Dear Group, I have an apparently dead USB key. This was last used on a windows box (xp or newer) at Victoria University. It was correctly unmounted but now appears to be dead. Plug it in and the light flashes for ever but won't mount on two Linux systems Ubuntu (Natty and Precise) or a windows 7 box. The following is the best I can find are there any other suggestions on how to recover this. Most if not all of the files are backed up I just want to learn more about how to recover files or format the key so I can reuse it. stripes@stripes-desktop:~$ lsusb Bus 008 Device 004: ID 413c:2011 Dell Computer Corp. Multimedia Pro Keyboard Bus 008 Device 003: ID 413c:1005 Dell Computer Corp. Multimedia Pro Keyboard Hub Bus 008 Device 002: ID 046d:c063 Logitech, Inc. Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub Bus 002 Device 004: ID 048d:1168 Integrated Technology Express, Inc. Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0924:3cf0 Xerox Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub stripes@stripes-desktop:~$ tail -f /var/log/messages Aug 3 14:09:36 joanna-desktop gnome-screensaver-dialog: pam_sm_authenticate: username = [joanna] Aug 3 14:09:36 joanna-desktop gnome-screensaver-dialog: pam_sm_authenticate: /home/joanna is already mounted Aug 3 14:10:00 joanna-desktop kernel: [ 9693.808014] usb 2-2: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4 Aug 3 14:10:00 joanna-desktop kernel: [ 9693.987092] Initializing USB Mass Storage driver... Aug 3 14:10:00 joanna-desktop kernel: [ 9693.987197] scsi4 : usb-storage 2-2:1.0 Aug 3 14:10:00 joanna-desktop kernel: [ 9693.987388] usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage Aug 3 14:10:00 joanna-desktop kernel: [ 9693.987389] USB Mass Storage support registered. Aug 3 14:10:01 joanna-desktop kernel: [ 9694.988476] scsi 4:0:0:0: Direct-Access XXXXXXXX U168CONTROLLER 0.00 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2 Aug 3 14:10:01 joanna-desktop kernel: [ 9694.988914] sd 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0 Aug 3 14:10:01 joanna-desktop kernel: [ 9694.991332] sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk stripes@stripes-desktop:~$ sudo fdisk -l [sudo] password for joanna: Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disk identifier: 0x00087384 Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/sda1 * 1 7305 58670012+ 7 HPFS/NTFS /dev/sda2 7305 19458 97618945 5 Extended /dev/sda5 7305 18958 93604864 83 Linux /dev/sda6 18958 19458 4013056 82 Linux swap / Solaris stripes@stripes-desktop:~$ dmesg | grep usb [ 4.199275] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbfs [ 4.199275] usbcore: registered new interface driver hub [ 4.199275] usbcore: registered new device driver usb [ 5.102585] usb 1-4: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2 [ 5.644015] usb 8-1: new low speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 2 [ 5.830254] usbcore: registered new interface driver hiddev [ 5.845557] input: DELL DELL USB Laser Mouse as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.2/usb8/8-1/8-1:1.0/input/input2 [ 5.845636] generic-usb 0003:046D:C063.0001: input,hidraw0: USB HID v1.10 Mouse [DELL DELL USB Laser Mouse] on usb-0000:00:1d.2-1/input0 [ 5.845652] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbhid [ 5.845653] usbhid: USB HID core driver [ 6.060043] usb 8-2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 3 [ 6.525105] usb 8-2.1: new low speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 4 [ 6.707479] input: Dell Dell Multimedia Pro Keyboard as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.2/usb8/8-2/8-2.1/8-2.1:1.0/input/input3 [ 6.707526] generic-usb 0003:413C:2011.0002: input,hidraw1: USB HID v1.10 Keyboard [Dell Dell Multimedia Pro Keyboard] on usb-0000:00:1d.2-2.1/input0 [ 6.758162] input: Dell Dell Multimedia Pro Keyboard as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.2/usb8/8-2/8-2.1/8-2.1:1.1/input/input4 [ 6.758224] generic-usb 0003:413C:2011.0003: input,hidraw2: USB HID v1.10 Device [Dell Dell Multimedia Pro Keyboard] on usb-0000:00:1d.2-2.1/input1 [ 15.703664] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 2 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x0924 pid 0x3CF0 [ 15.703856] usbcore: registered new interface driver usblp [ 16.942996] usb 1-4: usbfs: interface 0 claimed by usblp while 'usb' sets config #1 [ 9693.808014] usb 2-2: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4 [ 9693.987197] scsi4 : usb-storage 2-2:1.0 [ 9693.987388] usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage Thanks in advance for any suggestions. All the best Stripes