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #51 on: March 08, 2012, 05:27:02 PM »
Quote
Actually I have tried the inverse  Cheesy
my USB stick is recognized with write protect off:

I read it, but what is it that you want to say

Sorry AS, but....still a little sleepy ( 7.00 )

EDIT:

mine says
[root@localhost ~]# hdparm -r1 /dev/sdb

/dev/sdb:
 setting readonly to 1 (on)
 readonly      =  1 (on)
[root@localhost ~]#


That even if I try to set it read-only ... it remain read-write  ;D

Offline Xenaflux

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #52 on: March 08, 2012, 05:31:38 PM »
OK thanks

I also did that dmessg thing ( what is that any way ? )
It gives me a 500 line report.
Don't know what to look for.

edit:

Ok looked at your sample

here's mine:

scsi 7:0:0:0: Direct-Access              USB FLASH DRIVE  PMAP PQ: 0 ANSI: 0 CCS
sd 7:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg6 type 0
sd 7:0:0:0: [sdf] 3919872 512-byte logical blocks: (2.00 GB/1.86 GiB)
sd 7:0:0:0: [sdf] Write Protect is on
sd 7:0:0:0: [sdf] Mode Sense: 23 00 80 00
sd 7:0:0:0: [sdf] Assuming drive cache: write through
« Last Edit: March 08, 2012, 05:35:20 PM by Xenaflux »
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Offline AS

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #53 on: March 08, 2012, 05:37:02 PM »
OK thanks

I also did that dmessg thing ( what is that any way ? )
It gives me a 500 line report.
Don't know what to look for.

dmesg collect info provided directly from the kernel and possibly other system services, starting from boot and then collecting several hardware related info, once you plug in or out a USB device, you will find specific notes at the end of file.

A commonly used way to look ad dmesg is "at last n lines", using a command like:
dmesg | tail -10

that will show the last 10 lines of the log file.

Offline Xenaflux

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #54 on: March 08, 2012, 05:45:06 PM »
@ AS
Thanks for the info

will wait till afternoon to see if anyone else want to" do/try" something
Then I will try (once more) in windows.
Then................. :'(
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Offline AS

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #55 on: March 08, 2012, 05:47:09 PM »
@ AS
Thanks for the info

will wait till afternoon to see if anyone else want to" do/try" something
Then I will try (once more) in windows.
Then................. :'(

you mean out of the windows  :D ;D

Offline Xenaflux

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #56 on: March 08, 2012, 05:58:23 PM »
NO, if I do that , one or other poor kid may find it and think it's his/her lucky day.
I do not want to be responsible, direct or indirect, for the mental and maybe physical suffering of another human being.

No, I just will give it back to Brother-in-Law.
I know he's to stingy to buy another one, so, he will keep trying to have it revived.
He will bother other people to no end and eventually make one of them so angry that they will do the unthinkable, and sh..t him.
I will be no more bothered by him.

Xx
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Online Just17

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #57 on: March 08, 2012, 07:31:25 PM »
 ;D ;D
MLUs rule the roost!

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #58 on: March 08, 2012, 07:51:52 PM »
You could always "accidentally" break it.   ;D ;D
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Offline Xenaflux

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Re: wiping/formatting read-only usb stick
« Reply #59 on: March 08, 2012, 08:14:55 PM »
 ;D
ha-ha-ha   :o
But Yes, in my younger days I would have dared to do such thing. But then I met " Linux" and now I know there is always hope  ;D
If I can't, you guys are supposed to " can "

See you
The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand,
as in what direction we are moving.
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