Home / ubuntu / Questions / 346726
In Process
jobin
Asked: 2013-09-18 08:30:50 +0800 CST

Startup Disk Creator fails to erase disk

  • 772

Before extracting an ISO image onto a USB device using Startup Disk Creator, when I try to erase the USB device using the same software, I always get the following error:

Startup disk creator error

I have tried to erase various USB devices without success, so I believe this is not a device-specific problem. I see that a bug on this has been filed on launchpad, though an alternative/solution/word-around has not been suggested.

Is there a way to solve this error, without using other softwares to erase disk?

System specifications:

  • Ubuntu 12.10
  • Startup Disk Creator 0.2.4
dbus

2 Answers

  1. Try this. Insert your USB flash drive, and just press Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard to open Terminal. When it opens, run the command(s) below:

    dmesg | tail

    enter image description here

    The sdb is your USB drive, yous might be different

    Unmount your USB drive using the following command:

    sudo umount /dev/sdx

    Format the drive using the following command: (this would format it as FAT32)

    sudo mkdosfs -F 32 -n 'Label' -I /dev/sdx

    make sure that you replace the x with your device id.

    • 5

  2. This is what worked for me:

    1. If you have Startup Disk Creator, Disk Utility, or GParted open, close them
    2. Safely remove your USB flash drive and reinsert it

    3. If it isn't already installed, install GParted through the Software Center or:

      sudo apt-get -y install gparted

    4. Open GParted (in Xubuntu/Xfce it's in Settings) and select the USB drive from the dropdown near the top right

    5. If there are any partitions on the drive, right-click them → Unmount
    6. Device → Create Partition Table → Select new partition table type → msdos → Apply
    7. Partition → New → File system → fat32 → Add
    8. Click the green check icon near the top to apply the changes → Apply
    9. When it's done, close GParted, open Startup Disk Creator, and proceed as usual
    • 2