Corrupted USB stick - recovery of the stick (not the content) possible?

[Hoehrer]

Recently my father got some rather cheap 256MB USB-sticks ... but we never really came to use them since once my father formatted them (old habit) they ceased to work.

The device and its size is correctly recognized under Linux, but no matter what i do nothing is making any difference when i want to use it for files. Some examples of what i have tried:
* Create a new partition table (single primary and mixed pri./extended) => changes just aren't saved or whatever ... the sticks are the same as before.
* Directly formatted the /dev/sdX device with all sorts of filesystems. -> No mounting possible
* "dd"-ed the contend of a similar-sized USB-stick over a corrupt one.

I think i tried some other things as well, but i just couldn't remember then :-/ I'm kinda giving up on figuring out a way to make them work again. Maybe you guys have some tips?

Werner


I've attached some debug output below:

$ parted /dev/sda
GNU Parted 1.7.1
Using /dev/sda
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
(parted) print
Error: Unable to open /dev/sda - unrecognised disk label.

$ fdisk /dev/sda
Device contains neither a valid DOS partition table, nor Sun, SGI or OSF disklabel
Building a new DOS disklabel. Changes will remain in memory only,
until you decide to write them. After that, of course, the previous
content won't be recoverable.

Warning: invalid flag 0x0000 of partition table 4 will be corrected by w(rite)

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
e
Partition number (1-4): 1
First cylinder (1-1015, default 1):
Using default value 1
Last cylinder or +size or +sizeM or +sizeK (1-1015, default 1015):
Using default value 1015

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sda: 262 MB, 262144000 bytes
9 heads, 56 sectors/track, 1015 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 504 * 512 = 258048 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1        1015      255752    5  Extended

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.

$ fdisk /dev/sda

Device contains neither a valid DOS partition table, nor Sun, SGI or OSF disklabel
Building a new DOS disklabel. Changes will remain in memory only,
until you decide to write them. After that, of course, the previous
content won't be recoverable.

Warning: invalid flag 0x0000 of partition table 4 will be corrected by w(rite)

Command (m for help):

$ udevinfo -a -p `udevinfo -q path -n /dev/sda`

Udevinfo starts with the device specified by the devpath and then
walks up the chain of parent devices. It prints for every device
found, all possible attributes in the udev rules key format.
A rule to match, can be composed by the attributes of the device
and the attributes from one single parent device.

  looking at device '/block/sda':
    KERNEL=="sda"
    SUBSYSTEM=="block"
    DRIVER==""
    ATTR{stat}=="      31      101      622      720      123        0    10395    13036        0     6708    13756"
    ATTR{size}=="512000"
    ATTR{removable}=="1"
    ATTR{range}=="16"
    ATTR{dev}=="8:0"

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:07.4/usb1/1-2/1-2:1.0/host4/target4:0:0/4:0:0:0':
    KERNELS=="4:0:0:0"
    SUBSYSTEMS=="scsi"
    DRIVERS=="sd"
    ATTRS{ioerr_cnt}=="0x3"
    ATTRS{iodone_cnt}=="0xb4"
    ATTRS{iorequest_cnt}=="0xb4"
    ATTRS{iocounterbits}=="32"
    ATTRS{timeout}=="30"
    ATTRS{state}=="running"
    ATTRS{rev}=="2.00"
    ATTRS{model}=="USB Flash Drive "
    ATTRS{vendor}=="MSM     "
    ATTRS{scsi_level}=="3"
    ATTRS{type}=="0"
    ATTRS{queue_type}=="none"
    ATTRS{queue_depth}=="1"
    ATTRS{device_blocked}=="0"
    ATTRS{max_sectors}=="240"

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:07.4/usb1/1-2/1-2:1.0/host4/target4:0:0':
    KERNELS=="target4:0:0"
    SUBSYSTEMS==""
    DRIVERS==""

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:07.4/usb1/1-2/1-2:1.0/host4':
    KERNELS=="host4"
    SUBSYSTEMS==""
    DRIVERS==""

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:07.4/usb1/1-2/1-2:1.0':
    KERNELS=="1-2:1.0"
    SUBSYSTEMS=="usb"
    DRIVERS=="usb-storage"
    ATTRS{modalias}=="usb:v0EA0p2168d0200dc00dsc00dp00ic08isc06ip50"
    ATTRS{bInterfaceProtocol}=="50"
    ATTRS{bInterfaceSubClass}=="06"
    ATTRS{bInterfaceClass}=="08"
    ATTRS{bNumEndpoints}=="03"
    ATTRS{bAlternateSetting}==" 0"
    ATTRS{bInterfaceNumber}=="00"

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:07.4/usb1/1-2':
    KERNELS=="1-2"
    SUBSYSTEMS=="usb"
    DRIVERS=="usb"
    ATTRS{configuration}==""
    ATTRS{serial}=="64F5423A2566009C"
    ATTRS{product}=="Flash Disk      "
    ATTRS{manufacturer}=="USB     "
    ATTRS{maxchild}=="0"
    ATTRS{version}==" 2.00"
    ATTRS{devnum}=="6"
    ATTRS{speed}=="12"
    ATTRS{bMaxPacketSize0}=="64"
    ATTRS{bNumConfigurations}=="1"
    ATTRS{bDeviceProtocol}=="00"
    ATTRS{bDeviceSubClass}=="00"
    ATTRS{bDeviceClass}=="00"
    ATTRS{bcdDevice}=="0200"
    ATTRS{idProduct}=="2168"
    ATTRS{idVendor}=="0ea0"
    ATTRS{bMaxPower}=="200mA"
    ATTRS{bmAttributes}=="80"
    ATTRS{bConfigurationValue}=="1"
    ATTRS{bNumInterfaces}==" 1"

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:07.4/usb1':
    KERNELS=="usb1"
    SUBSYSTEMS=="usb"
    DRIVERS=="usb"
    ATTRS{configuration}==""
    ATTRS{serial}=="0000:00:07.4"
    ATTRS{product}=="OHCI Host Controller"
    ATTRS{manufacturer}=="Linux 2.6.17-1-k7 ohci_hcd"
    ATTRS{maxchild}=="4"
    ATTRS{version}==" 1.10"
    ATTRS{devnum}=="1"
    ATTRS{speed}=="12"
    ATTRS{bMaxPacketSize0}=="64"
    ATTRS{bNumConfigurations}=="1"
    ATTRS{bDeviceProtocol}=="00"
    ATTRS{bDeviceSubClass}=="00"
    ATTRS{bDeviceClass}=="09"
    ATTRS{bcdDevice}=="0206"
    ATTRS{idProduct}=="0000"
    ATTRS{idVendor}=="0000"
    ATTRS{bMaxPower}=="  0mA"
    ATTRS{bmAttributes}=="c0"
    ATTRS{bConfigurationValue}=="1"
    ATTRS{bNumInterfaces}==" 1"

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:07.4':
    KERNELS=="0000:00:07.4"
    SUBSYSTEMS=="pci"
    DRIVERS=="ohci_hcd"
    ATTRS{modalias}=="pci:v00001022d0000740Csv00000000sd00000000bc0Csc03i10"
    ATTRS{local_cpus}=="ff"
    ATTRS{irq}=="9"
    ATTRS{class}=="0x0c0310"
    ATTRS{subsystem_device}=="0x0000"
    ATTRS{subsystem_vendor}=="0x0000"
    ATTRS{device}=="0x740c"
    ATTRS{vendor}=="0x1022"

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00':
    KERNELS=="pci0000:00"
    SUBSYSTEMS==""
    DRIVERS==""

[tpl]

looking at yr fdisk report, what's with this "5"?

/dev/sda1 1 1015 255752 >5< Extended

suggest to try c (fat32 LBA) or 83 (linux): then
either format w/ dos, of mkfs w/ linux

[Hoehrer]

Actually it doesn't really matter what type of partition I choose or how many of them i create ... the outcome (bad (or empty) partition table after reboot and/or re-insert of the stick) is the same. So the mkfs.XXX afterwards does not work for /dev/sdaXX since the partition(s) do not exist. And formatting the whole device /dev/sda is no working as well :-/

EDIT: I forgot to mention that in the fdisk example above I tried to create an extended 'e' (thus the number 5 instead of primary 1-4) partition - doing the same with a primary 'p' partition gives the same output.

EDIT2 - Oh BTW: when exactly is the partition table actually written on the stick .. after re-insert of the stick or after a reboot (which i doubt).

I'll re-check this tip nonetheless. Thanks for replying.

My hope is that the sticks are not permanently damaged, but this hope is fading fast


Werner

[Hoehrer]

Ok, just to get sure i just tried the same thing with a primary partition, but as I mentioned above there is no change.

Has nobody had similar problems yet?

Thanks again,
Werner

$ fdisk /dev/sda
Device contains neither a valid DOS partition table, nor Sun, SGI or OSF disklabel
Building a new DOS disklabel. Changes will remain in memory only,
until you decide to write them. After that, of course, the previous
content won't be recoverable.

Warning: invalid flag 0x0000 of partition table 4 will be corrected by w(rite)

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4): 1
First cylinder (1-1015, default 1):
Using default value 1
Last cylinder or +size or +sizeM or +sizeK (1-1015, default 1015):
Using default value 1015

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sda: 262 MB, 262144000 bytes
9 heads, 56 sectors/track, 1015 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 504 * 512 = 258048 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1        1015      255752   83  Linux

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.

#### Removed and inserted stick ####

$ fdisk /dev/sda
Device contains neither a valid DOS partition table, nor Sun, SGI or OSF disklabel
Building a new DOS disklabel. Changes will remain in memory only,
until you decide to write them. After that, of course, the previous
content won't be recoverable.

Warning: invalid flag 0x0000 of partition table 4 will be corrected by w(rite)

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sda: 262 MB, 262144000 bytes
9 heads, 56 sectors/track, 1015 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 504 * 512 = 258048 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System

Command (m for help): quit

[Hoehrer]

Sorry for bumping this thread, but I'm kinda lost ...since I last posted I searched wherever I could and nobody even seem to have a similar problem .. not to mention a solution. So I bump this just one more time before giving up.

Werner

[bozla]

I have the same problem! But I know what caused mine. I was trying to use my usb stick to install xbox linux on my xbox. Now the file system in fatx and I don know how to recover the stick.

[Hoehrer]

I have the same problem! But I know what caused mine. I was trying to use my usb stick to install xbox linux on my xbox. Now the file system in fatx and I don know how to recover the stick.

More detail would be nice ... Right now it doesn't need to the same problem, you still might be able to reformat the file system of the stick (partitions or the whole device) with vfat, ext2 or whatever you like. I won't promise it will work, but if you didn't try it yet it might just solve your problem. Use qtparted or gparted if you are not familiar with all those commandline tools.

If this works it is in no way similar to my problem btw. except that it is a usb stick as well.

Werner

PS: And if by "recover" you mean the files on the stick this thread is the wrongest place to post it ... you would need to have a fatx enabled kernel(-module) for mounting I think.

[bozla]

More detail would be nice ... Right now it doesn't need to the same problem, you still might be able to reformat the file system of the stick (partitions or the whole device) with vfat, ext2 or whatever you like. I won't promise it will work, but if you didn't try it yet it might just solve your problem. Use qtparted or gparted if you are not familiar with all those commandline tools.

If this works it is in no way similar to my problem btw. except that it is a usb stick as well.

Werner

PS: And if by "recover" you mean the files on the stick this thread is the wrongest place to post it ... you would need to have a fatx enabled kernel(-module) for mounting I think.

Yeah, your right. I´ve managed to solve it but in a round about way. For some reason, my computer wouldn´t format it (using fdisk or windows) but i managed to reformat it on another windows machine. Go figure?!

[Hoehrer]

Yeah, your right. I´ve managed to solve it but in a round about way. For some reason, my computer wouldn´t format it (using fdisk or windows) but i managed to reformat it on another windows machine. Go figure?!

Good to hear you had no bigger problems

Small tip, out of experience ... you could test if the filesystem is faulty (I suspect it isn't in your case, but just in case) by taking some big files, making checksums, copy them on the stick (use as many files as you need to fill the stick), copy them back and make checksums again ... it's not the best way of doing this, but you can quickly see if everything worked out correctly. If there are corrupted files afterwards you can't count on using the stick without losing data.

You could use e.g. "badblocks" or something similar on the device as well just to get sure

Werner

[Hoehrer]

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I finally had some time again to look into my 3 usb sticks and finally pried open one of them ('twas easier and less destructive than I first thought) to have a look at the chips they use.

I've found 2 chips labelled "Hynix HY27UFO81G2" (seems to be a 1Gbit = 128MB chip resulting in an overall of 256MB as stated on the cover of the sticks) and a controller chip OTi OTI002168. At least ow i know these "noname" sticks at least seem to have the correct hardware inside.

Both type of chips seem to be very common, but unfortunately I still can't find a way to make them work :-/

Werner