On 2008-03-25, Riberto wrote:
> Please don't laugh at me!!!
>
> I have a 4 gig thumb drive (PNY Memory Stick)
>
> It it I have a directory called News and it has 2 sub directories full of
> GIF and jpg images I want DELETED!
>
> One directory is about 500 megs the other is about 30 megs.
>
> I have tried almost everything! and NOTHING will erase them.
> I even went "SU" and nothing!

Are you sure the drive is mounted r/w? Can you create a file, for instance?




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Riberto wrote:

> Please don't laugh at me!!!
>
> I have a 4 gig thumb drive (PNY Memory Stick)
>
> It it I have a directory called News and it has 2 sub directories full of
> GIF and jpg images I want DELETED!
>
> One directory is about 500 megs the other is about 30 megs.
>
> I have tried almost everything! and NOTHING will erase them.
> I even went "SU" and nothing!
>
> Any of you experts have any suggestions?
>
> I even used something "File manager Super User Mode" and NOTHING!
>
> What can I use before I toss this memory stick?
>
> Thanks,
>
> RR

My USB Stick has a slider on the side to write protect it - perhaps yours
does as well

Paul

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:49:11 +0200, Nikos Chantziaras wrote:

> Riberto wrote:
>> Please don't laugh at me!!!
>>
>> I have a 4 gig thumb drive (PNY Memory Stick)
>>
>> It it I have a directory called News and it has 2 sub directories full
>> of GIF and jpg images I want DELETED!
>>
>> One directory is about 500 megs the other is about 30 megs.
>>
>> I have tried almost everything! and NOTHING will erase them. I even
>> went "SU" and nothing!
>>
>> Any of you experts have any suggestions?
>>
>> I even used something "File manager Super User Mode" and NOTHING!
>>
>> What can I use before I toss this memory stick?
>
> What filesystem has it been formatted with? How did you create the
> files in it in the first place? Can it be it's formatted with NTFS and
> you used a Windows PC to create the files?

UPDATE

These file were created using OpenSuse 10.3
I just dragged the directory to the thumb drive and it all followed.

I recently used an XP machine and WAS able to delete all files from one
directory and then directory itself.

The other directory has 11 files in it.
These files ARE empty BUT I cannot erase them, or change their names or
permissions.

More to come....

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:09:19 +0000, Riberto wrote:

> Please don't laugh at me!!!
>
> I have a 4 gig thumb drive (PNY Memory Stick)
>
> It it I have a directory called News and it has 2 sub directories full
> of GIF and jpg images I want DELETED!
>
> One directory is about 500 megs the other is about 30 megs.
>
> I have tried almost everything! and NOTHING will erase them. I even
> went "SU" and nothing!
>
> Any of you experts have any suggestions?
>
> I even used something "File manager Super User Mode" and NOTHING!
>
> What can I use before I toss this memory stick?
>
> Thanks,
>
> RR

You're right. SU would not do anything. However if you use root access
(either 'su' or sudo - if it's set up) simply cd to the top of the
directory tree on the drive and do 'rm -rf *'.

Riberto wrote:
> Please don't laugh at me!!!
>
> I have a 4 gig thumb drive (PNY Memory Stick)
>
> It it I have a directory called News and it has 2 sub directories full of
> GIF and jpg images I want DELETED!
>
> One directory is about 500 megs the other is about 30 megs.
>
> I have tried almost everything! and NOTHING will erase them.
> I even went "SU" and nothing!
>
> Any of you experts have any suggestions?
>
> I even used something "File manager Super User Mode" and NOTHING!
>
> What can I use before I toss this memory stick?

What filesystem has it been formatted with? How did you create the
files in it in the first place? Can it be it's formatted with NTFS and
you used a Windows PC to create the files?

Riberto wrote:
> UPDATE
>
> These file were created using OpenSuse 10.3
> I just dragged the directory to the thumb drive and it all followed.
>
> I recently used an XP machine and WAS able to delete all files from one
> directory and then directory itself.

So that leaves with either NTFS or FAT as filesystem. In the case of
NTFS, the default NTFS-driver is half-assed. You have to use ntfs-3g
for full write support.

In the case of FAT... no idea. :P Should work. If it doesn't, copy all
the files to HD, format the thing again and move the files back. Should
be a 5 minute process.

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:44:34 +0200, Nikos Chantziaras wrote:

> Riberto wrote:
>> UPDATE
>>
>> These file were created using OpenSuse 10.3 I just dragged the
>> directory to the thumb drive and it all followed.
>>
>> I recently used an XP machine and WAS able to delete all files from one
>> directory and then directory itself.
>
> So that leaves with either NTFS or FAT as filesystem. In the case of
> NTFS, the default NTFS-driver is half-assed. You have to use ntfs-3g
> for full write support.
>
> In the case of FAT... no idea. :P Should work. If it doesn't, copy all
> the files to HD, format the thing again and move the files back. Should
> be a 5 minute process.

I can't believe this!

Went in as root and it would allow me to move a SINGLE file to the trash.

I could NOT change names, permissions or erase anything else in the
directory. I would then empty out the trash bin, and remove the thumb
drive. I would then allow me to re-insert it and remove another file.
I would then empty out the trash bin and remove the usb thumb drive and
repeated the process until ALL files were HISTORY!

Of course I then erased the now empty directories as well.

Yes I know there has to be a command to format this darn thing and one of
these days I will LEARN IT!

Until then, I GOTTA GET A LIFE!

THANK YOU all so much.

Cordially,

riberto

Riberto wrote:

> On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:44:34 +0200, Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
>
>> Riberto wrote:
>>> UPDATE
>>>
>>> These file were created using OpenSuse 10.3 I just dragged the
>>> directory to the thumb drive and it all followed.
>>>
>>> I recently used an XP machine and WAS able to delete all files from one
>>> directory and then directory itself.
>>
>> So that leaves with either NTFS or FAT as filesystem. In the case of
>> NTFS, the default NTFS-driver is half-assed. You have to use ntfs-3g
>> for full write support.
>>
>> In the case of FAT... no idea. :P Should work. If it doesn't, copy all
>> the files to HD, format the thing again and move the files back. Should
>> be a 5 minute process.
>
> I can't believe this!
>
> Went in as root and it would allow me to move a SINGLE file to the trash.
>
> I could NOT change names, permissions or erase anything else in the
> directory. I would then empty out the trash bin, and remove the thumb
> drive. I would then allow me to re-insert it and remove another file.
> I would then empty out the trash bin and remove the usb thumb drive and
> repeated the process until ALL files were HISTORY!
>
> Of course I then erased the now empty directories as well.
>
> Yes I know there has to be a command to format this darn thing and one of
> these days I will LEARN IT!
>

Look at the makebootfat utility that comes on the OpenSuse repositories.

> Until then, I GOTTA GET A LIFE!
>
> THANK YOU all so much.
>
> Cordially,
>
> riberto

--
Later,
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