mount: /dev/sda: can't read superblock

xeon123 · 08-12-2008, 04:04 PM

Hi,

I've a external USB HD, and I plug to my computer. I get the info that:

Quote:

Aug 12 21:42:55 tuvalu kernel: fat: exports duplicate symbol fat_add_entries (owned by kernel)
Aug 12 21:42:59 tuvalu kernel: FAT: unable to read boot sector

When I try to mount it, I get the info:

Quote:

root@tuvalu:~# mount -t vfat /dev/sda /media/hd0/
mount: /dev/sda: can't read superblock

I've tried:

Quote:

root@tuvalu:~# e2fsck -b 32768 /dev/sda
e2fsck 1.39 (29-May-2006)
e2fsck: Invalid argument while trying to open /dev/sda

The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2
filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2
filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock
is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:
e2fsck -b 8193 <device>

root@tuvalu:~# e2fsck -b 16384 /dev/sda
e2fsck 1.39 (29-May-2006)
e2fsck: Invalid argument while trying to open /dev/sda

The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2
filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2
filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock
is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:
e2fsck -b 8193 <device>

root@tuvalu:~# e2fsck -b 8193 /dev/sda
e2fsck 1.39 (29-May-2006)
e2fsck: Invalid argument while trying to open /dev/sda

The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2
filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2
filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock
is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:
e2fsck -b 8193 <device>

How can I access the disk?

If it isn't possible to access to the disk because of the superblock, is it possible to make a backup or an image of the external HD to my PC HD, to format the external disk?

jailbait · 08-12-2008, 04:17 PM

You tried to mount the file system as a vfat file system. You tried to fsck the file system as an ext2 file system. Which is it?

If it is truly vfat then run fsck.vfat. If it is truly ext2 then try mounting it as ext2.

-----------------
Steve Stites

xeon123 · 08-13-2008, 03:36 AM

It's a vfat.

jschiwal · 08-13-2008, 03:42 AM

Try to mount the partition /dev/sda1 instead of the drive /dev/sda. If the filesystem is corrupt, you can try "sudo /sbin/fsck.vfat /dev/sda1.

xeon123 · 08-18-2008, 01:42 PM

Doing the following command, I get the error:

Quote:

root@tuvalu:/# /sbin/dosfsck -y -V -v /dev/sda
dosfsck 2.11 (12 Mar 2005)
dosfsck 2.11, 12 Mar 2005, FAT32, LFN
Got 0 btes instead of 512 at 0

I just want to fix the superblock of the external HD, or, if not possible, I just want format the disk.