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-   -   Can't access an old HDD with ext3 filesystem on Linux Mint - Unable to mount (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/cant-access-an-old-hdd-with-ext3-filesystem-on-linux-mint-unable-to-mount-4175579336/)

Tecfreak213 05-09-2016 11:29 AM
Can't access an old HDD with ext3 filesystem on Linux Mint - Unable to mount
 
Hello all! I like solving puzzles like the one I'm posting about, but the puzzles I normally work on are greasy and mechanical. So I must seek some help.

I recently recovered an old network drive from my family with some sentimental data on it. The enclosure is non-functional. Through some trial and error, I removed the drive from the enclosure and discovered that it was setup with a linux ext3 file system.

I went through several distros trying to run a live boot, and finally managed to get a copy of Linux Mint "Rosa" with the Cinnamon desktop running. The hard drive in question shows in the "Computer" (GUI desktop, just like the old windows XP "My Computer") and it also shows up in terminal under the 'fdisk -l' command.

When I try to open the hard drive in the GUI, I get an error message: "Unable to mount location" - "Can't mount file"

This is where I have hit a dead end. I cannot get this drive to mount. In other words, I still can't access it. I've pretty much caved and am now hoping I can get some help in solving this.

I somewhat understand terminal, from my school days (late 90's) messing around with MS-DOS because we couldn't afford better computers. I see the similarities, and with that I think I can figure out instruction if anyone is willing to assist.

Sorry if I have omitted anything relevant accidentally.

Thank you for looking!

lazydog 05-09-2016 12:01 PM
Would have been nice if you would have posted the command you were using to mount the drive.
How is this drive connected to the system?

Tecfreak213 05-09-2016 12:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazydog (Post 5542728)
Would have been nice if you would have posted the command you were using to mount the drive.
How is this drive connected to the system?
At the time I did not try using terminal, out of my knowledge. But while waiting for a mod to approve this thread, I found and tried this:

Code:
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /media/mint
Which, in turn, threw back:

Code:
mount: unknown filesystem type 'linux_raid_member'
The drive is connected internally, like a normal SATA drive.

lazydog 05-09-2016 12:25 PM
Yeah it seems that the disk you have was a member of a raid setup. I guess you wouldn't know what raid level this disk was a part of would you?

Tecfreak213 05-09-2016 12:31 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazydog (Post 5542737)
Yeah it seems that the disk you have was a member of a raid setup. I guess you wouldn't know what raid level this disk was a part of would you?
Wouldn't a raid setup involve multiple drives? As this was a lone hard drive from a single drive enclosure.

I could be wrong, however lol.

Anyway, I would not know what level of raid it would have been either.

lazydog 05-09-2016 12:44 PM
Yes a raid would be more then one disk.
What does the following produce:

Code:
fdisk -l /dev/sda

Tecfreak213 05-09-2016 12:55 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazydog (Post 5542742)
Yes a raid would be more then one disk.
What does the following produce:

Code:
fdisk -l /dev/sda
First result:

Code:
Cannot open /dev/sda
Added "sudo" and the second result:

Code:
WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x4cc81cc6

  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System
/dev/sda1  *        2048    1026047      512000    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2        1026048  488394751  243684352    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
The drive this is referencing is not the drive in question. The 250GB drive is my normal computer's drive. The drive in question should be roughly 1000GBs. Maybe referenced by "/dev/sda2"?

lazydog 05-09-2016 01:05 PM
Try this:
Code:
sudo mkdir /media/windows
sudo mount -t ntfs /dev/sda1 /media/windows

Tecfreak213 05-09-2016 01:32 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazydog (Post 5542756)
Try this:
Code:
sudo mkdir /media/windows
sudo mount -t ntfs /dev/sda1 /media/windows
This works, however, "sda1" is the recovery partition on my windows drive.

I created another directory, and tried the same command using "sdb1" instead, as the drive shows up in "fdisk -l". That produces:

Code:
NTFS signature is missing.
Failed to mount '/dev/sdb1': Invalid argument
The device '/dev/sdb1' doesn't seem to have a valid NTFS.
Maybe the wrong device is used? Or the whole disk instead of a
partition (e.g. /dev/sda, not /dev/sda1)? Or the other way around?

camorri 05-09-2016 01:36 PM
If its the second physical drive, it will be sdb, first partition would be sdb1, second sdb2 etc.

273 05-09-2016 01:39 PM
Could you not just open Gparted and look at the partitions?
I like a commandline myself but for "just lookimg at it" a GUI may work. For commandline you're looking like something like "[sudo ]ftab -l".
Remember that drives don't always mount on the sane number.

Tecfreak213 05-09-2016 01:59 PM
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by 273 (Post 5542772)
Could you not just open Gparted and look at the partitions?
I like a commandline myself but for "just lookimg at it" a GUI may work. For commandline you're looking like something like "[sudo ]ftab -l".
Remember that drives don't always mount on the sane number.
I opened gparted, it shows the drive three different partitions. Shown in attachment.

Not sure what information would be useful from this program after exploring it briefly.

lazydog 05-09-2016 02:07 PM
Code:
sudo mkdir /media/mounts
sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/sdb1 /media/mounts

Tecfreak213 05-09-2016 02:18 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazydog (Post 5542791)
Code:
sudo mkdir /media/mounts
sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/sdb1 /media/mounts
Perfect. Full access to this drive. Thank you! Seriously, thank you so much!

I just have to now do some copying to my other drives and can finally go through it all.

syg00 05-09-2016 07:14 PM
Note that copying to NTFS is generally frowned on for Linux data as it (potentially) loses permissions.
For things like documents and photos where you are just interested in getting the data back, should be fine.


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