format usb flash drive fails SOLVED

[dougmack]

Tried to load LXDE onto a 4 GB flash drive--unetbootin says I need to format with vfat.  So I try:

[root@Linux1 doug]# mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
mkfs.vfat 3.0.12 (29 Oct 2011)
[root@Linux1 doug]# dmesg | tail
sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk
JFS: nTxBlock = 8192, nTxLock = 65536
SGI XFS with ACLs, security attributes, realtime, large block/inode numbers, no debug enabled
SGI XFS Quota Management subsystem
end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 0
end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 0                                                      
end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 0                                                      
FAT-fs (sdb1): bogus number of reserved sectors                                                
FAT-fs (sdb1): Can't find a valid FAT filesystem       <-----

And unnetbootin is not yet happy either. There were some files on the flash that I had recorded before, but they were not important. (I read them just before
starting this new adventure.) So it once worked.

This is the only small flash drive I own, so I'd like to use it, if I can.

All suggestions gratefully accepted!  --doug

[agmg]

Tried to load LXDE onto a 4 GB flash drive--unetbootin says I need to format with vfat.  So I try:

[root@Linux1 doug]# mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
mkfs.vfat 3.0.12 (29 Oct 2011)
[root@Linux1 doug]# dmesg | tail
sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk
JFS: nTxBlock = 8192, nTxLock = 65536
SGI XFS with ACLs, security attributes, realtime, large block/inode numbers, no debug enabled
SGI XFS Quota Management subsystem
end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 0
end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 0                                                     
end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 0                                                     
FAT-fs (sdb1): bogus number of reserved sectors                                               
FAT-fs (sdb1): Can't find a valid FAT filesystem       <-----

And unnetbootin is not yet happy either. There were some files on the flash that I had recorded before, but they were not important. (I read them just before
starting this new adventure.) So it once worked.

This is the only small flash drive I own, so I'd like to use it, if I can.

All suggestions gratefully accepted!  --doug

I don't think that Unetbootin needs vfat. I remember I've always formatted my drives with fat32 for use with Unetbootin.
Have you tried with fat32? You can use diskdrake to perform the formatting.

[Just17]

Can't find a valid FAT filesystem 

Re-format the partition as FAT as try again

else

format the partition as ext and try PCLOS-LiveUSB creator

[µT6]

unetbootin, yes, it asks for fat32 or ntfs, well, at least under windows is this way

[trustytrev]

Hello,
       Try using GParted to delete any existing partitions then create a new partition for the complete drive.They sometimes have hidden partitions for security purposes.Then try formatting it in GParted.
trustytrev.

[dougmack]

I did run gparted on it, but for some reason I could not format it there.  The advice from earlier to use Diskdrake to format it worked fine after just a little futzing around from me--
"beginner."  Then Unetbootin transferred the iso, and hopefully it will actually boot.  (I haven't tried it yet.)

So thank you to those who have contributed.  T

--doughis is a great place to get advice that works!