How do I get my computer to recognize my USB port?

[Shabakthanai]

I recently downloaded the update for Gparted. I had an USB flash drive that had the Manjaro OS ISO on it and wanted to remove that ISO and install the new version of Gparted on the drive.

My vision is unable to read small print, and I decided to use the application "mkusb". This version opens at such a small font size that I have difficulty reading the options. After lots of concentration, I thought I was making the correct choice to remove the data from the USB stick. The process took about 23 minutes.

Since the information is so difficult for me to read, I continued with reboot of my computer. That is what appeared like the instruction, but after rebooting, the drive is not recognized by my computer.

Did I format all data from the flash drive including instructions required to recognize it? Is there a way to get the drive recognized and formated so that it can be usable again? Thanks! Shab

[NoWorries]

I tend to use KDE Partition Manager which is found under System. This is a convenient GUI tool to format a drive and I hope the font size is readable by you.

Just the other day I was having trouble reading my Wife's mobile to get images off it. I found that the problems were caused by the USB contacts on my Laptop being dirty, so I sprayed RP7 on the USB Female socket and repeatedly inserted it into the Laptop Male socket. So all is well with my USB sockets now.

Edit:

I was thinking that the partition manager could be used to format the USB and thereby make the USB available for installing Gparted. From what the original post indicated, the USB was not usable and that needed to be corrected first.

[jlittle]

I tend to use KDE Partition Manager which is found under System..

(I think the OP is referring to a stand-alone bootable iso that runs gparted, properly called Gparted Live.)
Of the methods given on http://gparted.org/liveusb.php I'd recommend the dd one, just make absolutely sure you get the output device correct. It's much simpler than the others, if the iso supports it.
Alternatively, a Kubuntu installer has gparted, IIRC. You might already have that.

Regards, John Little

[Shabakthanai]

Hi my friend,

I did as you suggested and opened KDE Partition Manager. Although the USB stick in question did not show up in the column on the left in Dolphin like it usually does, it did show in the Partition Manager.

What can I do in the Partition Manager that will make the USB stick become recognized by the File Manager? Do I have to create a new partition table, or what? I must be able to identify the USB stick when I create a USB ISO. Thanks! Shab

I tend to use KDE Partition Manager which is found under System. This is a convenient GUI tool to format a drive and I hope the font size is readable by you.

Just the other day I was having trouble reading my Wife's mobile to get images off it. I found that the problems were caused by the USB contacts on my Laptop being dirty, so I sprayed RP7 on the USB Female socket and repeatedly inserted it into the Laptop Male socket. So all is well with my USB sockets now.

Edit:

I was thinking that the partition manager could be used to format the USB and thereby make the USB available for installing Gparted. From what the original post indicated, the USB was not usable and that needed to be corrected first.

[NoWorries]

When I buy a new USB, it is formated as a fat32. So I would delete any existing partitions that are there and create a new fat32 partition on the USB. This can then be reformatted by the Gparted package that you want to install it on your USB - hopefully!

I must confess that I have not needed to use Gparted as all my computers have a single operating system.

[Qqmike]

To put GParted Live on a USB, simply use dd.

First, download the correct architecture of GParted:
http://gparted.org/download.php
For newer computers, as it says, use the amd64.

Then, write that iso file to your USB flash drive using dd, as explained here:
http://gparted.org/liveusb.php
Scroll way down to
GNU/Linux Method D: Manual - Overwrite

Instead of the dmesg command mentioned there, you can also try
lsblk
which will show you how your USB is seen (e.g., /dev/sdX --> you need to know the value of the X, like sda, sdb, sdc, sdd, or whatever it is).

The dd command may take awhile, it does NOT show you its progress -- just be patient and wait, maybe 10 minutes, maybe 20 minutes, maybe longer.
After dd finishes, your flash drive will be ready, it will be bootable. You may have to re-boot your computer and enter your "BIOS" (or UEFI-BIOS firmware) and select the flash drive to boot from.

Note that, using this method, there is no need to prepare your flash drive beforehand -- No matter what is on your flash drive now, the dd command will cause everything on your flash drive to be overwritten with the proper, bootable image of GParted Live USB.

[NoWorries]

The options are to either work at the command line and use the approach by Qqmike or operate at the menu level as I always endeavor to do. Which means that to write an iso image to a USB, I would use Startup Disk Creator.

I have use the dd command as last resort when the menus failed. As Qqmike pointed out, you have to wait until it finishes which can be quite a long time.

[jlittle]

...The dd command may take awhile, it does NOT show you its progress ....

dd has (relatively recently) added an option, status=progress that gives progress.

(As well, dd outputs progress if you send it the USR1 signal, but that's for the obsessively impatient like me. I used to run id=$(pgrep '\<dd\>');while :;do kill -usr1 $id;sleep 1;done in another terminal.)

[Shabakthanai]

Dear NoWorries, I am getting quite old. 73 on my last birthday. I don't have much to keep my life entertained, except my computer.

I have three Operating Systems on my computer at the moment. It keeps me busier and entertained.

Soon I will have the ability to expand my activities. For more than a decade I have been a shut-in with no visitors or people to interact with. Unable to walk the distance to a bus or to drive any more, I have not had other options. The result has been to use the computer to entertain me.

Recently I saved up for and purchased a used Power Chair. I have it running and am saving for a ramp so that I can leave my studio/home. I am very anxious about that. I look forward to being able to go to the market for smaller purchases and to fast food places once in a while. I also am looking for places to meet others of similar age to create a social life once more. It is an exciting time for me. Perhahs Freedom again. This forum has been wonderful to me. It has made life much more worthwhile. You are a part of that and I am grateful.

I hope things in your life are improving too.

Shab

When I buy a new USB, it is formated as a fat32. So I would delete any existing partitions that are there and create a new fat32 partition on the USB. This can then be reformatted by the Gparted package that you want to install it on your USB - hopefully!

I must confess that I have not needed to use Gparted as all my computers have a single operating system.

[NoWorries]

Dear Shab,

I am so pleased to know that you are keeping your mind active with your computer challengers and this forum. You may find another challenge on your computer with an Australian Brain Training site which is free to use and can be enjoyable to use as well. You will find it at https://www.activememory.com/users/sign_in.

Hopefully you are able to get your ramp soon and can get out and socialize as that is another essential part of a fulfilled life. You are certainly taking the right approach to life.

I and my Wife are currently getting ready for a 6 week overseas trip next week to Italy, Austria and the UK. The final destination is to stay with our Son, Daughter-in-Law and Grandson. We normally Skype each week with them and we have been able to share screen to play nursery rhymes as well as use our Web cam, which is detachable, to read stories.

Sounds like you have now solved all your problems with Gparted and all your operating systems are bootable. Well Done.

NoWorries

[Shabakthanai]

Sorry to be so long getting back. I hope your travels are as wonderful as they sound. I have been out of contact for quite a while. I was attacked by wasps and got hundreds of strikes - I didn't count them, but there were a bunch. They managed to get inside and stike difficult to get to areas like arm pits and the bottoms of my feet. Unfortunately I was wearing sandals and there were many areas they enter and bit me.

I have been unable to get out of bed until now, too much pain for the infected strike on the bottom of my heel.

Everything is going back to normal and I probably will spend lots more time on my computer.

Regards to you and those you love and like,

Shab

Dear Shab,

I am so pleased to know that you are keeping your mind active with your computer challengers and this forum. You may find another challenge on your computer with an Australian Brain Training site which is free to use and can be enjoyable to use as well. You will find it at https://www.activememory.com/users/sign_in.

Hopefully you are able to get your ramp soon and can get out and socialize as that is another essential part of a fulfilled life. You are certainly taking the right approach to life.

I and my Wife are currently getting ready for a 6 week overseas trip next week to Italy, Austria and the UK. The final destination is to stay with our Son, Daughter-in-Law and Grandson. We normally Skype each week with them and we have been able to share screen to play nursery rhymes as well as use our Web cam, which is detachable, to read stories.

Sounds like you have now solved all your problems with Gparted and all your operating systems are bootable. Well Done.

NoWorries