Flash Drive Setup and Recovery on Linux#

This document provides a step-by-step guide to checking, recovering, and formatting a flash drive on Linux.

Step 1: Verify Disk Information#

List all connected drives to identify the correct device:

sudo fdisk -l

This command lists all disk partitions and details such as disk size, sector size, and partition layout.
Output will help confirm the actual capacity of the flash drive (e.g., /dev/sdb).

Step 2: Check for Errors#

Install and use smartctl to perform a health check:

Install the smartmontools package:
```
sudo pacman -S smartmontools
```
Get detailed device information:
```
sudo smartctl -i /dev/sdb
```
Run a non-destructive health test (if supported):
```
sudo smartctl -t long /dev/sdb
```

Note: If tests fail with errors like “unsupported SCSI opcode,” the device might not support SMART features.

Step 3: Wipe the Disk#

To erase all data, including the partition table:

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=1M count=10

Explanation:
- if=/dev/zero: Input file is /dev/zero (produces zeroed-out bytes).
- of=/dev/sdb: Output file is the flash drive.
- bs=1M: Block size is 1MB.
- count=10: Write 10 blocks (10MB).

Step 4: Create a New Partition Table#

Launch fdisk to create a new partition layout:

sudo fdisk /dev/sdb

Commands in fdisk:
1. Create a new partition table (MBR):
```
o
```
2. Create a primary partition:
```
n
```
3. Accept defaults for partition number, start, and end sectors to use the entire disk.
4. Write changes to disk:
```
w
```

Verify the partition table:

sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdb

Step 5: Format the Partition#

Format the newly created partition with your desired file system:

For Linux-only systems (ext4):
```
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1
```
For cross-platform compatibility (FAT32):
```
sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 /dev/sdb1
```

Step 6: Mount the Partition#

Create a mount point:
```
sudo mkdir /mnt/flashdrive
```
Mount the partition:
```
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/flashdrive
```
Verify the mount:
```
df -h
```

Optional: Test Flash Drive for Counterfeiting#

If the drive shows incorrect capacity, use f3 to verify its true size:

Install f3:
```
sudo pacman -S f3
```

Test the drive:

sudo f3probe --destructive --time-ops /dev/sdb

Conclusion#

By following these steps, you can recover and set up a flash drive, ensuring its capacity and functionality are restored. For additional automation, you can add the partition to /etc/fstab for persistent mounting.