How to remove a damaged file

[Todd Denniston]

Anne Wilson wrote, On 04/23/2008 10:39 AM:
> On Wednesday 23 April 2008 15:15, John Summerfield wrote:
>> Anne Wilson wrote:
>>> Due to a loss of concentration I have a damaged directory called Packages
>>> on my pen-drive.  I can't rm it - Input/output error.  I've cleared
>>> everything else off. How can I get rid of this?
>> mkfs
>>
>> If that doesn't work, try fdisk and then mkfs. If it still doesn't work,
>> <plonk>
>>
> I've used fdisk and mkfs on a blank disk, but I'm confused about this.  I 
> guess it's getting around the problem of FAT file-systems, but it appears to 
> have one parition of 8GB and three empty ones.  Something like LVM, I 
> presume.
> 
> I don't feel that I know what I'm doing, here.
> 
> Anne
> 

Is it a SanDisk??? I ask because they have some weird junk on their sticks 
that you need to use MS to remove and it alternately looks like a partition or 
a second disk when you plug it in.

DON'T delete the partitions until after removing the tool!

"Can I remove U3 technology from my USB drive?"
http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1450#Q13
or "U3 Launchpad Removal Tool"
http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1415

As for just reformatting the partition that is there I would suggest three things:
1) read `man mkdosfs`
2) consider just doing a raw RW badblocks run against the device... if it 
comes up with a lot, you may want to just "<plonk>" the thing in the circular 
file. (after hitting it with a hammer a few times. :)
3) because you have IO problems and a big disk
mkdosfs -c -F 32 -v /dev/devicepartition

-- 
Todd Denniston
Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane)
Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter