trying to save hard drive

[onetitfemme]

I recently noticed some files in my hard drive (a MAXTOR 6L080J4)
looked corrupted. It was giving me "No such file or directory" and
"Input/output error" (command prompt outputs included below)
..
I wonder if/how I could:
1._ somehow fix these errors
2._ save the data in the hard drive
3._ still use the disk after reformatting it
4._ how did it happen
..
I don't really know if it relates to the problem and I am not sure
what caused it (a brown out maybe?), but I have been using knoppix to
access the drive without any problems
..
thanks
onetitfemme
// __
sh-3.00# ls -l
ls: survey/p.res: No such file or directory
ls: o we can. be: Input/output error
ls: ><font c.olo: Input/output error
ls: ;thank y.ou: Input/output error
ls: a-tree.n.et/: No such file or directory
ls: ies</a><./st: No such file or directory
ls: educatio.n g: Input/output error
ls: enter></.fon: No such file or directory
ls: lign="ce.nte: Input/output error
ls: name="qf.ree: Input/output error
ls: 0" scrol.lba: Input/output error
total 11141408
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1952539694 Aug 9 1903 <strong.><a
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1685339198 Sep 28 2003 width=".70"
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 67811177 Dec 7 2005
20051206162514.search.log.txt
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 1752458345 Jan 16 1997 adding=".0"
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Nov 14 2005 box4u
drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 4096 Dec 7 2005 dev
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Dec 31 1979 e_end.ht.ml
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 544502629 Mar 19 2036 face="ti.mes
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Sep 26 2005 findpart
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1052 Dec 6 2005 fldups00.sh
drwxr-xr-x 8 root root 4096 Dec 3 2005 inst
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Oct 17 2005 iso
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 4096 Oct 17 2005 knoppix
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1931488377 Mar 21 2037 linguali.sm,
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 577136999 Nov 14 2029 n_08_the._en
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 1128617005 Jan 26 1902 ool of e.duc
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Oct 24 2005 prev_work
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 4096 Dec 7 2005 server
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Dec 3 2005 transfer
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Nov 20 2005 x86mbsp_util
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1768843632 Feb 1 1902 ype="sub.mit
..
// __
sh-3.00# dmesg | tail
FAT: Filesystem panic (dev hda)
invalid access to FAT (entry 0x3c2e626e)
FAT: Filesystem panic (dev hda)
invalid access to FAT (entry 0x41323032)
FAT: Filesystem panic (dev hda)
invalid access to FAT (entry 0x3e726174)
FAT: Filesystem panic (dev hda)
invalid access to FAT (entry 0x3622776f)
FAT: Filesystem panic (dev hda)
invalid access to FAT (entry 0x6c616574)
..
// __
sh-3.00# mount
....
/UNIONFS/dev/hda on /mnt/hda type vfat (ro)

 

[Bill Marcum]

["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.hardware.]

I recently noticed some files in my hard drive (a MAXTOR 6L080J4)
looked corrupted. It was giving me "No such file or directory" and
"Input/output error" (command prompt outputs included below)
.
I wonder if/how I could:
1._ somehow fix these errors

umount the vfat partition
dosfsck
smartctl -H /dev/hda
to test if the hard drive is dying

2._ save the data in the hard drive
3._ still use the disk after reformatting it
4._ how did it happen
.
I don't really know if it relates to the problem and I am not sure
what caused it (a brown out maybe?), but I have been using knoppix to
access the drive without any problems
.
thanks
onetitfemme
// __
sh-3.00# ls -l
ls: survey/p.res: No such file or directory
ls: o we can. be: Input/output error
ls: ><font c.olo: Input/output error
ls: ;thank y.ou: Input/output error
ls: a-tree.n.et/: No such file or directory
ls: ies</a><./st: No such file or directory
ls: educatio.n g: Input/output error
ls: enter></.fon: No such file or directory
ls: lign="ce.nte: Input/output error
ls: name="qf.ree: Input/output error
ls: 0" scrol.lba: Input/output error
total 11141408

It looks as if the contents of an html file have somehow overwritten
your directory. Characters from that file are misinterpreted as
filesystem data, causing input/output errors. Dosfsck might recover the
original contents of the directory, or might remove it, leaving the rest
of the filesystem in a usable condition.

// __
sh-3.00# mount
...
/UNIONFS/dev/hda on /mnt/hda type vfat (ro)

I think that should be a partition like /dev/hda1 or /dev/hda2
instead of /dev/hda.

 

[Arno Wagner]

I recently noticed some files in my hard drive (a MAXTOR 6L080J4)
looked corrupted. It was giving me "No such file or directory" and
"Input/output error" (command prompt outputs included below)
.
I wonder if/how I could:
1._ somehow fix these errors
2._ save the data in the hard drive
3._ still use the disk after reformatting it
4._ how did it happen
.
I don't really know if it relates to the problem and I am not sure
what caused it (a brown out maybe?), but I have been using knoppix to
access the drive without any problems

Since you are using Knoppix already, you should run a long smart
selftest to find out whether the drive itself has problems.
Command for that is ''smartclt -t long /dev/<drive>''. Look
at the SMART status afterwards (smartctl -a /dev/<drive>) to
find out whether the test was successful.

However this looks to me entirely like FAT corruption, i.e. the disk
may be fine.

Arno

 

[ray]

I recently noticed some files in my hard drive (a MAXTOR 6L080J4)
looked corrupted. It was giving me "No such file or directory" and
"Input/output error" (command prompt outputs included below)
.
I wonder if/how I could:
1._ somehow fix these errors

very doubtful

2._ save the data in the hard drive

highly probable

3._ still use the disk after reformatting it

I would recommend against it.

4._ how did it happen

They wear out.

.
I don't really know if it relates to the problem and I am not sure
what caused it (a brown out maybe?), but I have been using knoppix to
access the drive without any problems
.

You should really check the disk with 'badblocks' - that will tell you
whether you have a failing disk or some other type of anomaly. If it shows
some bad blocks then I would recommend: never mount it again. Use dd with
conv=noerror conv=sync to recover the partitions to data files on a new
disk. You can then loop mount the recovered images to retrieve data.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Since you are using Knoppix already, you should run a long smart
selftest to find out whether the drive itself has problems.
Command for that is ''smartclt -t long /dev/<drive>''. Look
at the SMART status afterwards (smartctl -a /dev/<drive>) to
find out whether the test was successful.

However this looks to me entirely like FAT corruption, i.e. the disk
may be fine.

Arno

Once again babblebot not able to contain himself and read the whole
message where the cause of the actual problem spits him in the face.

And that 1 1/2 hours after Bill already duly noticed that.

 

[johns]

First, it is a Maxtor. It has bad spots on the disk.
Using jargon and command line switches is not
going to fix it. If you were running XP, I would say
slave the disk, and read off what you can. I don't
know, but maybe there is a utility in XP that
could read the partition. I set up my dual boot
XP-Linux PCs that way, so I can recover files
when Linux crashes ( as usual ).

johns

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

very doubtful


highly probable

I would recommend against it.

But then you are clueless.

They wear out.

And plaster textfiles over directories, right.

You should really check the disk with 'badblocks' - that will tell you
whether you have a failing disk or some other type of anomaly. If it shows
some bad blocks then I would recommend: never mount it again. Use dd with
conv=noerror conv=sync to recover the partitions to data files on a new
disk. You can then loop mount the recovered images to retrieve data.

And another clueless one that couldn't make it to the end of the message where the clues were.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

And clueless # 3 has a go.

 

[ray]

But then you are clueless.



And plaster textfiles over directories, right.


And another clueless one that couldn't make it to the end of the message where the clues were.

From my general experience, when disk errors show up out of the blue,
there is quite often a reason. I still maintain that a good check of the
disk using 'badblocks' or something similar is in order to determine if
the disk is, in fact still robust.

 

[Odie Ferrous]

I recently noticed some files in my hard drive (a MAXTOR 6L080J4)
looked corrupted. It was giving me "No such file or directory" and
"Input/output error" (command prompt outputs included below)
.
I wonder if/how I could:
1._ somehow fix these errors
2._ save the data in the hard drive
3._ still use the disk after reformatting it
4._ how did it happen
.
I don't really know if it relates to the problem and I am not sure
what caused it (a brown out maybe?), but I have been using knoppix to
access the drive without any problems
.

Why not download Maxtor's PowerMax utilities and run a full diagnostic
check on the drive?

Maxtors are probably the least reliable drive out there at the moment,
and there's every possibility it is beginning to fail.

The Maxtor utilities (unlike their drives) are actually quite good.


Odie

 

[Whoever]

From my general experience, when disk errors show up out of the blue,
there is quite often a reason. I still maintain that a good check of the
disk using 'badblocks' or something similar is in order to determine if
the disk is, in fact still robust.

In my experience, this type of file system corruption is more likely to
be associated with memory errors. Thus, I would advise the OP to run
memtest86 or memtest86+ and see what happens.

 

[CBFalconer]

. snip ...

In my experience, this type of file system corruption is more
likely to be associated with memory errors. Thus, I would advise
the OP to run memtest86 or memtest86+ and see what happens.

If so, the actual fault may have occurred days, weeks, months, or
even years ago. It was most likely a glitch during file copying,
such as occurs during disk compaction. It only takes one cosmic
ray. The only reliable cure is ECC memory.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

From my general experience,

Which can't be that much.

when disk errors

His are no disk errors. They are filesystem errors.

show up out of the blue, there is quite often a reason. I still maintain that a good
check of the disk using 'badblocks' or something similar is in order to determine
if the disk is, in fact still robust.

If sectors are read without problems/delays the disk is physically robust.
Some errors may look like bad sectors but if they are immediate they are
usually addressing errors, ie addresses that don't exist, are out of range.

 

[ray]

Which can't be that much.

You're right - only 30 years. Yours is obviously much more extensive.

His are no disk errors. They are filesystem errors.

Rather nit picking IMHO. If you can't read the data you have an error.
Does not really matter whether it is a hard error on the disk or a corrupt
file system. Quite often file system corruptions are indeed a result of
hard errors. I'd certainly correct the situation and check the hard disk
before I would trust it. Obviously, the ultimate cause may be one of
several varieties. Checking the disk is painless and inexpensive - it sure
as hell ain't gonna hurt anything.

If sectors are read without problems/delays the disk is physically robust.
Some errors may look like bad sectors but if they are immediate they are
usually addressing errors, ie addresses that don't exist, are out of range.

That's very possible, but I'd still check the disk before I'd trust it.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

You're right - only 30 years.

Must be dementia setting in early then.

Yours is obviously much more extensive.

Rather nit picking IMHO.

Nope, just facts.

If you can't read the data you have an error.

He/she/it can read the data. It's the filesystem complaining, not the harddrive.

Does not really matter whether it is a hard error on the disk or a corrupt
file system.

Yes, it does.

Quite often file system corruptions are indeed a result of hard errors.

Nope. A sector is either read faultless or not at all. If FAT or directory
sectors are bad you have missing data, not bad data as shown here.

I'd certainly correct the situation and check the hard disk before I would trust it.
Obviously, the ultimate cause may be one of several varieties.

Too bad you wrote the drive off already in your initial response.

Checking the disk is painless and inexpensive - it sure as hell ain't gonna hurt anything.

Now you say.