Cannot Format USB Pens

[PCInk]

I recently bought 3 USB pens. Two different manufacturers and all different models. Every single one worked for a week or two and then stopped working. No matter the operating system I now try to plug them into, I cannot get any of them to work. I've tried to reformat in Linux, Windows, a live boot of Ubuntu and even on an XBox 360. None of them can reformat.

I can't believe all three are faulty or that a computer would damage the drive so it can no longer be used.

The only difference between these three and every other I've ever owned is that they were formatted with LUKS encryption. I do not think will affect the format option, only the ability to read the files.

Anyway, if I go into disks, I get this when trying to format:

Error creating file system: Command-line `mkntfs -f -F -L "" "/dev/sdc"' exited with non-zero exit status 1:
stdout: `Cluster size has been automatically set to 4096 bytes.
Creating NTFS volume structures.
'
stderr: `/dev/sdc is entire device, not just one partition.
mkntfs forced anyway.
Error writing to /dev/sdc: Input/output error
Error writing non-resident attribute value.
add_attr_sd failed: Input/output error
Couldn't create root directory: Input/output error
Failed to fsync device /dev/sdc: Remote I/O error
Warning: Could not close /dev/sdc: Remote I/O error
' (udisks-error-quark, 0)

Does anyone have any idea what I can do to get these working again? Are they actually faulty? I've tried a lot of online help and nothing works, mainly input/output errors.

One drive seems to allow me to use DD to write to the drive but then what ever I write (tried copying a working USB) doesn't work. Thought if I copy one, it may at least start being recognised and allow me to then format it. Took ages. Then, just the same errors.

Had some superblock error messages at times, none of the online help I tried worked.

What am I doing wrong? I just want to reformat them all without LUKS now. Help!

[engine]

I'm trying to remember when I last had a flash drive fail, and I can't.
Three in quick sequence sounds fishy, and i wonder if it's the LUKS encryption which is stopping all action. In other words, the LUKS encryption is stopping read and write access without the relevant key. Can you use LUKS again on it?
One other thing to try might be one of the military-grade wiping tools, assuming there are no files on there you wish to keep.
Alternatively, USB flash drives are relatively cheap and you may want to consider acquiring new.

[graeme_p]

Have you tried GNU Parted or GParted? I usually use the latter (except on OpenSuse which has its own partition manager).

[lammert]

With three different USB sticks faulty in a week I would suspect the USB port of one of the devices you used the sticks with. If the USB supply voltage of one of these devices is significantly higher than 5 Volt or if there are voltage spikes in the supply, it can easily damage a USB stick.

[PCInk]

I've tried GParted but that gives the error "Libparted error - Error fsyncing/closing /dev/sdc: Remote I/O error"

LUKS does seem to linked to this somehow as they are the only three pens that have failed. Others without LUKS have not been an issue. That makes me think it is a spike in power, unless random chance has just taken those ones out.... so far.

I did have another start giving errors which did not have LUKS on it but that one reformatted perfectly fine and I can still use it. It now provides the music in my car.

Also I try using "dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/usbpen" to wipe some of them. One took about an hour and half to finish and there were no error messages but it still won't work.

[engine]

Did you ever get this resolved?

I ask because a friend had a USB drive fail, and upon checking, he had used LUKS.

[PCInk]

I have no solution that works. The one consistent factor is LUKS. I have no issues with non-LUKS drives.

[engine]

Thanks.

I let him know and he told me he's written off the drive. As he said, not a big investment, but, still, very annoying, and a waste. I asked about the date and he said, the hammer he used has probably dealt with any chance of recovery.

It sounds to me it's best to avoid LUKS.