[SWLUG] usb memory stick - is it dead or is it revivable?

[Mark Summerfield]

Hi,

I bought a memory stick only a month ago and now when I put it into my
machine I get a message box:

    Unable to mount 2011_GREEN

    Error mounting: mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock
    on /dev/sdb, missing codepage or helper program, or other error
	In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try
	dmesg | tail  or so

Here's what dmesg|tail says:

$ dmesg|tail
[ 1017.317632] sd 10:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Write(10): 2a 00 00 25 98 50 00 00 08 00
[ 1017.317647] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 2463824
[ 1017.324484] sd 10:0:0:0: [sdb] Unhandled sense code
[ 1017.324491] sd 10:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE
[ 1017.324498] sd 10:0:0:0: [sdb] Sense Key : Hardware Error [current] 
[ 1017.324506] sd 10:0:0:0: [sdb] Add. Sense: No additional sense information
[ 1017.324513] sd 10:0:0:0: [sdb] CDB: Write(10): 2a 00 00 2c 07 20 00 00 08 00
[ 1017.324528] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 2885408
[ 1022.764067] JBD: recovery failed
[ 1022.764074] EXT3-fs: error loading journal.

I've tried reformatting it:

$ mkfs.ext4 -L2011_GREEN -m0  /dev/sdb
mke2fs 1.41.12 (17-May-2010)
/dev/sdb is entire device, not just one partition!
Proceed anyway? (y,n) y
Filesystem label=2011_GREEN
OS type: Linux
Block size=4096 (log=2)
Fragment size=4096 (log=2)
Stride=0 blocks, Stripe width=0 blocks
247008 inodes, 986505 blocks
0 blocks (0.00%) reserved for the super user
First data block=0
Maximum filesystem blocks=1010827264
31 block groups
32768 blocks per group, 32768 fragments per group
7968 inodes per group
Superblock backups stored on blocks: 
	32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736
Writing inode tables: done                            
Creating journal (16384 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done
This filesystem will be automatically checked every 31 mounts or
180 days, whichever comes first.  Use tune2fs -c or -i to override.


And this has no effect whatsoever! I still get the same error message
box:-(

So had it died or is there something I can do to revive it?

Thanks!

PS It is a tiny 4GB device:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001PS98A4/ref=oss_product

-- 
Mark Summerfield, Qtrac Ltd, www.qtrac.eu
    C++, Python, Qt, PyQt - training and consultancy
        "Advanced Qt Programming" - ISBN 0321635906
            http://www.qtrac.eu/aqpbook.html