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    external HDD suddenly read-only file system

    Hi Folks,
    I have a problem with my external HD that I use for backup and storage (multimedia and work related).
    The problem manifests itself in dolphin in that the external HDD unmounts as soon as I copy a larger file to the ext-HDD; interestingly, sometimes small files (like mp3's copy OK).
    When I use the command line, I get an error saying the drive was a read-only file system...

    A partition check in KDE Partition Editor yields nothing (i.e. says everything is OK), but fsck gives the following error:
    Code:
    e@komputer:~$ sudo fsck -cfy /dev/sdb
    fsck from util-linux-ng 2.16     
    e2fsck 1.41.9 (22-Aug-2009)      
    fsck.ext2: Superblock invalid, trying backup blocks...
    fsck.ext2: Bad magic number in super-block while trying to open /dev/sdb
    
    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>
    When I follow up on the "-b"-suggestion I still get the same error...

    This happened just after an upgrade to karmic, but I suspect this is only a coincidence.
    The external HDD is a western digital model with 0.91TB, formated in ext3 (by myself).

    I don't really know what to do now... I can read data from the disk but can not write on it (which makes backups difficult at the moment...).
    I don't know how to interpret the error I get from fsck.

    Can anyone help?
    Thanks,
    Chopstick

    #2
    Re: external HDD suddenly read-only file system

    My gut feeling is that your external HD is getting ready to die. How old is it?
    Windows no longer obstructs my view.
    Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
    "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes

    Comment


      #3
      Re: external HDD suddenly read-only file system

      I was afraid someone might say that... but the HDD is only 1.5 years old... it's to young to die ;-)

      Is there a way I can verify this?

      Comment


        #4
        Re: external HDD suddenly read-only file system

        See How to Test Your Hard Drive with Smartmontools
        Windows no longer obstructs my view.
        Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
        "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes

        Comment


          #5
          Re: external HDD suddenly read-only file system

          Your drive seems OK. I think you just have to try to fix that bad superblock. I've had good luck following this to do so:
          http://members.iinet.net.au/%7Eherma...xt3_superblock
          scroll "up" to: What to do if you have a bad ext3 superblock.
          Follow his recipe exactly. (That's all I know about it.)
          An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski

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