[opensuse] errors formatting a flash card
openSUSE 11.4 / kernel 2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop / Gnome 2.32.1 I have been using SDHC flash cards for data backups, reformatting them as ext4 with LUX encryption. This has worked very nicely with a mixture of cards from various manufacturers, but now I've come across a problem one. The card is a SanDisk 16gb SDHC 'standard version' (their words) that refuses to format as anything other than FAT. It seemed to format OK, but when mounting it fails (with the all too familiar log message of 'JBD: no valid journal superblock found' and 'EXT4-fs (dm-1): error loading journal'). I messed around with it for a while, using both the Yast2 formatter utility (from 11.4) and the Gnome gui utility (Disk Utility 2.32.0), but no joy. Here are a few of the error messages I recorded... ============== Error deleting partition An error occurred while performing an operation on "New Volume" (Partition 1 of Generic- Multi-Card): The operation failed Details Error erasing: helper exited with exit code 1: In part_del_partition: device_file=/dev/sdc, offset=16384 Entering MS-DOS parser (offset=0, size=16526606336) MSDOS_MAGIC found looking at part 0 (offset 16384, size 16526589952, type 0x00) new part entry looking at part 1 (offset 0, size 0, type 0x00) new part entry looking at part 2 (offset 0, size 0, type 0x00) new part entry looking at part 3 (offset 0, size 0, type 0x00) new part entry Exiting MS-DOS parser MSDOS partition table detected got it got disk got partition - part->type=8 refusing to delete a metadata partition ==================== The partitioning on disk /dev/sdc is not readable by the partitioning tool parted, which is used to change the partition table. You can use the partitions on disk /dev/sdc as they are. You can format them and assign mount points to them, but you cannot add, edit, resize, or remove partitions from that disk with this tool. ===================== Error Operation not permitted on disk /dev/sdc ! The partitioning on your disk /dev/sdc is either not readable by the partitioning tool parted used to change the partition table or is not supported by this tool. You may use the partitions on disk /dev/sdc as they are or format them and assign mount points to them, but you cannot add, edit, resize, or remove partitions from that disk here. ===================== I have a support inquiry in to SanDisk, but I'm not real hopeful of getting a response real soon. Anyone here know what's going on with this card? Thanks! -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Wed, 2011-07-06 at 21:18 -0400, listreader wrote:
openSUSE 11.4 / kernel 2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop / Gnome 2.32.1
I have been using SDHC flash cards for data backups, reformatting them as ext4 with LUX encryption. This has worked very nicely with a mixture of cards from various manufacturers, but now I've come across a problem one. The card is a SanDisk 16gb SDHC 'standard version' (their words) that refuses to format as anything other than FAT. It seemed to format OK, but when mounting it fails (with the all too familiar log message of 'JBD: no valid journal superblock found' and 'EXT4-fs (dm-1): error loading journal').
I'm going to answer and close my own question here. I got an extremely quick response from the manufacturer's (SanDisk) Technical Support who says.... "I understand that you are trying to format the card with an ext 4 file system and LUX encryption. i would like to inform you that SanDisk SDHC cards can only be formatted in FAT file system." So there you have it. Exactly 'why' this is true I don't know for sure but anyone intending to reformat a SDHC card to something other than FAT should obviously buy another brand rather than SanDisk. Cheers. listreader -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 07/08/2011 06:04 AM, listreader wrote:
On Wed, 2011-07-06 at 21:18 -0400, listreader wrote:
openSUSE 11.4 / kernel 2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop / Gnome 2.32.1
I have been using SDHC flash cards for data backups, reformatting them as ext4 with LUX encryption. This has worked very nicely with a mixture of cards from various manufacturers, but now I've come across a problem one. The card is a SanDisk 16gb SDHC 'standard version' (their words) that refuses to format as anything other than FAT. It seemed to format OK, but when mounting it fails (with the all too familiar log message of 'JBD: no valid journal superblock found' and 'EXT4-fs (dm-1): error loading journal').
I'm going to answer and close my own question here. I got an extremely quick response from the manufacturer's (SanDisk) Technical Support who says....
"I understand that you are trying to format the card with an ext 4 file system and LUX encryption. i would like to inform you that SanDisk SDHC cards can only be formatted in FAT file system."
So there you have it. Exactly 'why' this is true I don't know for sure but anyone intending to reformat a SDHC card to something other than FAT should obviously buy another brand rather than SanDisk.
It's instructive to view the partitioning structure of any SanDisk memory stick; I used DFSee, but I'm sure there are others for the same purpose. There are two partitions on SanDisk devices, the larger of which is the one you can use. I think its virtually certain that it can be formatted with anything you like The other contains their execrable "U3 Feature", which is useful (and a great money maker for them) only for users of Windows. It is possible that the "problem" seen by their support people is that, since you are "obviously" going to use the stick with Windows, you will be unable to use the applications on the U3 partition unless you use a FAT filing system on the larger partition. Since the "support" person thinks everybody will enjoy the U3 thing with his Windows Machine (is there any other kind?), he doesn't need to explain this. The MBR of the stick is non-standard. Don't be tempted to remove the smaller partition, because you will simply lose that space; If you try to replace the MBR with a standard one, you will decrease the size of the large partition by the size of the useless smaller one. If you repeat this operation several times, you will decrease the larger partition by the same increment each time. There is no way around this, and you have to just accept the presence of the junk partition. Forgetting about SanDisk and buying something else is good advice. -- Stan Goodman Qiryat Tiv'on Israel -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Thursday, July 07, 2011 10:04:55 PM listreader wrote:
anyone intending to reformat a SDHC card to something other than FAT should obviously buy another brand rather than SanDisk.
Try u3-tool that is available in openSUSE repos. Maybe it can read and change SDHC card. -- Regards, Rajko -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
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listreader -
Rajko M. -
Stan Goodman