This is whats wrong, Im going insane trying to fix this.

I tried to install Damn Small Linux onto my pen drive, It asked me if I wanted to copy the OS from CD/File/Or NET ...I chose to copy the files from "CD" this is where things got confusing. The installer stops, reports install falure not a valid block device. I try to mount it and get nowhere, I tried to use the pen drive in windows and It thinks its a SCSI CDROM drive. I have not been able to format it in linux or windows because it thinks its a read-only cd-rom. Can anyone please help me somehow convert this pen drive from an read only ISO-9660 SCSI cdrom file system to fat or NTFS or ext3, I just want to have my pen drive back I dont even care about Damn small linux anymore

- Nick

In this situation, I boot Knoppix and let it load. The USB drive is detected as a SCSI drive. Run setup(it brings up cfdisk). Delete the partition. Now you should be able to format the whole device in FAT12.

Thank you for the suggestion . I tried It but it did not work. The error reported "permission denied - Read Only Device" somehow linux and windows administrativley wont let me modify the contents of my pen drive because it thinks its a cd so it wont even try for me when I atempt to format it.

Knoppix 3.x gives you that error?!

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Go to a Windows system and get the format utility that came with your thumb drive.

Go to a Windows system and get the format utility that came with your thumb drive.
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I downloaded the format utility, (the only one ment for my pen drive). It is a xonix 256 meg mp3 player/pen drive /wrist watch so it came with a firmware upgrade but that just downloads a settings.dat file for me to drag and drop into my directory. But there were no format applications that came with the device.

I FIXED THE PROBLEM !!!

SOLUTION : wait untill the mp3 wrist watch runs out of its lithum Ion battery then let it sit for a day, plug it back in and ...""new device found, blank mp3 storage devce" "would you like to format your device now ? FAT or FAT32?" I hit ok and problem solved. I guess the Xonix watch uses Volitol Ram rather than NVRAM.
I apreciate the advice offered through this forum.


- Nick