USB is read only and won't unlock

[ShadowGuardian]

for those who wanted dmesg:
403.888131] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Sense Key : Data Protect [current]
[ 403.888137] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Add. Sense: Write protected
[ 403.888143] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Write(10): 2a 00 00 00 08 00 00 00 08 00
[ 403.888155] end_request: critical target error, dev sdb, sector 2048
[ 403.888161] Buffer I/O error on device sdb1, logical block 0
[ 403.888165] lost page write due to I/O error on sdb1
[ 403.888189] EXT4-fs error (device sdb1): __ext4_get_inode_loc:3680: inode #8: block 705: comm mount: unable to read itable block
[ 403.888232] EXT4-fs (sdb1): no journal found

This is the last few lines.

also, ubuntu says it cant mount it when i plug it in or click on it. So i assume it is unmounted

[ShadowGuardian]

tried the unmount thing and then dd and badblocks. NO GO

as regards to the update bug, the usb does the same stubborn thing in windows 7.

I think i just need a program or something that overrides or ignores the "readonly" part. I don't need any data off the drive, just want a fresh usb.

[carl4926]

Do you tell us if imagewriter will write an image to it?

[ShadowGuardian]

@carl4926

Sorry, I was not very clear. Universal usb installer said it could not write on the usb. Unetbootin said it successfully wrote the live ubuntu 12.10 iso to it. However, my partitioners show no change in the partitions and when i tried to boot from the usb it gives me an error message saying it could not boot.

Minitool Partition Wizard and Unetbootin both said they successfully changed the data on the usb (I tried to wipe it and repartition with Minitool).

However when i apply changes and refresh minitool it shows the same old 10.5gb of ext4 and the rest unallocated (which i cant partition because it also says "readonly").

It seems the whole thing is locked up not just the ext4 partition.

Any more suggestions?

[carl4926]

Any more suggestions?

Only Google the problem
unlock usb dongle
Or some such subject

[dcstar]

for those who wanted dmesg:
403.888131] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Sense Key : Data Protect [current]
[ 403.888137] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Add. Sense: Write protected
[ 403.888143] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Write(10): 2a 00 00 00 08 00 00 00 08 00
[ 403.888155] end_request: critical target error, dev sdb, sector 2048
[ 403.888161] Buffer I/O error on device sdb1, logical block 0
[ 403.888165] lost page write due to I/O error on sdb1
[ 403.888189] EXT4-fs error (device sdb1): __ext4_get_inode_loc:3680: inode #8: block 705: comm mount: unable to read itable block
[ 403.888232] EXT4-fs (sdb1): no journal found

Well, there is your answer.

You have a hardware problem, a broken/faulty device.

Bin it.

[ShadowGuardian]

Thanks for pointing the critical target error, but could you explain what it means exactly. I know it could be a hardware problem. But i would like to try everything first, even if it may be futile. Is there a program that would ignore the read only part and the hardware error and try to format anyway?

Thanks for the replies and suggestions

[sudodus]

Thanks for pointing the critical target error, but could you explain what it means exactly. I know it could be a hardware problem. But i would like to try everything first, even if it may be futile. Is there a program that would ignore the read only part and the hardware error and try to format anyway?

Thanks for the replies and suggestions

You have tried such programs already (according to your replies in this thread), and they have failed.

Have you checked if there is a hardware switch, that makes the drive read-only?

[ShadowGuardian]

I cant see a switch anywhere. I'm gonna have a computer tech look at it tomorrow. Has anyone else had a usb they bought break after a short amount of use? I just got it off newegg.com two weeks ago (I actually got two 32gb usb drives). I think i will get two 16gb ones for ubuntu and fedora (dual-booting is a little unstable).

Oh well, thanks for the replies, and if you think of something else or something that might randomly work please let me know.

P.S. If there was a switch, wouldn't it have denied me access from the beginning. Why would it start now?

[carl4926]

Has anyone else had a usb they bought break after a short amount of use

Yes, I mentioned earlier a 8GB one

P.S. If there was a switch, wouldn't it have denied me access from the beginning. Why would it start now?

You know what they say...... Stuff happens!