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Flash Drive to be erased

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by patrick013, 2010/08/31.

  1. 2010/08/31
    patrick013

    patrick013 Inactive Thread Starter

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    Hello,

    I have a flash drive that needs to be "killed ". The hypothesis is that there
    is a virus which is escaping from repartitioning and reformatting the drive,
    and still disrupting operations, file saving, etc.. This would have to be an
    expertly placed virus. There is a file on the drive, a LINUX install program
    indicates so. The Windows format program did not see it and did not remove it.

    So I need to delete everything, MBR, MFT, boot sectors, partition tables, file shadows, whatever. I have ActiveKillDisk here but it takes 30 hours estimated time to 'kill" a 32gb flash drive.

    The question is...is there a program that kills without writing zeros for 30
    hours so this virus file will at least be deleted ?


    thanks,

    patrick013
     
    patrick013,
    #1
  2. 2010/08/31
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    You should be able to zap the partition via Disk Management and then recreate it and format it.
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #2


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  4. 2010/08/31
    patrick013

    patrick013 Inactive Thread Starter

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    flash drive

    I understand that. But when I do that there is still a file present, according
    to my very careful LINUX install program. It will not mount if any foreign files
    are present. This flash has been zapped as per your message several times.
    I'm convinced it needs to be "killed" with a disk eraser, but hopefully with one
    that doesn't take 30 hours.


    thanks for the response,

    patrick013
     
    patrick013,
    #3
  5. 2010/08/31
    retiredlearner

    retiredlearner SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Have you checked out Delpart to see if that will do the job for you? Neil.
     
    retiredlearner,
    #4
  6. 2010/09/01
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    I
    What Linux program exactly?
    Try downloading a live Linux cd such as Parted Magic . Make the bootable cd, boot with it and handle the drive.
     
    TonyT,
    #5
  7. 2010/09/02
    patrick013

    patrick013 Inactive Thread Starter

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    The LINUX was a PCLinux install distro (LiveCD). Parted Magic is just a partitioning program, have several and have used them on the drive.
    Today I think this drive is hopeless again.


    thanks for the response.

    patrick013
     
    patrick013,
    #6
  8. 2010/09/02
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Have to say that the 30 hr zero write period would be well over by now :)
     
    PeteC,
    #7
  9. 2010/09/04
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    1. I have never seen a virus survive a format on a thumb drive.

    2. What is the name of the file that Linux says is on the drive?

    3. By chance did the drive come with U3 utilities and a hidden U3 partition? Linux will detect and mount the U3 partition while Windows handles it as a virtual partition. If so, the U3 site has software that wipes that partition.

    U3 removal outlined here:
    http://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2550
    Step 2 has direct d/l for removal utility.

    I highly doubt this drive is retaining a virus. If you want to trash the drive, please don't, I'll give you my mailing address.
     
    TonyT,
    #8
  10. 2010/09/04
    patrick013

    patrick013 Inactive Thread Starter

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    flash drive


    Hello,

    1) I haven't either, but if I was a Phd. putting on viruses I think I could survive a format or two, no disrespect intended.

    2) LINUX says bad magic number on extended partition table 3 (out of 4 I think) but there isn't an extended partition either in Windows terms, only the one partition. Then it says install cannot continue
    because of this error.

    This means a file or program is there and LINUX doesn't recognize it, per LINUX reference literature.

    3) No U3 software, came completely blank, just a FAT32 format.

    Someone found fake flash drives which had the permanent record falsified. In other words a 32gb drive according to chkdsk was really only 8gb and wouldn't hold files, etc.. But whoever looks at this thing can't see that problem. What would you change the permanent record back to if it was phony info so the drive would work ?

    I'd love to drop this in an envelope then and let your full time staff dissect it. It will work for one or two weeks and then files will start disappearing for no reason, I guarantee it.


    regards,

    patrick013
     
    patrick013,
    #9
  11. 2010/09/04
    Bobbymac

    Bobbymac Inactive

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    You could try this

    What has worked for me in the past is a program from hddguru.com. HDD Wipe tool 2.35 Build 1178. Will work with most flash drives. There is also a formating tool.

    Rob
     
    Bobbymac,
    #10
  12. 2010/09/20
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    patrick013 sent me the flash drive, this was an email I sent him:

    ## email
    I received the flash drive in mail today.
    Plugged it in Linux laptop and it auto mounted just fine, 31.2 GB.
    Created a new partition table for the drive (wipes it completely).
    Formatted it fat32 using dos filesystem utility, and it works just fine.
    Used it in Linux just fine.
    Used it on a XP desktop no problems.
    Formatted it again, worked in Linux & XP.
    Also works just fine on a Windows 7 desktop.

    Only one partition is on the drive, a full 31.2 GB, which is the correct number of bytes for the drive.
    16 KB used for the partition table itself.
    # end email

    I suspect PCLinux may be misreading the drive. My laptop is running Debian, the drive auto mounts and I can write to it. Using a falsh drive from a Live Linux CD is not reliable, because you have no control over the system that loads. It could contain one corrupted file and appear to be working properly

    Also, when using a live cd, most of the stuff you want to use won't load into RAM until a program is executed (stick drive in usb port, double click a menu item, etc). Only the basic minimal stuff loads in RAM immediately, such as the window manager and the primary libraries that most graphical stuff depends upon. And something you want to run doesn't always end up in RAM, it may crash on the way or not all of it will load up.
     
    Last edited: 2010/09/20
    TonyT,
    #11

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