USB memory stick issues

Question

I have a reasonably new 64GB memory stick that I have used for creating bootable media for things like Ubuntu and Cloudready. I now wish to 'empty' it and reclaim the full 64GB but I am having problems.

I've looked at several threads but have not been able to find anything that works.

I thought that using format or initialize would free up things but this has not been the case.

The sudo fdisk -l output is ...

Disk /dev/loop12: 310.8 MiB, 325902336 bytes, 636528 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/sdb: 14.4 GiB, 15472047104 bytes, 30218842 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I think the /dev/loop12 is what remains from a Cloudready boot set up, the /dev/sdb is the result of using Gparted etc. during attempts to reset the whole drive back to a single partition.

Can anyone please supply the terminal commands necessary to wipe everything and set up the drive as FAT32 or NTFS, etc.

P.S.: This is similar terminal output produced while a working 32 gig USB drive containing Cloudready is inserted instead of the one I'm having problems with.

This is the output for the hard drive + good 32GB drive

/* INTERNAL SDD
*/

$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for zoom: 
Disk /dev/loop2: 4.9 MiB, 5152768 bytes, 10064 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/loop3: 86.9 MiB, 91099136 bytes, 177928 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/loop4: 371.7 MiB, 389734400 bytes, 761200 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/sda: 223.6 GiB, 240057409536 bytes, 468862128 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: A2DDEF5A-F5B3-4A4F-887F-443D015D386F

Device         Start       End   Sectors  Size Type
/dev/sda1       2048    923647    921600  450M Windows recovery environment
/dev/sda2     923648   1128447    204800  100M EFI System
/dev/sda3    1128448   1161215     32768   16M Microsoft reserved
/dev/sda4    1161216 288422327 287261112  137G Microsoft basic data
/dev/sda5  288423936 290449407   2025472  989M Windows recovery environment
/dev/sda6  290451456 452415487 161964032 77.2G Linux filesystem
/dev/sda7  452415488 468860927  16445440  7.9G Linux swap

/* REMOVABLE DRIVE
*/

Disk /dev/loop12: 310.8 MiB, 325902336 bytes, 636528 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/sdb: 28.7 GiB, 30752000000 bytes, 60062500 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: DE03DF63-300E-4548-B0BB-82F655FA0C3D

Device       Start      End Sectors  Size Type
/dev/sdb1       64       64       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb2       65       65       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb3       66       66       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb4       67       67       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb5       68       68       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb6       69       69       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb7       70       70       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb8       71       71       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb9       72       72       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb10      73       73       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb11      74       74       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb12      75       75       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb13      76       76       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb14      77       77       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb15      78       78       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb16 8626242 13164609 4538368  2.2G Microsoft basic data
/dev/sdb17   20546    53313   32768   16M ChromeOS kernel
/dev/sdb18 2383938  8626241 6242304    3G ChromeOS root fs
/dev/sdb19   53314    86081   32768   16M ChromeOS kernel
/dev/sdb20 2379842  2383937    4096    2M ChromeOS root fs
/dev/sdb21   16514    16514       1  512B ChromeOS kernel
/dev/sdb22   16515    16515       1  512B ChromeOS root fs
/dev/sdb23   86082  2183233 2097152    1G Microsoft basic data
/dev/sdb24   16516    16516       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb25   16517    16517       1  512B ChromeOS reserved
/dev/sdb26     130    16513   16384    8M unknown
/dev/sdb27 2314306  2379841   65536   32M EFI System

Partition table entries are not in disk order.

Maybe the following link and links from it can help you analyze the problem, and if you are lucky, solve it. Can't format my usb drive. I have already tried with mkdosfs and gparted — sudodus, Jul 29 '18 at 10:32
Hi Karel Thanks for your reply. Have followed instructions [including installing 'gpart' required by main gparted tool] and have managed to create what looks like a good 'sdb1' partition but it is stuck at a size of 14.4Gig. Have tried removing and setting up again but can only get 14.4.Gig. Is there something like "extend partition" that will allow the full 64 Gig or do I just have to accept that part of the storage capacity has been lost ? Thanks, Phil — Phil Ferrar, Jul 29 '18 at 11:17
Some USB pendrives and memory cards are sold with a tweak to make it look like it is bigger than it really is. It it possible that the true size of the problematic drive is 16 GB (base 10) = 14.9 Gibibytes (base 2). With some typical 'undersizing' it could be 14.4 Gibibytes. What happens if you restore to a standard storage device with mkusb? — sudodus, Jul 29 '18 at 12:41
I thought that's what I did - will need to check later when I get home - thanks anyway, will update when I've checked. — Phil Ferrar, Jul 29 '18 at 12:51
You can check with the commands sudo lsblk -f and sudo lsblk -m which usually are able to show the correct content and size. — sudodus, Jul 29 '18 at 13:09
Have now checked what I did - ran mksub [using 'dus'] then took the "Restore to standard storage device" which led to the situation where I was only able to create the 14.4 gig partition - looks like I've been scammed by whatever 'tweak' you mentioned. Thanks for the info. Phil — Phil Ferrar, Jul 30 '18 at 08:48

USB memory stick issues

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