Ubuntu

Problem reformatting memory card

Asked by Ricardo Diamondo

I was reformatting my Sony Pro HG Duo 8Gb card to Fat 32 but then unplugged it by mistake! Now it does not show up on my Ubuntu 15.10 system and I cannot use it any more. Please help me to remount it. As a pensioner I am a bit of a novice to Linux but can use the terminal.

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Ricardo Diamondo
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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

In the terminal, run:

sudo fdisk -l; lsb_release -a; uname-a

What is the output please?

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Ricardo Diamondo (dick-diamond2000) said : 		#2

Thanks for getting back Andrew,
I have typed in what you gave me and got:

siddartha@siddartha-Lenovo-G575:~$ sudo fdisk -l; lsb_release -a; uname-a
[sudo] password for siddartha:
Disk /dev/ram0: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram1: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram2: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram3: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram4: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram5: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram6: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram7: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram8: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram9: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram10: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram11: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram12: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram13: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram14: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/ram15: 64 MiB, 67108864 bytes, 131072 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

Disk /dev/sda: 298.1 GiB, 320072933376 bytes, 625142448 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x000a8541

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 * 2048 617582591 617580544 294.5G 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 617584638 625141759 7557122 3.6G 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 617584640 625141759 7557120 3.6G 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition 2 does not start on physical sector boundary.

Disk /dev/sdb: 7.5 GiB, 8032092160 bytes, 15687680 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1 * 160 15683519 15683360 7.5G c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 15.10
Release: 15.10
Codename: wily
uname-a: command not found
siddartha@siddartha-Lenovo-G575:~$

All gobble-de-gook to me I fear.....

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#3

Is the SD card 8Gb by any chance? We can then work on the correct device.

Revision history for this message
Ricardo Diamondo (dick-diamond2000) said : 		#4

Hi, yes it is a 8Gb SD card.
Hope this helps.
Richard

      From: actionparsnip <email address hidden>
 To: <email address hidden>
 Sent: Saturday, 9 April 2016, 23:07
 Subject: Re: [Question #290191]: Problem reformatting memory card

Your question #290191 on Ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/290191

    Status: Open => Needs information

actionparsnip requested more information:
Is the SD card 8Gb by any chance? We can then work on the correct
device.

--
To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
this email or enter your reply at the following page:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/290191

You received this question notification because you asked the question.

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#5

OK then run:

sudo umount
sudo mk2fs.vfat /dev/sdb1

Will format the storage to FAT32 for you. Remember that FAT32 has a maximum file size of 4Gb. If you want something larger then I suggest you use Ext2. Ext2 can be read in Windows with 3rd party tools (just like most of Windows it needs an application to do most things)

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#6

Sorry

sudo umount /dev/sdb1
sudo mk2fs.vfat /dev/sdb1

Revision history for this message
Ricardo Diamondo (dick-diamond2000) said : 		#7

Hi Andrew,
thanks for your response.
However I have not tried your solution as my SD card is 8Gb (as per my original query and answer to your question of it was 8Gb) It is. So this could explain why the reformatting froze up on my initial attempt.
Please could you give me the code to change it to Ext2 instead?
Thanks,
Richard

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#8

sudo umount /dev/sdb1
sudo mk2fs.ext2 /dev/sdb1

Revision history for this message
Ricardo Diamondo (dick-diamond2000) said : 		#9

Hi Andrew,
I tried the above code but got the following:

siddartha@siddartha-Lenovo-G575:~$ sudo umount /dev/sdb1
[sudo] password for siddartha:
Sorry, try again.

on 2nd attempt I got the same:

[sudo] password for siddartha:
umount: /dev/sdb1: not mounted

And when I tried just the 2nd line of code I got:

siddartha@siddartha-Lenovo-G575:~$ sudo mk2fs.ext2 /dev/sdb1
sudo: mk2fs.ext2: command not found
siddartha@siddartha-Lenovo-G575:~$

It seems that Linux is just not recognising this volume, when it is inserted, so it's back to square one!
Is this SD card unusable now? Should I forget the whole venture?

Thanks, Richard

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#10

No, you just need the command to format Ext2, nothing more.

Try searching the Web...

Revision history for this message
Ricardo Diamondo (dick-diamond2000) said : 		#11

I have tried: sudo mk2fs.ext2 /dev/sdb1
again
and just get: sudo: mk2fs.ext2: command not found
again.
Why is it saying "command not found" when I have entered it?

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#12

Running the same command won't do anything. If it didnt work the first time, what will running the same command again and again do?

Seems the command is:

sudo mkfs.ext2 /dev/sdb1

You could have fond that online. LOTS of guides online for this sort of thing....

Revision history for this message
Ricardo Diamondo (dick-diamond2000) said : 		#13

Hi Andrew,
Seems that "sudo mkfs.ext2 /dev/sdb1" is the correct code rather than "sudo mk2fs.ext2 /dev/sdb1" and I'm up and running again.

I did try on-line for help but to no avail, so thought I would try Cononical. As I said in my original question, it was an 8Gb card and I am a pensioner and much of this code stuff goes over my head, but thanks for sending the correct code eventually.

Thanks for all your help.
Richard