Hi
I dug out an older navigatrix 0.4 usb boot disk i created sometime ago, and i am trying to load the latest 0.5 on it. I just cannot write to it! keeps comming up with disk is write protected. Tried every thing the interweb suggests, changing windows registry, dos format; dd command, gparted, etc...keep comming up with disk is write protected. There is no HW write protect switch on the usb drive. Was just about to bin it, thought some bright spark here may have an idea on how to nuke it and start from scratch.
Thks
ken

Hi, not sure what operating system you are using to accomplish this.
Here is the link to the documentation:
nxdoc/index.html
And here is another post explaining how to do it:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7

Disregard what follows if you are NOT using Linux...

"Linux users can just download the system file ISO and use a startup USB stick creator that comes with your distribution."

On a system (running Navigatrix 0.5) on the hard drive, I would just run "usb-creator-gtk" under Menu>Run>usb-creator-gtk
I'll download an iso and try it out quickly and get back to you.
It's downloading now...
When you plug in your usb drive that you want to use (in Linux), and run usb-creator-gtk, it will show your usb drive down below, up above you would choose "other" and go to your downloads, and highlight the iso you downloaded (0.5 Navigatrix), and then run the usb creator program. Since you have things on there you want to erase, I would just click the "Erase Disk" first. Choose your source (iso) and then Create "Make Start up Disk"

The prob is not navigatrix but my usb stick, I simply cannot write to it (I can read from it ok), I cannot even copy or write any files to it, but could hapilly list the file content etc.
I tried to format it both with windows system (dos format command, this low level command shoul normally overwrite anything) and ubuntu system using fdisk, then tried gparted and still not hapenning; somewhere along the line, the usb stick got write protected some how.

Ken

So you do have a Linux system to accomplish this? I would simply run a usb creator program for your distro and look for the download section with the iso you want to copy. It should over write it (it might ask you if you are sure) but it should work. Obviously, if it still won't work, and the 0.4 is still working on that usb, keep it to give to someone else. I found that 0.5 would not load on a p3 machine that I have, but 0.4 would. Then just get another new usb drive for your new Navigatrix 0.5 install.

Ken, this is just another example of machines hating humans and they are out to mess with our heads.

uncndl1 is correct though. The Startup Disk Creator (usb-creator-gtk) will (should) nuke the stick.

If it doesn't the Partition Editor (gparted) will created a clean plate if it happens to mount as a Read Only device.

I don't know how this is done on other systems.

Here is the shutter screen shot I was speaking of, regarding the usb creator program in Navigatrix:

Yes it is messing with my head, even more ridiculus is that the usb stick only cost less than 5 bucks, any sane person would simply just buy another usb stick to try.

Just that it does look like a sw prob, as I can read the contents of the files on the usb stick, and on top of that i have spent hours looking at the interweb and trying all sorts; and admitingly perhaps most of all trying to avoid a feeling of defeat or giving up, as you know the interweb can solve any problems!

Anyway with all the other methods, I got write protect error and by following Uncldl1's suggestion, I got the following (see attached):


I will call it a day and buy another usb stick!

Thanks Uncldl1 and Moe,

I really should spend more time sailing!

Ken

From your screenshot it looks like a job for the Partition Editorwe all should spend more time sailing.

Hi Moe,
Look at what u made me do, after your post, i retrive the usb stick from the rubbish bin, thought i give it one more shot ...

on using partition editor to create new partition:


so still point to something to do with write protect...driving me nuts!


Cheers,
Ken

Bugger!

But other than having nx0.4 it works?

I mean sanity for the price of a new USB is cheap....but I'm curious.

Hi Moe,

That was exactly what i was thinking, curiosity is exactly what cause me over two days of trying to solve this. Apart from not able to write to the said usb drive, it boots ok; in fact I am writing this with the system that is booted from the said "dud" usb right now. I can obviously access the net, look at the files etc, but if i write anything to the drive e.g say copy some files (pdf) to the drive download dir I got:

p460ovh6.pdf: Error opening file '/home/n
x/Downloads/p460ovh6.pdf': Read-only file system

weird! I have the only working Navigatrix 0.4 ROM system in the world!

Some where along the line, there must be a write protect flag that is set somewhere somehow.
Let me know what ideas u have, before i throw it out again! it obviously not the 5 bucks, but the curiosity...

Cheers,
Ken

One of my favourites is a little application called testdisk

sudo testdisk to play the game. No need for a log unless you're keen.

Locate the device /dev/sdc, or whatever it is; Intel partition.

Analyse and then do a Quick Search. It might complain about the wrong geometry. Ignore the fiendish machine and Continue.

If you get a GREEN bar Enter and then Write your new found old partition table back to the stick.

Yes your way back out, and un/plug the stick.

Try to write to it.

It looks like you try to install to the usb stick you are booting from. This will not work. If its not so, make sure that you instert the other stick after you finished booting from the first stick. Otherwise the boot process may start on the first usb and then continue on the second one. And after booting finished you may have two sticks which are used by the system and therefore writeprotected. Especialy if you use casper-rw persistency this may be the cause because the boot process looks also on the other drives for persistency data.

Hi David,

Now, this is really messing with my head! you may have something there, I am still trying to figure out what you said, which seem to make sense somehow (in a dog chasing its tail sort of way)...to be honest I ve tried so many things and spend so much time on it that i cannot remember what i actually did. So the stick is now a write protected, fully working navigatrix system (it is so well write protected that even MSDOS low level format command cannot touch it, it says write protected ... however you may have offered a probable explanation.


Btw Moe, I tries testdisk, still the same.

Cheers,
Ken