# Ubuntu Install breaks USB

**URL:** <https://forums.balena.io/t/ubuntu-install-breaks-usb/373672>\
**Category:** Product support\
**Created:** [February 20, 2025, 9:15pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/ubuntu-install-breaks-usb/373672 "2025-02-20T21:15:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Justin1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@Justin1](https://forums.balena.io/u/Justin1)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 9:15pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/ubuntu-install-breaks-usb/373672/1 "2025-02-20T21:15:57Z")

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Hello,  
Every time I try to run balena Etcher -(1.19.25.Setup) on my Windows 10PC, to create an install package for Ubuntu on a USB drive, the drive is broken.

After running Etcher, first it says I have to format the drive or I can’t open it.  
Then when I try to format it and erase what Etcher just wrote to it. Then it says the drive is write protected, so I can’t format anyway.

I’ve saved the USB by running the instructions [here](https://blog.balena.io/did-etcher-break-my-usb-sd-card/), but then I have to start over and run Etcher again. Same thing happens every time.

Am I using the wrong version of Etcher?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alanb128](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/alanb128/32/2839_2.png) [@alanb128](https://forums.balena.io/u/alanb128)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 9:50pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/ubuntu-install-breaks-usb/373672/2 "2025-02-20T21:50:59Z")

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It sounds like the proper version of Etcher. At what point is it telling you to format the drive? Is that when selecting the target drive from the list?