Flash Disk --- Write Protected

[czgirb]

Today I try to delete some files, which stored in Flash disk. But it cannot be deleted.
* I try to choose that file > right-click PROPERTIES >
* within the PERMISSION tab, both GROUP and OTHER section's access are READ-ONLY,
* when I tried to change it. It said THE PERMISSION COULD NOT BE CHANGED.
* Either the EXECUTE section, which CHECKED the ALLOW EXECUTING FILE AS PROGRAM.
Would you mind to tell me how can I delete the file and re-format the Flash disk?
Please guide me ...
Thanx

[NikTh]

Hi ,
this "write protected" thing i think its from windows something. Maybe you didn't use the safe removal option.
If you want to format the flash disk (You will LOSE EVERYTHING !!) then

1) try with disk utility . Umount the disk and click "delete" then click "create" to specify a new filesystem

2)try almost the same with gparted. If you want to install it , open a terminal and
sudo apt-get install gparted

3)another option is dd command but you must BE CAREFUL with this command.

[czgirb]

When I tried to format the flash disk, by using:

Places > Computer > select the Flash disk, right-click > Format ... it said:

Error formatting volume
Error creating file system: helper exited with exit code 1: cannot open /dev/sdg1: Read-only file system

[czgirb]

Hi ,
this "write protected" thing i think its from windows something. Maybe you didn't use the safe removal option.
If you want to format the flash disk (You will LOSE EVERYTHING !!) then

1) try with disk utility . Umount the disk and click "delete" then click "create" to specify a new filesystem

2)try almost the same with gparted. If you want to install it , open a terminal and
sudo apt-get install gparted3)another option is dd command but you must BE CAREFUL with this command.

How to Umount the flash disk?

SORRY!
Open the terminal and type sudo umount /dev/fd0
type password
umount: /dev/fd0: not found
Any clue?

[Baldrick_NZ]

I wonder if this could be solved by
gksu nautiluswith the USB Flash drive connected, then right click over the usb drive and change the permissions that way?

[czgirb]

... try almost the same with gparted. If you want to install it , open a terminal and
sudo apt-get install gparted

After install gparted, how can I run gparted program?

Gparted was found System > Administration > Gparted > Paertition > Format to > Fat32
Edit > Apply All Operation > Apply > the following information is appeared:
An error occured while applying the operation
See the details for more information.
IMPORTANT
If you want support, you need to provide the saved details!
See http://gparted.sourceforge.net/larry/tips/save_details.htm for more information.




another option is dd command but you must BE CAREFUL with this command.


DD command? How to use it? Please guide me

[NikTh]

DD command? How to use it? Please guide me
I prefer to wait a more experience user to do this.( guide you)
You(we) can screw up your system if something goes wrong .
sorry.

But you must give the output of command
sudo fdisk -l with your flash disk connected.

[NikTh]

Hi ,


1) try with disk utility . Umount the disk and click "delete" then click "create" to specify a new filesystem

.
Did you try disk utility ? i guess that you use 10.04 or 11.04 , i think its on administration section.. find that program and try.
DON'T forget to umount first (you can umount from disk utility , just click "umount volume") and then DELETE . At the end Create a new filesystem .

[czgirb]

try with disk utility . Umount the disk and click "delete" then click "create" to specify a new filesystem


System > Disk Utility > select the Flashdisk >
right-panel: Unmount Volume > Delete Partition >
The following information immediately show-up:


Error deleting partition
An error occured while performing operation on .... (Partition 1 of Flash Drive UT_USB20): Operation Failed
Details:


Error erasing: helper exited with exit code 1: In part_del_partition: device_file=/dev/sdg, offset=32256
Entering MS-DOS parser (offset=0, size=1065353216)
MSDOS_MAGIC found

[Face-Ache]

I wonder if this could be solved by
gksu nautiluswith the USB Flash drive connected, then right click over the usb drive and change the permissions that way?

This is what i thought might also have worked.

I used it to change the permissions of the Backgrounds directory so that i could easily save any wallpaper files that i liked in this folder, and it worked fine.

[czgirb]

This is what i thought might also have worked.

I used it to change the permissions of the Backgrounds directory so that i could easily save any wallpaper files that i liked in this folder, and it worked fine.

How to do this?
Please guide me ...

[Face-Ache]

With the USB drive plugged in, open up a terminal with Ctrl-Alt-T, and type in "gksu nautilus" without the " quotes.

You should get a screen pop up that asks for your login password, type in your password.

Navigate to your USB drive, and then set the Permissions for each file like you tried to do in your initial post.

Once the Permissions have been set to read/write, you should then be able to delete each file.

I understand that the "gksu nautilus" command gives you the required file and folder privileges to change the permissions :)

Let us know how you get on! Good luck.

[oldfred]

If it is FAT or NTFS formated you cannot change permissions or ownership as they do not support LInux file features as they are Windows file formats. Normally Nautilus just mounts in read/write so I am not sure what issue may be. sudo nautilus should then work but be careful not to modify any other files or folders in your system.

If a flash camera type (flat) card plugged into a USB adapter, it may have a tiny read only slider on the side. Sometimes that gets moved accidentally.

[Ghost_Mazal]

I have the same issue suddenly with my usb stick. It always worked fine , now suddenly it says "read only filesystem" and I can't do anything on it :mad:

FAT32 on mine

[Face-Ache]

If it is FAT or NTFS formated you cannot change permissions or ownership as they do not support LInux file features as they are Windows file formats. Normally Nautilus just mounts in read/write so I am not sure what issue may be. sudo nautilus should then work but be careful not to modify any other files or folders in your system.

If a flash camera type (flat) card plugged into a USB adapter, it may have a tiny read only slider on the side. Sometimes that gets moved accidentally.

So would the OP need to plug the USB drive into a Windows OS to modify the 'read only' permission?

17,000 posts - congrats too, by the way :)

[quirino77]

I would suggest to plug and try on Windows.

Since nothing works, could it be a hardware protection? Some flash have a little switch that write protects the unit.

[NikTh]

I would suggest to plug and try on Windows.


+1

more probably is that windows created this problem , eg : plug out the flash disk without first do "safe removal" .
So one solution is that quirino suggests .
In a windows environment plug the flash and immediately right click and "quick format" .

[czgirb]

+1

more probably is that windows created this problem , eg : plug out the flash disk without first do "safe removal" .
So one solution is that quirino suggests .
In a windows environment plug the flash and immediately right click and "quick format" .

In windows XP's environment, the flash is detected to be:
* Virus infected and Write-Protected.

You said immediately right click and quick format.
How to do that? Cos my AV is always quickest than my hand.
Please described ...
Thank you

[carl4926]

I'm assuming the device is sdb, but change this accordingly and
Back in Ubuntu do


sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=1M

Then use gparted to partition and format to FAT

[jtarin]

In windows XP's environment, the flash is detected to be:
* Virus infected and Write-Protected.

You said immediately right click and quick format.
How to do that? Cos my AV is always quickest than my hand.
Please described ...
Thank youStart XP in safe-mode

[czgirb]

I'm assuming the device is sdb, but change this accordingly and
Back in Ubuntu do


sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=1MThen use gparted to partition and format to FAT

This is my result:

czgirb@ubuntu:~$ sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=1M
[sudo] password for czgirb:
dd: opening `/dev/sdb': No medium found
czgirb@ubuntu:~$ The following is Gparted_details.htm


GParted 0.5.1
Libparted 2.2
Delete /dev/sdg1 (fat32, 979.97 MiB) from /dev/sdg 00:00:00 ( ERROR )
calibrate /dev/sdg1 00:00:00 ( SUCCESS ) path: /dev/sdg1
start: 63
end: 2007039
size: 2006977 (979.97 MiB)
delete partition 00:00:00 ( ERROR )
libparted messages ( INFO )
Unable to open /dev/sdg read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/sdg has been opened read-only.
Unable to open /dev/sdg read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/sdg has been opened read-only.
Unable to open /dev/sdg read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/sdg has been opened read-only.
Unable to open /dev/sdg read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/sdg has been opened read-only.
Unable to open /dev/sdg read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/sdg has been opened read-only.
Can't write to /dev/sdg, because it is opened read-only.
Unable to open /dev/sdg read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/sdg has been opened read-only.
========================================
Create Primary Partition #1 (fat32, 1011.91 MiB) on /dev/sdg ========================================

[carl4926]

I did tell you to identify your device properly

It looks like you are dealing with sdg not sdb. It's VERY important you get this detail correct!


sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdg bs=1M
Assuming your device is still sdg !

[czgirb]

I did tell you to identify your device properly

It looks like you are dealing with sdg not sdb. It's VERY important you get this detail correct!


sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdg bs=1MAssuming your device is still sdg !

I'm sorry Carl, I just copied the code and I'm never do a modify


czgirb@ubuntu:~$ sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdg bs=1M
[sudo] password for czgirb:
dd: opening `/dev/sdg': Read-only file system
czgirb@ubuntu:~$

[carl4926]

Did we establish if this device has a device lock on it?

[czgirb]

Did we establish if this device has a device lock on it?
SORRY ... what it's mean? Please use easy english. My english is not good.
SORRY

[carl4926]

Some USB pen drives have a small sliding switch on the side to lock the device to Write Protected mode

See this image
http://www.motherboards.org/images/reviews/hardware/1132_p1_5.jpg

[czgirb]

No! No! My USB is not.
Let me tell the story. About half a year ago, I plugged the FDD into my friends Windows XP's computer in order to copied some file ... but since the FDD was caused the computer's system freeze in 10-minutes, so it was un-plugged. And that's the problem's occured.

[carl4926]

Sounds like it needs flushing:)

[Ghost_Mazal]

I have the sam issue again on a different stick. Previously wiping the partition fixed it. Now , nothing works , not even dd can wipe it.

What to do if even dd are not allowed to wipe ?

s
udo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=1M
dd: opening `/dev/sdb': Read-only file system

[lile001]

I have the sam issue again on a different stick. Previously wiping the partition fixed it. Now , nothing works , not even dd can wipe it.

What to do if even dd are not allowed to wipe ?

s
udo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=1M
dd: opening `/dev/sdb': Read-only file system


I have run into the same issue, and concluded that my flash drive was just broken. (Or I did not possess the skill to fix it!) I went through a long thread on this forum trying to fix it and had no luck. Flash drives are cheap - get another one!

[irv]

I've had a few USB sticks go bad on me, but I have also salvaged some also. Try this by following these steps.
1. start gparted.
2. Select the USB drive for the Gparted > Device menu at the top.
218641
3. Make sure you have the partition on the USB drive selected and from the partition menu select delete. If the drive is mounted you may have to unmount it from the same menu first.
218642 218643
4. Click on the green arrow at the top to apply changes.
5. At this point you might have to exit gparted and then restarted. As I remember I had to do this for some reason.
6. Next select the device menu and create a new partition. You can set the format at this point. If you want to read it with windows make it Fat32. I also set the boot flag if I want to boot from the USB drive.
218644
If the drive is salvageable you should have a good drive again.
Hope this works for you.

[czgirb]

An error occured while applying the operation
See the details for more information.
IMPORTANT
If you want support, you need to provide the saved details!
See http://gparted.sourceforge.net/larry/tips/save_details.htm for more information.

Any opinion?

[carl4926]

Try dd again

[czgirb]

czgirb@ubuntu:~$ sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdg bs=1M
[sudo] password for czgirb:
dd: opening `/dev/sdg': Read-only file system
czgirb@ubuntu:~$

[irv]

How big a memory stick are we talking about here? I bought an 8gig stick yesterday for $8. If it is an 8gig or less go out and buy another one. aggravation is got to be worth something.

[carl4926]

How big a memory stick are we talking about here? I bought an 8gig stick yesterday for $8. If it is an 8gig or less go out and buy another one. aggravation is got to be worth something.

+1

Like I said. Visit the bathroom, carefully flush the old one.
Go shopping

[Ghost_Mazal]

+1

Like I said. Visit the bathroom, carefully flush the old one.
Go shopping

Hehehehe , I think the one I'm battling with is gonna go the same route

[NikTh]

czgirb@ubuntu:~$ sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdg bs=1M
[sudo] password for czgirb:
dd: opening `/dev/sdg': Read-only file system
czgirb@ubuntu:~$

Try fsck command to see ..

sudo fsck.vfat -a /dev/sdg

If error occurs try with /dev/sdg1 instead.

[irv]

I just order two 16 gig USB's off Amazon for under $20 with free shipping. I use them for testing different distors.

[eleftg]

Unfortunately, the "Write protected" message (unless there is a hardware write lock switch) is the way your USB stick tells you "I'm dead. Goodbye my old friend". Any USB flash disk has a certain number of write/erase cycles as life expectancy. When this limit is passed you must change it. Remember that most USB sticks have lifetime warranties ;-) so you can possibly trade it for a new one at the place you purchased it.

[czgirb]

OK! Thanx