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bobthepurple

Member

From: /dev/null -> /

Registered: 2009-02-22

Posts: 13

usb drive not found

So I just tried to copy a file from a windows 7 computer to my usb key, which resulted in a failure in copying (it said there was no space left, which was a lie). I unplugged it and plugged it into my linux box in order to check the data on the drive, and couldn't mount it, so I reformatted it using gparted to an unallocated drive.
Guess what happened? Now I can't get anything.
dmesg|tail

scsi3 : usb-storage 1-3:1.0
scsi 3:0:0:0: Direct-Access     USBest   USB2FlashStorage 0.00 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
sd 3:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 0
sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk
usb 1-3: USB disconnect, address 3
usb 1-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4
scsi4 : usb-storage 1-3:1.0
scsi 4:0:0:0: Direct-Access     USBest   USB2FlashStorage 0.00 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
sd 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 0
sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk

dd:

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=1
dd: opening `/dev/sdb': No medium found

fdisk -l:

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000c46cf

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1          13      104422   83  Linux
/dev/sda2              14         144     1052257+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda3             145        2103    15735667+  83  Linux
/dev/sda4            2104        9729    61255845   83  Linux

Gparted doesn't find the device at all, it only lists /dev/sda as existing.
Additionally when I plug it into a windows box it reads the device and assigns a drive letter to it, but that drive is at 0 MB and can't be accessed/formatted due to space issues. I've just tried searching for forum posts but no-one's actually "solved" the issue, it's only a string of threads that suggest using gparted or dd, which I've tired to no avail.

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,768

Re: usb drive not found

What if you don't try to partition the drive, but rather create a file system using the entire device.  This is the configuration I have seen for the majority of drives out-of-the-box. The exception to this is U3 type drives (which are cool for Windows, but are a serious annoyance on non-toy operating systems).

e.g. Re-verify that your drive is at sdb and try mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb

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Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
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bobthepurple

Member

From: /dev/null -> /

Registered: 2009-02-22

Posts: 13

Re: usb drive not found

A good idea, however:
mkfs.ntfs:

sudo mkfs.ntfs /dev/sdb
Could not open /dev/sdb: No medium found.

mkfs.vfat:

sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb
mkfs.vfat 3.0.9 (31 Jan 2010)
/dev/sdb: No medium found

MadCat_X

Member

Registered: 2009-10-08

Posts: 189

Re: usb drive not found

Have you tried using the Disk Management in Windows? It's somewhere in Control Panel>Administrative Tools. You might be able to remove the existing partition on the flash disk from there and create a new one. Do you see the sdb in /dev?

bobthepurple

Member

From: /dev/null -> /

Registered: 2009-02-22

Posts: 13

Re: usb drive not found

Tried and failed, the tool doesn't show it as existing.

mitra

Member

Registered: 2010-05-17

Posts: 1

Re: usb drive not found

Have the exact same problem.

Formatted a 4gb usb drive to fat32. Restart and can't mount anymore.  Tail shows that it is attached as sdc but doesn't show up in fdisk/gparted. Can't mount gives me the ame errors messages as user above.

However I can see sdc in /dev

No idea how to solve this, don't understand if it is bricked or not.

BTW: Doesn't function on other computer either. Windows will mount it but it looks like a removable device and ask for you to insert device. Can't format or anything else on windows either.

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,768

Re: usb drive not found

Well, it may be bricked. 

As a last resort, you might try this utility from HP: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/Te … =1&mode=4&

It is known as "HP Drive Key Boot Utility" and works nicely to reformat USB drives such that they are bootable.  It has worked magic for me resuscitating devices I had thought to be bricked -- with the extra bonus that they are bootable.

Sadly, It is a windows app.  It was designed for HP USB drives, but it works for others as well (Patriot, SanDisk)

Good Luck.

(Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with HP in any way beyond being a customer)

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Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

davidgreem

Member

Registered: 2010-05-20

Posts: 5

Re: usb drive not found

As per  my knowlegde USB cant get detected due to several reasons such as
1.Check out the connections.
2.Check for the latest drivers.
3.May be there is a problem wit the USB itself.

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bobthepurple

Member

From: /dev/null -> /

Registered: 2009-02-22

Posts: 13

Re: usb drive not found

I've tried HP disk utility, it didn't work. I checked the connections, drivers... I'm pretty certain it's bricked. Thanks for all the help.

hokasch

Member

Registered: 2007-09-23

Posts: 1,461

Re: usb drive not found

Google throws up tons of reports about "bricked" drives for your model - maybe someone else found a way to resurrect it.

edit:
https://lists.linux-foundation.org/pipe … 21234.html

Last edited by hokasch (2010-05-21 13:28:51)