4GB USB Key changed size to 512 bytes

[tulindo]

Hi, I've a 4GB USB Key from transcend (TS4GJFV30).

After playing with partitioning I ended up in a linux unmountable drive
This morning I tried to low level format it using tha latest tool from hddguru but the USB is seen with those parameters:
* LBA --> 1
* SIZE --> 512 bytes!!!!

I don't remember what I did exactly (last time I played with is way weeks ago) I suppose the problem has been created by this command I run (trying to clear the MBR)

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=1

(I know that I should have used 446 instead of 512)

Is there anything I can do to fix it?

Thanks,
Paolo

[BlackST]

On Transcend site there is in the support section the possibility to reset your stick online. You'll loose everything on it. And don't do it again.

[tulindo]

The utility to do the reset requires the Serial Number of the stick. I don't have it any more. Any solution?

[BlackST]

The serial no. is to identify correctly the stick type and the production detail. Don't know if entering the serial no. of an identical stick it makes any difference... This can be an idea. I don't have at hand any identical stick so can't help. I have all the equipment and tools to handle this kind of problems but it is a 10 EURO stick so it is worthless to do anything with it unless you can handle the problem by yourself.

[tulindo]

I know that is is only a 10 euro stick but... it neither for the money nor for the dats but it's just that probably this happened because of a my mistake so... I want to fix it! You said you've tools... Hardware tools I suppose... just 4 curiosity... what king of?

On the transcend forum I found a serial number of the same stick, I ran the tool but while formatting he complained with a 0xBE error. I ran the tool inside a VirtualBox virtual machine (I'm using ubuntu)... I'll try it on a real windows pc as a last chance.

Thanks,

[viktdev]

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=1 is the right command to clear the mbr.
If you had used bs=446 you should have cleared only the boot code and not the partitions table.
Last time i had that kind of issue, the flash ic /ce pin was desoldered from the pcb...

[BlackST]

Probably the serial no. is a sample. Don't know if the serial no. is used by the Transcend "online" tool to check if the INTERNAL serial no. written during production match with the one you provide, OR the new serial is applied during formatting... or just to identify the "internals" of the stick.

Try it on pure XP / Windows environment and also check what Viktdev said. Don't think you have a HW problem, it is a logical problem or corruption and should be solved by logic.

Let me know.

Unfortunately I haven't your flash disk at hand, it would be solved in less than 10 seconds :S - This is when the right tools have their UTILITY.

[tulindo]

I ran the transcend restore utility on a real windows xp system (not virtualized) and the problem got fixed!

Thank you very much to everyone.
Paolo

[N.C.]

If you have missed up the MBR with dd, you can re-create the partition with "fdisk /dev/[DEVICE]"

Janos