[JedClampett]

Can anyone recommend a free Win 32 Partitioner program, like a free version of Partition Magic please?
I need to format my USB flash drive to NTFS, but having problems doing that under Centos 5.6 with Gparted.

TIA

Jed

[jaclaz]

JedClampett, on 12 September 2011 - 05:10 AM, said:

Can anyone recommend a free Win 32 Partitioner program, like a free version of Partition Magic please?
I need to format my USB flash drive to NTFS, but having problems doing that under Centos 5.6 with Gparted.

You don't actually *need* any "third party" tool.
Disk Management will do allright, problem is that it won't work on a USB flash that is set as "Removable".
There are two ways out:

• Complex - find the manufacturer tool for your stick controller (if avaialble) and flip the "Removable" bit (if available option)
  
• Easy - install a filter driver

See here for reference:
http://www.msfn.org/...os/page__st__49

If you want to make a bootable USB stick with just one partition NTFS formatted (+ a hidden fake one that helps in some cases), the "right" tool is RMPREPUSB:
http://sites.google....site/rmprepusb/

If you actually want a Free (for personal use) Partition Magic replacement, this could do:
http://www.extend-pa...m/download.html

jaclaz

[JedClampett]

Thanks jaclaz.

I did format the 16GB Flash drive with an 8GB FAT32 partition, which appeared to work OK, as I installed Vista SP1 & SP2, and other 32 bit Apps from that onto a Vista laptop. I then tried to copy all the latest 7z DriverPacks archives from my downloads directory (ext3) to the FAT32 partition on the USB drive. I had some really weird looking files, with all sorts of strange control codes used for the filenames. The DriverPacks subdirectories were recursively copied. So I had an almost never ending set of subdirectories using the same name. In the end I just reset the partition table and started again.

Basically all I want to do is copy Windows Apps and other things like DP's From my Centos ext3 partition, to the USB flash drive, so I can use them on Windows laptops.

I'd go back to using FAT32 if I could copy the DriverPacks to the USB OK. Maybe I need to unpack the 7z archives first and copy those to the USB drive instead?

Here is a screen shot of me trying to format the USB flash drive under Centos 5.6. The 2GB partition looks OK, but the 4GB produces those errors!

 USB-NTFSerrors.jpg (124.57K)
Number of downloads: 4

I've just done another test under Centos 5.6 and this seems to be OK. I created an almost 8GB NTFS partition on some unused space on a fixed HDD. That works fine without any errors. Please see the attached screenshot. So it looks like the problem is with the removeable Flash drive? How is it that I managed to create a 2GB NTFS partition on the Flash drive, but I cannot create anything much larger that that?

 hdd-NTFS-8GB-part-OK.jpg (100.6K)
Number of downloads: 3

This post has been edited by JedClampett: 12 September 2011 - 08:41 AM

[jaclaz]

I am not at all familiar with CentOS, but this could be a limitation of some kind in it's driver or a BIOS limit (IF CentOS somehow relies on BIOS info).

If I were you, as said, I would install a filter driver in the Windows OS and do thinmgs as plain as possible.

The driverspack issue sounds like having a different origin.

Now that you have the 8 Gb partition on the HD can you try copying form the Ext3 partition to the NTFS one and then from the NTFS one to the USB stick?

jaclaz

[JedClampett]

Thanks again jaclaz. I need to read up on what you have said about removable USB flash drives, as this might be something to do with this problem. I'll post again when I have made any more progress about this.

[Ponch]

JedClampett, on 12 September 2011 - 07:58 AM, said:

I had some really weird looking files, with all sorts of strange control codes used for the filenames. The DriverPacks subdirectories were recursively copied. So I had an almost never ending set of subdirectories using the same name. In the end I just reset the partition table and started again.

Is the flashdrive bought in a shop or on eBay ?

[JedClampett]

Quote

Now that you have the 8 Gb partition on the HD can you try copying form the Ext3 partition to the NTFS one and then from the NTFS one to the USB stick?

jaclaz

There seems to be a problem mounting NTFS file systems under Centos. I never needed to do this before, just used FAT 32, up till now. Working on this

Quote

Ponch
Is the flashdrive bought in a shop or on eBay ?

Ebay. Purchased 2 the same - 16GB. Possibly the USB Flash drives are cr*p?

I need to be able to mount the 8GB NTFS HDD partition first, then maybe get a better Flash drive and see if that cures things.

Thanks for all the help thus far

[jaclaz]

JedClampett, on 13 September 2011 - 10:29 AM, said:

Ebay. Purchased 2 the same - 16GB. Possibly the USB Flash drives are cr*p?

Hmmm.

There are quite a bit (I would say the large majority) of very nice and honest peeps on e-bay, so let us NOT generalize, OK?

But there are records of tens or hundreds of other far less ethical peeps that sold (or sell still) "fake" large capacity USB sticks.

This is NOT necessarily the case at hand, and until we have some tests made the way they should be done (which does not include using NTFS under an OS that has a crappy support for NTFS) it is easy to jump to a wrong conclusion.

However for the record the scam is as following:

• a legit, perfectly working 128, 256 or 512 Mb (and more recently 1 or 2 Gb) stick is used (but not necessarily a "good quality " one)
  
• through the manufactirer production tool the controller firmware is set to show a much larger size, typically 16,32, 64 or even 128 Gb
  
• most OS utilities will "trust" the USB stick firmware and detect the device with the set bigger size
  
• *any* "normal" partitioning/formatting utility will work normally with one of these "fake" sticks
  
• when you start writing data exceeding the "real" size of the device, you may have all sorts of queer behaviours, including data wriiten to "thin air" and the kind of "recursive" issues you previously described (but that given the conditions of the test do not justify - yet - assuming that the stick is a fake one)

jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 13 September 2011 - 11:27 AM

[JedClampett]

Thanks for the reply jaclaz. I even installed Partition Master 9.0 Home Edition from EaseUS
http://www.partition...om/personal.htm onto a Vista Home Premium laptop.

I went to format the 16GB? USB flash drive with Partition Master 9.0 and it said the operation completed successfully. However the 'Updating System' window hung, and the USB flash drive r/w light continued flashing. So I unplugged it after a while.

The latest test was to delete the Partition Table, and try to create 4 x 4GB primary partitions. Here is what the screenshot looks like:

 16GB-USB-flashdrive.jpg (99.63K)
Number of downloads: 6

Is there some way to discern the actual real size of a suspect Flash Drive?

TIA

Jed

[JedClampett]

OK. I have dealt with the issue of not being able to mount the NTFS HDD partition under Centos 5.6, by installing a required package. I can now mount and do R/W operations successfully on the hard disk drive.

[JedClampett]

Quote

jaclaz:

There are quite a bit (I would say the large majority) of very nice and honest peeps on e-bay, so let us NOT generalize, OK?

But there are records of tens or hundreds of other far less ethical peeps that sold (or sell still) "fake" large capacity USB sticks.

This is NOT necessarily the case at hand, and until we have some tests made the way they should be done (which does not include using NTFS under an OS that has a crappy support for NTFS) it is easy to jump to a wrong conclusion.

Absolutely jaclaz. I'm an avid user of ebay and Amazon and wouldn't be without either of them! So how do I go about testing this USB stick please?

TIA - Jed

This post has been edited by JedClampett: 13 September 2011 - 12:49 PM

[jaclaz]

I don't want to seem grumpier than I usually am , but you came here with a question, an answer was given to you and you use all available methods, programs and OS's on the earth BUT the ones that were suggested.

Though unfortunately from what you posted you do seem like a victim of the scam, if you continue do "random" tests with apps/OS and methods I am not familiar with, it is difficult to make sure.

FORGET ANYTHING you have done till now.

You asked for a Win32 program, which should mean that you can somehow run a win32 OS.

Get RMPREPUSB (already suggested you) and NOTHING else.
http://sites.google....site/rmprepusb/

Use it in a Win32 OS to partition/format AND test your USB sticks.

Report what happens.

jaclaz

[JedClampett]

Quote

If you want to make a bootable USB stick with just one partition NTFS formatted (+ a hidden fake one that helps in some cases), the "right" tool is RMPREPUSB:
http://sites.google....site/rmprepusb/

I have not looked at that yet, as I was not wanting to create a bootable Flash drive

Quote

If you actually want a Free (for personal use) Partition Magic replacement, this could do:
http://www.extend-pa...m/download.html

Thanks for that link, but it seemed to have a lot of adware bundled with the installer of ~ 412KB, so I decided not to use it. I like to download the full program files and keep them, in case I want to install again offline

I'm looking at RMprepUSB and will take my time to check out the USB drive on Win Vista.

I'll let you know the results of those test when available.

Jed

[jaclaz]

JedClampett, on 13 September 2011 - 12:59 PM, said:

Thanks for that link, but it seemed to have a lot of adware bundled with the installer of ~ 412KB, so I decided not to use it. I like to download the full program files and keep them, in case I want to install again offline

That is not the installer , it is the CNET downloader , and you can opt-out by un-checking the check boxes allright.

The actual installer and the app in themselves are perfectly "kosher" AFAICT.

RMPREPUSB has also two test modes, a "quick" one that should be enough to detect a "fake" stick and a "full" one that will take a lot of time but which results can be called "definitive".

jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 13 September 2011 - 01:24 PM

[JedClampett]

Hi jaclaz. Thanks for all your help so far. I'm getting my head around RMPrepUSB at the moment. It's a very good looking utility.
Also there are some other utilities on the d/l page that look very useful. I will try the cnet downloader again for the Partitioner program after those reassuring comments.

Jed

[JedClampett]

Well it looks like I have purchased 2 fake USB flash drives jaclaz. Maybe the person that sold them to me on Ebay was duped into buying a fake bunch of these, and sold 2 of them to me in good faith? IIRC there was an email sent out by ebay to warn buyers about this seller. So Ebay do the best they can to protect buyers

I was 100% certain they were really 16GB, but after what you have shown me with RMPrepUSB, I now know how to check any further USB Flash Drives as soon as I purchase them.

I look upon this as an interesting learning experience, and appreciate all your help.

I will be checking out all those other utilities on the RMPrepUSB download page as well.

Here's a screenshot of the tests I did on the supposedly 16 GB Flash drive, on Vista Home Premium.

 Fake16GB-USB-FlashDrive.JPG (205.33K)
Number of downloads: 13

Armed with this newfound knowledge of how to test a USB Flash Drive, I'm back off to Ebay or Amazon to get myself some proper USB Flash sticks!

[jaclaz]

Yep, I am sorry for your misadventure.

Those sticks are most probably "good" 2 Gb ones.
There are good chances you can "recondition" them to the right size. (2 Gb is better than nothing).

Run on them ChipGenius and report the output:
http://reboot.pro/4661/

jaclaz

[JedClampett]

Right jaclaz. Almost 2GB is OK for some things. At least I will have some idea of how much free space is available.

I'll take a look at that link, and let you know if I can reset the USB chips to report the real size.

Jed

[JedClampett]

Here is the output from running ChipGenius.exe on one of the Fake USB drives.

 Fake16GB-USB1.JPG (76.83K)
Number of downloads: 13

The only difference for the other 16GB USB drive is the Serial Number, which ends with 07D1.

Is it possible to use a utility program to reprogam the controller chip, so it reports the correct size in MB please?

This post has been edited by JedClampett: 15 September 2011 - 01:39 PM

[jaclaz]

JedClampett, on 15 September 2011 - 01:38 PM, said:

Is it possible to use a utility program to reprogam the controller chip, so it reports the correct size in MB please?

Chip is seemingly MTX208
Vid 1221
Pid 3234

You will need to start trying tools you can find here:
http://flashboot.ru/...es&op=cat&id=14
(you may want to use google translate on the above)

Chipgenius is not necessarily "exact" and the docs on these utilities are normally VERY scarce.
I would try first with this one:
http://flashboot.ru/...s-file-304.html

jaclaz