[SOLVED] usb drive: cannot remount block device /dev/sdb1 read-write, is write-protected

schneidz · 08-04-2014, 10:21 PM

hi, i have a usb thumb drive that has been running my xbmc full install for a couple of years. now it wont boot and i suspect its because the drive keeps complaining about being write-protected:

Code:

[schneidz@hyper ~]$ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 046d:c517 Logitech, Inc. LX710 Cordless Desktop Laser
Bus 001 Device 012: ID 13fe:5200 Kingston Technology Company Inc. 
[schneidz@hyper ~]$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdb

Disk /dev/sdb: 31.0 GB, 31009800192 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3770 cylinders, total 60566016 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc3072e18

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *        2048    20482047    10240000   83  Linux
/dev/sdb2        20482048    60534783    20026368   83  Linux
[schneidz@hyper ~]$ mount
...
/dev/sdb1 on /media/d9788d9b-9612-4983-830d-3ca680e715fe type ext2 (ro,nosuid,nodev,relatime,seclabel,errors=continue,uhelper=udisks)
/dev/sdb2 on /media/xbmc-data type ext2 (ro,nosuid,nodev,relatime,seclabel,errors=continue,uhelper=udisks)
[schneidz@hyper ~]$ sudo hdparm -r0 /dev/sdb

/dev/sdb:
 setting readonly to 0 (off)
 readonly      =  0 (off)
[schneidz@hyper ~]$ sudo mount -o remount,rw /dev/sdb1
mount: cannot remount block device /dev/sdb1 read-write, is write-protected
[schneidz@hyper ~]$ fsck -v /dev/sdb1
fsck from util-linux 2.19.1
e2fsck 1.41.14 (22-Dec-2010)
fsck.ext2: Read-only file system while trying to open /dev/sdb1
Disk write-protected; use the -n option to do a read-only
check of the device.

how to remove the write-protection (gparted wont format it) ?
i am able to copy all the files off of it but i just cant modify any of the files.

heinblöd · 08-05-2014, 06:25 AM

My first thought is a hardware failure.

You should check it's health before seeking further.

Here is a good explanation how to do this with badblocks :

http://superuser.com/questions/37627...stick-in-linux

schneidz · 08-05-2014, 09:24 AM

thx: fyi

Code:

[schneidz@hyper ~]$ sudo badblocks -w -s -o usbstick.log  /dev/sdb
badblocks: Read-only file system while trying to open /dev/sdb

heinblöd · 08-07-2014, 04:01 AM

If it would be a sdcard i'd say it is locked by its little jumper ...;

Is there maybe some bios option, which allows only read access to external devices ?

Did you check in another pc if it is writable there ?

Or remove it from fstab (if it is in there) and mount manually on a different mount point ?

Did you check the mount point ? Sometimes there are files in the folder which is used as mount point (when the device got removed and sth tried to write to it)

schneidz · 08-07-2014, 08:46 AM

thanks:

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