Cannot mount a data harddrive, Or can I?

[Gromm]

Good morning,

On an old machine I have installed Kubuntu 24.04 yesterday. Problem: I cannot mount a data-harddrive, not in the in Kubuntu integrated way that is.
I get the message: Error mounting /dev/sdb1 at/media/name/Transcend: wrong fs type,bad option,bad superblock on /dev/sdb1,missing codepage or helper program,or other error.

However, mounting by using the terminal command does work and gives me normal acces without any problems. Earlier OS on this machine did not give me any problems witht this harddrive either.
It is an NTFS 512 gb drive, this filesystem did not give me any problems in the past eitther.

For a possible solution I found this:
sudo fdisk -l
sudo apt install nfs-common
sudo apt install cifs-utils
sudo ntfsfix -d /dev/sdb1

Is this correct? Will this work or might there be another problem since the in Kubuntu integrated way of mounting does not work but the terminal does?

[oshunluvr]

nfs-common is for the NFS file system. cifs-utils are for the SAMBA file system. These are both Network File Systems - meaning they are for accessing networked storage. Is this drive on a different computer on your network? You didn't describe it that way.

If it mounted using a terminal command, why do you think the file system is damaged and needs fixing?

I don't know where you found that possible solution, but I'd stay away from that source in the future,

It seems obvious that that whatever way you tried to mount it the first time that failed is the problem, not the file system itself. However, you didn't describe what you did for the first failed attempt so I can offer no advice.

[Gromm]

nfs-common is for the NFS file system. cifs-utils are for the SAMBA file system. These are both Network File Systems - meaning they are for accessing networked storage. Is this drive on a different computer on your network? You didn't describe it that way.

If it mounted using a terminal command, why do you think the file system is damaged and needs fixing?

I don't know where you found that possible solution, but I'd stay away from that source in the future,

It seems obvious that that whatever way you tried to mount it the first time that failed is the problem, not the file system itself. However, you didn't describe what you did for the first failed attempt so I can offer no advice.

It is a harddrive separate from the harddrive where the system (Kubuntu 24.04) is installed on. So on the same computer, nothing to do with networks.
I wonder if it is really is damaged, therefor my question, because I cannot mount it the regular way in Kubuntu but I can using the terminal. But I did get a notification that implies damage ( Error mounting /dev/sdb1 at/media/name/Transcend: wrong fs type,bad option,bad superblock on /dev/sdb1,missing codepage or helper program,or other error.).

That sudo fdisk commands and all came from AskUbuntu.

Bottom line: I want to mount my HD just by clicking on it's icon, that is what I did en then that message followed (In a pink square in the window).

[oshunluvr]

Please explain what you mean by "the regular way" and what icon are you clicking on? A "pink square" in what window?

Your descriptions are lacking specific information making it impossible to offer a solution or to advance trouble shooting.

Let me state again: If it mounted from the terminal command and was then accessible, there is no reason to immediately suspect there's anything wrong with the file system or drive.

[Gromm]

Ok, so according to you, the HD is not damaged since mounting by using the terminal is possible. I'll make screenshots to make things clear as soon as I am behind that machine again.

[skyfishgoo]

i've seen something similar when an windows file system was not properly shutdown... the easiest way to fix it was to boot to windows and let it run the disk repair, which it did automatically.

[oshunluvr]

Ok, so according to you, the HD is not damaged since mounting by using the terminal is possible. I'll make screenshots to make things clear as soon as I am behind that machine again.

Yes, and that would be helpful.

If you can mount it in the terminal and access it - i.e. list the files on it or open one of them - the file system is fine. Since it's NTFS - that's not a Linux file system so if it does indeed need repair, Windows would likely be required. Luckily, since it's a USB attached drive, you could run repair from a Windows Virtual Machine if you don't have access to a Windows install. If you are not using the drive with a Windows install any longer, I highly recommend reformatting the drive to a native Linux file system.

[Gromm]

i've seen something similar when an windows file system was not properly shutdown... the easiest way to fix it was to boot to windows and let it run the disk repair, which it did automatically.

skyfishgoo In this case I think I will not do any diskrepair, for the time being anyway. I am quite convinced as Oceanlover stated as well that the harddisk might very well be not damaged. Still a chance though, we will see.

oshunluvr Actually, I did not say it is a USB drive, it is an internal HD separate from the system drive in which I save data. The good news is: since it can be, and is mounted properly by using the terminal, and there is still room in that computer for let's say another two or three harddisks, I can easly put one extra in, format it on EXT 4 and copy the whole bunch to it. I can keep the NTFS drive in tact though and I will do just that. More explanation with screenshots follows tomorrow.

[oshunluvr]

OK, if it's an internal drive and you have the necessary NTFS tools installed, KDE Partition Manager should be able to mount it for you.

[Gromm]

Ok, here goes.

I am used to mounting harddisks / partitions by simply clicking on it (mouse pointer lower left corner). I assumed that is the standard, and easiest method in Kubuntu/KDE. So I clicked on the icon of sdf1 in order to mount and open it.
Then, in that window I got the given notification as you can read in the pink square/rectangle, so mounting failed.

My question: mounting by using the terminal does work, simply clicking on the harddisk (icon) does not. Why? I want it to work because it is easy.

(However, I understand there is also an auto-mount option in KDE partition-manager right? Haven't checked it myself yet. And perhaps other relevant info: I have more machines with 24.04 installed, this is the only one with that problem.)

Clear?
Thank you again for the cooperation.

[skyfishgoo]

again... i've seen messages like that when my NTFS disk would not mount due to not being shutdown properly (was having unrelated h/w issues at the time).

when i booted to windows it automatically did the disk repair on the file system ... and the next time i booted to linux it automounted like normal.

if you don't have a windows install to boot to then you can run the windows repair from a boot USB with a iso of hirens.bootcd on it.

once you have access to the files i would recommend moving them to a ext4 partition if you don't need to access them from windows.

[Gromm]

again... i've seen messages like that when my NTFS disk would not mount due to not being shutdown properly (was having unrelated h/w issues at the time).

when i booted to windows it automatically did the disk repair on the file system ... and the next time i booted to linux it automounted like normal.

if you don't have a windows install to boot to then you can run the windows repair from a boot USB with a iso of hirens.bootcd on it.

once you have access to the files i would recommend moving them to a ext4 partition if you don't need to access them from windows.

In the end that'll be the best thing to do indeed. Luckily I still can get access to the files since mounting through terminal command works. I can easily put in a HD and format it in EXT4 in the partition manager. It is also a bit of a habit of mine to format my data hd's in ntfs because I am used to dualboots. Both Windows and Linux can access that filesystem.

Happy Easter

[jlittle]

(After watching this thread for several days, my brain suddenly worked a little. No-one has mentioned /etc/fstab...)

IME, if there is an entry in /etc/fstab, dolphin will use it when mounting the drive. If there was an entry giving an error there, you'd get the reported result. Perhaps you could post the contents of /etc/fstab here, between code tags.

[Gromm]

(After watching this thread for several days, my brain suddenly worked a little. No-one has mentioned /etc/fstab...)

IME, if there is an entry in /etc/fstab, dolphin will use it when mounting the drive. If there was an entry giving an error there, you'd get the reported result. Perhaps you could post the contents of /etc/fstab here, between code tags.

Alright, will do that as soon as I am in the vicinity of the machine. Right now I am not, I'll get back to this in a week or two.