There is one thing you can try before absolutely tossing it. Run dd as root with the following code: sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb And let her run. That should erase everything on that stick, including partition info, boot sector and the like. If there is a problem, dd will very quickly quit with an error. -Eric From the Central Offices of the Technomage Guild, Hardware dispositions Dept. > On Jan 16, 2023, at 7:23 PM, Michael via PLUG-discuss wrote: > > yeah. I think all is loast. I finally got around to looking at the gparted report: > > ======================================== > > Device: /dev/sdd > Model: SanDisk Ultra > Serial: > Sector size: 512 > Total sectors: 60063744 > > Heads: 255 > Sectors/track: 2 > Cylinders: 117772 > > Partition table: none > > Partition Type Start End Flags Partition Name File System Label Mount Point > /dev/sdd Unpartitioned 0 60063743 iso9660 Kali Live > ======================================== > > Format /dev/sdd as ext4 00:00:17 ( ERROR ) > > calibrate /dev/sdd 00:00:00 ( SUCCESS ) > > path: /dev/sdd (device) > start: 0 > end: 60063743 > size: 60063744 (28.64 GiB) > clear old file system signatures in /dev/sdd 00:00:17 ( ERROR ) > > write 512.00 KiB of zeros at byte offset 0 00:00:17 ( ERROR ) > > libparted messages ( ERROR ) > > Unable to open /dev/sdd read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/sdd has been opened read-only. > Can't write to /dev/sdd, because it is opened read-only. > Can't write to /dev/sdd, because it is opened read-only. > > On Mon, Jan 16, 2023 at 7:55 PM Michael > wrote: > any advice before I toss it? I suppose I could buy a chain and wear it around my neck! > > On Mon, Jan 16, 2023 at 7:53 PM Michael > wrote: > lovely, my 32gb ultra is toast. I started gparted to see if I could format it and the square showing the partitions and usage is gray (as well as the file system icon). > > On Mon, Jan 16, 2023 at 7:16 PM Steve Litt via PLUG-discuss > wrote: > Eric Oyen via PLUG-discuss said on Mon, 16 Jan 2023 16:38:57 -0700 > > >For most things, I use USB sticks in > >a write once, read many configuration scenario. > > Another thing I've found anecdotally that helps lengthen the USB stick > life, whether write once or write a bunch, is to format it as Ext4. I > don't think I ever had one go bad as Ext4, but I have with the windows > format they're shipped with. Of course, if you have to interact with > windows computers or devices expecting windows formated USB sticks, my > trick becomes useless. > > SteveT > > Steve Litt > Autumn 2022 featured book: Thriving in Tough Times > http://www.troubleshooters.com/bookstore/thrive.htm > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > -- > :-)~MIKE~(-: > > > -- > :-)~MIKE~(-: > > > -- > :-)~MIKE~(-: > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss