here it is:



sue@sue-laptop:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for sue:

Disk /dev/sda: 3791 MB, 3791241216 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 460 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x5c1a5c1a

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 433 3478041 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 434 460 216877+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 434 460 216846 82 Linux swap / Solaris
sue@sue-laptop:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 3791 MB, 3791241216 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 460 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x5c1a5c1a

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 433 3478041 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 434 460 216877+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 434 460 216846 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 2055 MB, 2055021056 bytes
16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3981 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 3982 2006825 b W95 FAT32
sue@sue-laptop:~$ dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb
dd: opening `/dev/sdb': Permission denied


thanks
sue

I believe you need to run the dd command with sudo or as root.

trooper: would you mind telling me exactly what to type?

thank you
sue

Looking at Junior hackers' post,i think it should be:

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

I would also say go back and read his post again as it tells you what to do after
using this command.

Hope this helps.

O M G it finally worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thank you everyone!

Well done you!!.

damn..i hope this not how its going to be all the time with linux!

It's a learning curve.
You now know more about Linux than when you started this thread

Thanks Trooper
I use dd allot, but mostly in my 'lean, mean, Debian'. I'm slowly getting warmed up to Ubuntu though.

I would like to add a response to post #22...

Lucky for you...you are a member of Linuxquestions.org, it was obviously a joint effort between all the members that posted.

OH!

And for all the members questioning why I advised using dd.
I punched "U3 device" in Google search and speed read a Wikipedia article on it. Two things that registered were:
1: Unique FAT file system (proprietary, between SanDisk and Microsoft)
2: Hidden system files/folders

Having extensive Windows experience, I know Windows can/will skip steps in processes if it sees the step has already been performed or everything is already in place, or if there are orders to do so in hidden files.
Simply reformatting the pen drive may have been enough, but because of the uniqueness of this particular type of pen drive, and observed Windows habits, I sought to end this thread before this new member got frustrated by advising such to zero the drive before reformatting.
And as such, this new member now has experience with one of the many superior features of a standard Unix/Linux operating system..."dd".