LinuxQuestions.org - LVM Error: incorrect metadata area header checksum

Hi all,

I've got a Ubuntu Breezy install which is giving the following at boot:

root (hd0,0)
Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.12-10-386 root=/dev/mapper/DevMan-Data ro quiet splash
[Linux-bzImage, setup=0x1c00, size=0x124cec]
initrd /initrd.img-2.6.12-10-386
[Linux-initrd @ 0x1fae2000, 0x50d26c bytes]
savedefault
boot
Uncompressing Linux... OK, booting the kernel.
Loading, please wait...
/dev/cdrom: open failed: No medium found
Incorrect metadata area header checksum
Incorrect metadata area header checksum
Unable to find volume group "DevMain"

at this point it drops to a busybox shell.

Ok, I have a 200Gb HDD, partition as follows:
hda1 - boot (/boot)
hda2 - extended
hda5 - LVM (/)

Booting from a recovery disk and running pvscan shows that nothing appears to exist.

I've read on http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/...rmetadata.html that it *might* be fixable, however, this howto talks about files off /etc (which are on the LVM). So, now what? Should I take the risk and try and recreate the LVM - although I'd really like to try and keep the data, as there is at least 20Gb of mail that I was (honestly) going to backup today ...

HELP :)

Andy