[SOLVED] My USB flash drive will not format

mark_alfred · 11-11-2018, 08:08 AM

I have a USB flash drive that is buggered up, so I've been trying to format it to reset it. I've tried to do this with various command-line commands and also with GParted and Gnome Disks Utility. It takes forever and then fails (or everything freezes). Has anyone else had issues like this?

Commands I've tried (it's located at sdb):

Code:

mkdosfs -F 32 -I /dev/sdb1
mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
mkfs.ntfs /dev/sdb1

Often it tells me, "Error synchronizing after initial wipe: Timed out waiting for object (udisks-error-quark, 0)"

Anyone know of a solution to this?

[later] I've determined there is no solution. The USB stick is broken and nothing will work.

mark_alfred · 11-11-2018, 08:57 AM

Okay, just tried the following:

Code:

root@debian:/home/mark# umount /dev/sdb1
umount: /dev/sdb1: not mounted
root@debian:/home/mark# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=1
1+0 records in
1+0 records out
512 bytes copied, 192.225 s, 0.0 kB/s
root@debian:/home/mark#

I found that code via the duckduckgo search engine. I'm hoping it will make the disk more amenable to the other formatting and reset options that I previously tried. So, I'll now reattempt it with GParted.

GParted is taking forever to start. It says, "searching /dev/sdb partitions" with the annoying Pong-like paddle on the bottom going back and forth. Hmm. Now GParted is blank. I should have tried the command line options first. Well, guess I'll wait a bit more. Htop indicates that GParted is still working on starting (which really is a bit pathetic, but oh well). [edited to add..] Well, GParted just died.

mark_alfred · 11-11-2018, 09:57 AM

Well, I rebooted. So, subsequent attempt:

Code:

mark@debian:~$ su
Password: 
root@debian:/home/mark# umount /dev/sdb1
umount: /dev/sdb1: not mounted
root@debian:/home/mark# mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
mkfs.fat 4.1 (2017-01-24)

Well, see if this works. But I doubt it. It's likely time to toss this USB stick.

mark_alfred · 11-11-2018, 03:29 PM

The code above failed. I found a new site with more thorough directions:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1858...m-a-thumbdrive
So, I'll see if it works. If not, the USB stick gets tossed.

[later] Bah, the stick is broken. Nothing will work.

jefro · 11-13-2018, 02:47 PM

" Bah, the stick is broken. Nothing will work."
Bummer.

Thanks for the update and solution.