Usb pen RAW to FAT32 or Ntfs

rathluirc

Hi,
In one of my weaker moments i decided to format my 8GB usb Pen drive, this i now know was a big mistake as the file system has changed to RAW and will not work.
I tried formatting using right click on the drive - no good
I tried formatting using Dos cmd format e.g. format e: /fs:ntfs - no good
I tried formatting using computer management- disk management - no good
I'm using XP and do not need to recover files on it so all those products like power data recovery are no good. Also i tried Acronis*Disk Director Suite which i think only works with IDE hard drives cause the pen drive didn't show up in it.
I've tried searching d'internet with various questions concerning the same problem but all no good.
Can anybody give me a working answer ??? (if so they should bottle it and sell it to all the other sites I've been to !)

laoisfan

do a google on "SwissKnife"....hopefully it will be able to help you.

Khannie

Have a look at trying to format it to fat32 / ntfs with a linux livecd like knoppix. GParted is the tool you will need to use. Should work fine. Linux is less fussy than windows and generally supports a lot more filesystem types.

rathluirc

Thanks lads I'll try the suggestions and let ye know

rathluirc

Tried the Swissknife tool - no good its telling me "Media is write protected. Format cannot be completed" - and there's no slide button on the side to lock the pen drive.
Going onto the Gparted tool next. - will let you know.

rathluirc

Tried the GpartED tool - booted with it selected the auto - selected the language it did all the checks but before the graphic program came up it said "Cannot Display This Video Mode"
"Optimum resolution 1280x1024 60Hz"
So I changed my monitor to this 1280x1024 and the 60Hz (via Radeon Graphics card 9250) and restarted but it just stopped in the same place and said the same thing Cannot Display......

SO I still open to anymore suggestions. I also bought a new pen drive but now I'm just curious to know if this problem has a solution.

Khannie

There are other live cd's available. Try an older one like the ubuntu 6.06 live cd.

Whereabouts do you live?

Shiny

Is this a Corsair Voyager USB key by any chance?

rathluirc

Khannie-Thanks- I'll have a look at that one and as to my whereabouts my name gives it away a bit Rath Luirc or Charleville, co. Cork you might know it as.

Shiny - I'm not sure i got it on ebay and all the details say is that it has a samsung memory - no other distinguishing marks.

Capt'n Midnight

try this one too
http://www.bay-wolf.com/utility/usbkey/usbmemkeyboot.zip

don't mean to worry you but there are a lot of fake USB keys on eBay

Gadgetman496

Download this tool & use it to format the pen drive.

It will sort it for you.

http://www.speedyshare.com/326212162.html

rathluirc

Thanks for the suggestions
Capt'n Midnight and gadgetman496 - Ye both have different links but it gave the same HP tool - which wouldn't allow me to select the "internal MS-DOS files" as instructed and told me the media is write protected anyway.

oh Khannie that program ubuntu 6.06 live cd. when i went about looking for it, it said something about a linux-based operating system and I'm xp,
anyway this problem is dragging on a bit so I'm officially giving up and will probably break the pen open just to see the gremlin inside.

Thanks to All for your help.

KL901

Hi

I have had this issue as well on smaller drives. Once the drive became raw formatted. I could not find a tool or app in XP that worked. You may have luck in the linux option but as far as XP goods. You will burn days finding no solution. Drop a mail back to the supplier asking for an app ( this is your best option)

If they can help. Any time a drive is raw ( in my case not format app worked. I tried ever app I could find).

If any one has actually succeeded in getting a drive in raw format ( one that went corrupt) please provided a link to that app and steps. I would be great full. Thanks

rathluirc wrote: »

Hi,
In one of my weaker moments i decided to format my 8GB usb Pen drive, this i now know was a big mistake as the file system has changed to RAW and will not work.
I tried formatting using right click on the drive - no good
I tried formatting using Dos cmd format e.g. format e: /fs:ntfs - no good
I tried formatting using computer management- disk management - no good
I'm using XP and do not need to recover files on it so all those products like power data recovery are no good. Also i tried Acronis*Disk Director Suite which i think only works with IDE hard drives cause the pen drive didn't show up in it.
I've tried searching d'internet with various questions concerning the same problem but all no good.
Can anybody give me a working answer ??? (if so they should bottle it and sell it to all the other sites I've been to !)

Khannie

rathluirc wrote: »

oh Khannie that program ubuntu 6.06 live cd. when i went about looking for it, it said something about a linux-based operating system and I'm xp,

Yeah, boot from the live cd. You'll be running linux (temporarily) instead of windows. It's a fully useful operating system on a cd and should allow you do to all manner of things with that drive. Sounds like you may need someone who knows their way around linux to help you mind you.