iPaulMorrison
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Disk Utility - Cannot repair disk (USB)

Hey guys,

 

I was copying some movies to my USB stick when it seemed to get all buggy on me, and ejected itself. However, it seems to have been corrupted during the process.

 

Now I have tried to format the USB. I am able to watch content from it and also copy it back over to my desktop but I cant delete anything from it nor can I repair it in Disk Utility after I veryify the disk.

 

Here are some images:

 

Screen Shot 2013-02-10 at 22.23.18.png

 

Screen Shot 2013-02-10 at 22.23.27.png

 

Screen Shot 2013-02-10 at 22.23.56.png

 

Screen Shot 2013-02-10 at 22.24.32.png

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Feb 10, 2013 2:30 PM

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iPaulMorrison

Q: Disk Utility - Cannot repair disk (USB)

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Topher Kessler,

    Topher Kessler Topher Kessler Feb 10, 2013 2:39 PM in response to iPaulMorrison
    Level 6 (9,866 points)
    Feb 10, 2013 2:39 PM in response to iPaulMorrison

    If you can copy the items off of it to your computer, then do so, followed by partitioning and formatting the drive in Disk Utility, and then copy the files back. This is usually the quickest way to address drive formatting problems that occur which cannot be fixed in Disk Utility.

  • by iPaulMorrison,

    iPaulMorrison iPaulMorrison Feb 10, 2013 2:43 PM in response to Topher Kessler
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 10, 2013 2:43 PM in response to Topher Kessler

    Sorry I should have also included the following:

     

    Screen Shot 2013-02-10 at 22.41.26.png

    Screen Shot 2013-02-10 at 22.41.32.png

    Screen Shot 2013-02-10 at 22.41.45.png

    Screen Shot 2013-02-10 at 22.41.50.png

  • by Topher Kessler,Helpful

    Topher Kessler Topher Kessler Feb 10, 2013 3:02 PM in response to iPaulMorrison
    Level 6 (9,866 points)
    Feb 10, 2013 3:02 PM in response to iPaulMorrison

    Get information on the disk in Disk Utility to get its device ID (something like /disk1), then open the OS X Terminal and run the following to partition the drive:

     

    sudo diskutil partitionDisk /dev/DEVICE 1 MBRFormat HFS+ PARTITION1 100%

     

    Just be sure the drive device is correct, and that should hopefully format it properly (supply your password when prompted).

  • by iPaulMorrison,

    iPaulMorrison iPaulMorrison Feb 10, 2013 3:08 PM in response to Topher Kessler
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 10, 2013 3:08 PM in response to Topher Kessler

    Ok.

     

    When I get info for "64.02 GB Sandisk Ultra Backu..." Its "disk1".

     

    When I get info for "SANDISK NEW", its "disk1s1".

  • by Linc Davis,Helpful

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 10, 2013 3:22 PM in response to iPaulMorrison
    Level 10 (207,963 points)
    Applications
    Feb 10, 2013 3:22 PM in response to iPaulMorrison

    The drive's controller has detected corruption and locked the drive. Apparently the lock is irreversible, though it might be different for your model:

     

    This is a known hardware error and can't be fixed. Sandisk is aware of the issue, although there is no official recall for the product. This is an offical answer if you contact customer service:

     

    "I understand that you are getting write protection error while accessing your Cruzer flash drive. The flash drive has detected a potential fault and has become write protected to prevent data loss. There is no method to fix this. You will need to backup your data and replace the flash drive.

    Our team of developers is in combination with the OS developers looking into a solution to resolve this issue.

    Please note that only a minor percentage of users are experiencing the write protection issue and these are the customers posting on the internet to find a solution."

     

    Sandisk cruzer 16GB became read-only

  • by iPaulMorrison,

    iPaulMorrison iPaulMorrison Feb 10, 2013 3:27 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 10, 2013 3:27 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Wow. Thanks for that Linc. I wont be very happy if I have to magically replace a 64gb usb drive. They arent exactly what I would call cheap. I havent tried the terminal command yet. I dont know if I should even try now, as it exactly as described there: read-only.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 10, 2013 3:33 PM in response to iPaulMorrison
    Level 10 (207,963 points)
    Applications
    Feb 10, 2013 3:33 PM in response to iPaulMorrison

    If the drive is under warranty, you may be able to get it replaced, but you can't remove your data without destroying it.

  • by iPaulMorrison,

    iPaulMorrison iPaulMorrison Feb 10, 2013 3:37 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 10, 2013 3:37 PM in response to Linc Davis

    I was able to copy my data from the drive back on to my MacBook. So nothing lost there. Alas, If I recall correctly it was bought of eBay. Lesson learnt I guess.

  • by Topher Kessler,

    Topher Kessler Topher Kessler Feb 10, 2013 7:22 PM in response to iPaulMorrison
    Level 6 (9,866 points)
    Feb 10, 2013 7:22 PM in response to iPaulMorrison

    Give the command a shot with "disk1" (no s1) in the command above.

     

    You also might try using another platform (ie, a Windows PC) altogether to partition and format the drive. I'd do this before giving up on it. Sometimes one system may have better luck at handling the nuances of an error that prevent another system from managing it.

  • by Moof666,

    Moof666 Moof666 Feb 6, 2016 8:37 AM in response to iPaulMorrison
    Level 1 (89 points)
    Wireless
    Feb 6, 2016 8:37 AM in response to iPaulMorrison

    You cannot partition a partition, so use the info for the whole drive ("64.02 GB Sandisk Ultra Backu...").

    The command is intended to replace the existing partition with a new partition. Even so, I'm 99% sure it will fail, and you have a drive that is unrepairable. EBay or not, send email to SanDisk.