usb drive mounted only as read-only and nothing I do can format it

MattFly · 12-22-2015, 07:41 AM

Just wondering if I could get this back to its original state. Don't mind what is on it, the thing is that nothing I try can format it:

Code:

 #dmesg | tail

[52972.857024] scsi host15: usb-storage 1-1:1.0
[52973.857471] scsi 15:0:0:0: Direct-Access     SanDisk  Cruzer Blade     1.26 PQ: 0 ANSI: 5
[52973.858255] sd 15:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 0
[52973.859130] sd 15:0:0:0: [sdb] 62530624 512-byte logical blocks: (32.0 GB/29.8 GiB)
[52973.859988] sd 15:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is on
[52973.859999] sd 15:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 43 00 80 00
[52973.860263] sd 15:0:0:0: [sdb] Write cache: disabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA   '
[52973.868617]  sdb: sdb1
[52973.870216] sd 15:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk
[53339.873378] dumpe2fs[31395]: segfault at 0 ip 00007f7cbd65e6fa sp 00007fffb6114108 error 4 in libc-2.21.so[7f7cbd5d3000+1c0000]

# fsck -n /dev/sdb1
fsck de util-linux 2.26.2
fsck.fat 3.0.28 (2015-05-16)
0x41: Dirty bit is set. Fs was not properly unmounted and some data may be corrupt.
 Automatically removing dirty bit.
Leaving filesystem unchanged.
/dev/sdb1: 7 files, 320278/1953029 clusters


# sudo hdparm -r0 /dev/sdb

/dev/sdb:
 setting readonly to 0 (off)
 readonly      =  0 (off)


# mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
mkfs.fat 3.0.28 (2015-05-16)
mkfs.vfat: unable to open /dev/sdb1: Read-only file system

It was mkfs.vfat formated (linux envoriment) and when I was writing on it a lot of files it just sudenlly stop for ever allowing do write.

I've already tried another computer, live usb, gparted,parted, fsck; on windows: deep format tools, chkdsk, diskparted, a lot of software. Nothing seens possible do be done, everything returns a error message that the device is read only or has write protection.

That was a expensive device for me and I am up to try everything that whould be thought.Is a recent drive althought it has no warranty anymore.

Any way/program to force formating this? Any idea will be helpfull.

berndbausch · 12-22-2015, 08:29 AM

Google "SanDisk Cruzer Blade read only" and you will find quite a few results. Among them some that indicate a hardware fault that requires returning the product. I would talk to SanDisk.

MattFly · 12-22-2015, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berndbausch

Google "SanDisk Cruzer Blade read only" and you will find quite a few results. Among them some that indicate a hardware fault that requires returning the product. I would talk to SanDisk.

Unfortunantly I can't do that. What can you say about the two first outputs of my last post? Doesn't it seens to be a bad formated drive with end up by locking write permissions to safety?

kilgoretrout · 12-22-2015, 08:57 AM

If you can't return it, I would try to unmount sdb1 and zero fill the mbr on the drive like so:

Code:

# umount /dev/sdb1
# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=1

If that doesn't work, try zero filling the entire drive:

Code:

# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb

If the above runs, then try partitioning and formatting the drive. If there is a firmware lock on the drive as appears to be the case, there's not much you can do unless the manufacturer has a tool to unlock the drive which does not appear to be the case from my limited googling. The above code is worth a try anyway before giving up on the drive.

MattFly · 12-22-2015, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kilgoretrout

If you can't return it, I would try to unmount sdb1 and zero fill the mbr on the drive like so:

Code:

# umount /dev/sdb1
# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=1

If that doesn't work, try zero filling the entire drive:

Code:

# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb

If the above runs, then try partitioning and formatting the drive. If there is a firmware lock on the drive as appears to be the case, there's not much you can do unless the manufacturer has a tool to unlock the drive which does not appear to be the case from my limited googling. The above code is worth a try anyway before giving up on the drive.

Yes I tried it:

Code:

# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=1
dd: failed to open “/dev/sdb”: Read only file system
# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb
dd: failed to open “/dev/sdb”: Read only file system

I was just suposing this firmware lock. I'll look for something realted at the official website.

BW-userx · 12-28-2015, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattFly

Just wondering if I could get this back to its original state. Don't mind what is on it, the thing is that nothing I try can format it:

Any way/program to force formating this? Any idea will be helpfull.

take read only off of usb stick try that

Code:

sudo hdparm -r0 /dev/sdb

alar · 10-11-2019, 06:14 PM

Exactly what I am looking for! Thx

$ sudo yum install hdparm

Yes my device is /dev/sdb. Did you do an
$fdisk -l to determine yours first. Of course you did!

$ sudo hdparm -r0 /dev/sdb

/dev/sdb:
setting readonly to 0 (off)
readonly = 0 (off)

I could just chuck this silly device but why not just fix it!?

Shadow_7 · 10-12-2019, 01:43 PM

After zeroing a drive with dd, I like to verify that it's zeroe'd with cmp.

# dcfldd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/mydisk# bs=4M
# cmp /dev/zero /dev/mydisk#

if it fails before end of device, it didn't take the dd writes. Some SD hardware fails to read-only hardware wise. Or near read-only states. I've had several fail over the years. Not that many technically, but I tend to buy new ones and run the OS on the new ones every six-ish months (paranoia level). Recalling that some of the early nand flash things were never meant to have more than a dozen writes to any one byte over it's lifetime. Fine for photos that you write once and forget about, not so great for operating systems.