Re: problems with USB disk
Hi,
Short answer: USB flash can die.
On Fri, Oct 22, 2010 at 02:07:09PM +0200, lee wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I´m having trouble copying files for backup purposes to an USB disk
> with rsync. Copying the files sometimes fails with "Input/output error
> (5)", and I´m getting messages in the syslog like these:
....
> failed. But with USB, I´m not so sure: can this be some sort of
> problem with USB, like a connection problem?
USB disk uses NAND flash device in it. This device itself has very low
endurance for multiple rewrites. Several orders less than conventional
HDD. In simple terms, USB key device can die causing device errors.
The more expensive USB keys are, the more likely the USB device comes
with better error correction logic and multiple write avoidance logic.
Some company made fortune with such logic ... You know SANDISK.
But these things will die sometime or you may have bought cheaper device
with less of such protection.
> Sometimes copying the files works just fine, sometimes not. If the
> disk was actually broken, I´d rather expect the copying to fail every
> time. What might be going on here?
Recover as much data from your USB key and toss it. You need new USB
key.
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory
Osamu
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