Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Resetting USB flash

[Mick]

On Friday 04 Jan 2013 22:31:53 Alan McKinnon wrote:
> On Fri, 4 Jan 2013 16:32:14 +0000
>
> Mick <michaelkintzios@×××××.com> wrote:
> > I was trying to zero out a USB stick and at some point it seems to
> > have locked itself up.  By that I mean that for all intends and
> > purposes I cannot write to it in any conceivable way.
> >
> > I tried to delete /dev/sdb1 with c/fdisk, the dd zeros
> > into /dev/sdb1, /dev/sdb and also the first 512B to delete the
> > partition table, but nothing seems to work.
> >
> > /dev/sdb1 is still there no matter how I try to
> > delete/format/overwrite it.
> >
> > Is there a way of resetting whatever needs resetting in the USB flash
> > chip to make it work again?
>
> USB sticks don't last long. When they do that, they are nuked.
>
> They cost about as much as a packet of smokes. Chuck it in the bin, buy
> a new one, move on. It's not worth the time to even attempt to fix it.

Yep, you're right.  I have come to the conclusion that it is terminal.  Out of 
sheer good luck I ran a backup just a day before it croaked!  :-)
-- 
Regards,
Mick