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Question

USB PROBLEM

Feb 26, 2015 3:18AM PST

Hi all!
I have a problem with my usb,i cant format it(windows was unable to complete format).I tried to format through computer menagment and using a tool but didnt work.Can you help me anything to solve this?
This is a HP usb 4gb.
Thankyou

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Did you try HP's own USB formatter?
Feb 26, 2015 3:20AM PST
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Reply
Feb 26, 2015 3:24AM PST

Yes i did. I get this message : Failed to format device.

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OK, now try it on another machine and another device.
Feb 26, 2015 3:36AM PST

These drives do fail so be sure to try it on another PC for the last try.
Bob

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Reply
Feb 26, 2015 3:38AM PST

I did it too Sad

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So now you have multiple bad 4GB drives?
Feb 26, 2015 3:49AM PST

That's bad news.

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Clarification Request
Try using the WINDOWS format for FAT32
Feb 26, 2015 3:40AM PST

Most flash drives of 32 GB or less use FAT32 formats. Try that with Windows.

Good luck.

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Answer
???????????
Feb 26, 2015 3:27AM PST

USB flashdrive? USB hard drive? Formating the USB or trying to format the internal drive using USB? What tool? Is the 4 GB you mention a reference to USB flashdrive size, or internal RAM size?

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Reply
Feb 26, 2015 3:33AM PST

USB flash drive, formating the usb not internal drive.Ive tried hp usb format tool,and 4gb is the capacity of usb flash drive.
Thanks.

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Use a linux distro then
Feb 26, 2015 3:41AM PST

First try GParted in it. If that doesn't work, then ask for instructions on using the "dd" command to force it.

http://www.linuxmint.com

use the Mint MATE version 17.1, it's the easiest for windows users. You create a live DVD, or even better since this involves a USB flashdrive, see if you can install the LIVE linux mint system to it, which will also format it at the same time. For that latter, use Unetbootin or Universal USB Installer, both can run in windows to do the job.

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Linux
Feb 26, 2015 4:34AM PST

I tried to create a linux bootable usb in that usb but it didnt work.But i made another bootable usb and lunched linux,but know i dont have any idea how does linux works.Now that im in linux is any posibility to format the usb that have problem.I cant find my usb in linux.
Thanks

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If you don't now how to do it in Linux ...
Feb 26, 2015 4:39AM PST

just find a Windows PC to do it. Quite a lot of people still have, so it won't be a very diffucult search.

Kees

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Reply
Feb 26, 2015 5:04AM PST

Mate i tried Gparted but i dont work,my usb show as unallocated and when i try to create partition it wont work.
Can you tell me now the dd comand to force it please?
Thanks

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Quite strange to see multiple drives fail.
Feb 26, 2015 5:14AM PST

I wonder if you are flogging a dead (single) drive here.

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reply
Feb 26, 2015 5:17AM PST

Im trying to fix my usb dude,it was working 1 hour ago now i got that problem in i thought i can find a solution here.
Thanks

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Tell more.
Feb 26, 2015 5:19AM PST

USB drives can fail and it's why I asked about other drives. I can't see where you answer if it's this one drive or many.

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Idk what to tell more
Feb 26, 2015 5:23AM PST

Sorry man maybe i didnt give enough info ,but i dont know what do you mean with one drive or many.Can you explain that maybe i can give you more info.Sorry for this im a noob on this xD.

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One drive or many.
Feb 26, 2015 5:43AM PST

How many USB drives is this happening on?

If one, the likelihood is it's another failed drive. Once in a while you find folk desperately trying to recover a gone drive.

If many then we look at trying it on other PCs.

Worth noting that about half the time I can salvage files with this procedure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5TRy8m0Rek
Bob

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unallocated
Feb 26, 2015 5:39AM PST

Yes, that's a "raw" condition. Did the size for the "unallocated" show properly? Did you right clk on the unallocated area and choose "NEW"? What happened when you did that? Should get a sizing box with a choice of setting LABEL, the file system format you want, and the type of partition (logical or primary).

If you do this in Disk Manager in Windows, be sure to "initialize" the flashdrive first.

For the dd command in linux you check GParted to be sure of the drive designator, such as sdc or sdd, or sde, and so forth. You'd then run the following from terminal or console or Konsole.

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd*

where the * is the designator for that drive. I'd advise if you are unsure of doing this, unplug the data cable from your hard drive first, just to be safe. The command's name is "disk destroyer" because people often screw up the output file destination and end up wiping their hard drive instead. What that command does is write zeros over the entire drive. If there is some rootkit or boot sector virus on the flashdrive it will clear it. A faster approach if you think it's just a rootkit or virus is to overwrite just the MBR on the flashdrive.

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd* bs=1M count=2

which clears the first 2 MB on the flashdrive. Some clear only the MBR, but I figure since no data is at risk, a little overkill never hurt, also some flashdrives end up getting GPT on them and that takes more room than MBR and can crap up use of a flashdrive on some computers.

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another you can try using Linux MATE
Feb 26, 2015 5:45AM PST

Since you are correctly booted into Linux mate, check to see what it's designator is first.

sudo blkid

look for the drive letter, UUID, Label, etc.

Only then plug in the other and run the above command again to see the second USB flashdrive's designators.

Go into the Menu, to Applications area, Open Accessories, then run the USB Stick Formatter. Use the info you gathered above to make sure you run it against the correct flashdrive. I'd try this even before trying the dd command.