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katarok

Member

Registered: 2020-05-24

Posts: 40

vfat usb opens only as read only [SOLVED]

So my backup vfat usb that used to work just fine till a few moments ago, now it opens only as "read only".

I have tried to format it with gparted and I got "Read-only file system" error. I put it to my laptop and still the issue persists.

Is there a way to salvage the usb? I don't want to lose an 128 GB USB.

Edit: There wasn't....

Last edited by katarok (2023-08-16 14:18:32)

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 76,107

Re: vfat usb opens only as read only [SOLVED]

Why would you get filesystem comments from gparted? Was the key mounted at the time?

dmesg -W # plug the key, post the output

If the firmware set the key to r/o, that's usually because the cells can't reliably be written anymore and the existing data gets protected against loss this way.
You can try the key on some different HW (might be a power supply issue with the specific USB hub).

There're some questionable tools across the internet to reset USB key firmwares, but
1. they're very model specific
2. windows only
3. you usually have to speak chinese or russian to use them
4. resetting the firmware will not fix the hardware, it will just ignore the condition, so you'll eventually run into data corruption (ie. this isn't a good idea at all)

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katarok

Member

Registered: 2020-05-24

Posts: 40

Re: vfat usb opens only as read only [SOLVED]

Why would you get filesystem comments from gparted? Was the key mounted at the time?

Gparted told me it failed and when it showed me the log it had the reason being the "read only filesystem". I unmounted the USB beforehand.

dmesg -W # plug the key, post the output

# dmesg -W
[  227.894162] usb 2-4: new SuperSpeed USB device number 4 using xhci_hcd
[  227.913052] usb 2-4: New USB device found, idVendor=0951, idProduct=1666, bcdDevice= 1.10
[  227.913060] usb 2-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=2, Product=3, SerialNumber=4
[  227.913063] usb 2-4: Product: DataTraveler 3.0
[  227.913064] usb 2-4: Manufacturer: Kingston
[  227.913066] usb 2-4: SerialNumber: 7085C222554C1690D99D0003
[  227.913682] usb-storage 2-4:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[  227.913844] scsi host9: usb-storage 2-4:1.0
[  228.939866] scsi 9:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Kingston DataTraveler 3.0 0000 PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
[  228.940304] sd 9:0:0:0: [sde] Media removed, stopped polling
[  228.940734] sd 9:0:0:0: [sde] Attached SCSI removable disk
[  228.944886] sd 9:0:0:0: [sde] 242155521 512-byte logical blocks: (124 GB/115 GiB)
[  228.945038] sd 9:0:0:0: [sde] Write Protect is on
[  228.945041] sd 9:0:0:0: [sde] Mode Sense: 23 00 80 00
[  228.945171] sde: detected capacity change from 0 to 242155521
[  228.946379]  sde: sde1
[  229.085455] exFAT-fs (sde1): Volume was not properly unmounted. Some data may be corrupt. Please run fsck. 

Also I don't use a hub, I plugged it in directly to my pc.

skunktrader

Member

From: Brisbane, Australia

Registered: 2010-02-14

Posts: 1,676

Re: vfat usb opens only as read only [SOLVED]

And? Did you run fsck as suggested?

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 76,107

Re: vfat usb opens only as read only [SOLVED]

That's not gonna work

[  228.945038] sd 9:0:0:0: [sde] Write Protect is on

I assume it's not one of the fancy keys that has a little switch to toggle that?

Try anothe hub, but curb your expectations

Ftr

Also I don't use a hub, I plugged it in directly to my pc.

Yes you do - just not an external one.

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katarok

Member

Registered: 2020-05-24

Posts: 40

Re: vfat usb opens only as read only [SOLVED]

I assume it's not one of the fancy keys that has a little switch to toggle that?

Try anothe hub, but curb your expectations sad

No, at least I think not, I mean it doesn't have any switches on it.

I tried on every port of my pc including every port on my laptop. Still usb is read only....

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 76,107

Re: vfat usb opens only as read only [SOLVED]

"It's dead, Jim."

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

katarok

Member

Registered: 2020-05-24

Posts: 40

Re: vfat usb opens only as read only [SOLVED]

Damn...

Still, thanks. I appreciate it