I have a SamDisk USB-key filled with photos (.png) which I used for a
slide show. I now would like to delete them, but whenever the device
is rebooted, the files reappear.
$ ls -la /media/usb-key
rwxr-xr-x file.png /brownh/brownh
...
Although the files are readable, I find that chown can't change them:
# chown brownh:brownh <filename>
chown: cannot access '<filename>': No such file or directory
failed to change ownership of `filename*' to brownh:brownh
I also find that I can't change permissions. At present are:
xwxr-xr-x brownh/brownh
If I try to remove the files:
# rm -f /media/usb-key/*.*
The files disappear. The ls command shows nothing.
However, if I unmount and remount, the files are back (and shown in
green in xterm, which is not normal).
Also, if I chanmge filenames and extensions for the files, when I
reboot, the original name and extension reappears.
In desperation I try:
$ shred -fuv /media/usb-key *.*
shred: /media/usb-key/<filename>: pass 1/25 (random)...
shred: /media/usb-key/<filename> : fdatasync failed:
Input/output error
shred: /media/usb-key/<filename>: pass 2/25 (888888)...
shred: /media/usb-key/<filename>: fdatasync failed:
Input/output error
...
and also tried:
# mformat -v /dev/sdd1
It failed to run, perhaps because the usb-key has no unix low-level
format. And I also tried:
# fdisk /dev/sdd1
I print the partition table:
Disk /dev/sdd1: 512 MB, 512443392 bytes
16 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1008 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 992 * 512 = 507904 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
This suggests there is no partition at present. So I add a partition
(primary, number 1, cylinders 1-1088. Now I print this and have:
Disk /dev/sdd1: 512 MB, 512443392 bytes
16 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1008 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 992 * 512 = 507904 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdd1p1 1 1008 499937 83 Linux
And I change the type to 4 and print again:
Disk /dev/sdd1: 512 MB, 512443392 bytes
16 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1008 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 992 * 512 = 507904 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdd1p1 1 1008 499937 4 FAT16 <32M
And write and quit (w command):
The partition table has been altered!
Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
WARNING: Re-reading the partition table failed with error 22:
Invalid argument.
The kernel still uses the old table.
The new table will be used at the next reboot.
WARNING: If you have created or modified any DOS 6.x
partitions, please see the fdisk manual page for additional
information.
Syncing disks.
Well, I tried:
# sfdisk /dev/sdd1
Checking that no-one is using this disk right now ...
BLKRRPART: Invalid argument
OK
Warning: start=62 - this looks like a partition rather than
the entire disk. Using fdisk on it is probably meaningless.
[Use the --force option if you really want this]
When I use sfdisk with --force option,
...
Disk /dev/sdd1: 1008 cylinders, 16 heads, 62 sectors/track
Old situation:
Units = cylinders of 507904 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes,
counting from 0
Device Boot Start End #cyls #blocks Id System
/dev/sdd1p1 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/sdd1p2 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/sdd1p3 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/sdd1p4 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/sdd1p1 :
Next I try:
# mkfs.vfat -F 32 /dev/sdd1
mkfs.vfat 2.11 (12 Mar 2005)
But my files still there. Fsck didn't help.
My guess is that I need a low level format, but I have no idea how to
do that for a usb-key. Is it usually done with a proprietary low-level
format utility?
Haines Brown, KB1GRM
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