4 replies to this topic

[ansichart]

ansichart@ansibox:/media$ sudo mkdir DATA
ansichart@ansibox:/media$ sudo mount -t vfat /dev/sda1 DATA
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sda1,
missing codepage or other error
In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try
dmesg | tail or so

ansichart@ansibox:/media$ dmesg | tail
[ 450.993118] NTFS-fs warning (device sda): is_boot_sector_ntfs(): Invalid boot sector checksum.
[ 450.993126] NTFS-fs error (device sda): read_ntfs_boot_sector(): Primary boot sector is invalid.
[ 450.993130] NTFS-fs error (device sda): read_ntfs_boot_sector(): Mount option errors=recover not used. Aborting without trying to recover.
[ 450.993135] NTFS-fs error (device sda): ntfs_fill_super(): Not an NTFS volume.
[ 521.276621] FAT: invalid media value (0xb9)
[ 521.276630] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda.
[ 524.092464] FAT: bogus number of reserved sectors
[ 524.092472] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda1.
[ 772.199427] FAT: bogus number of reserved sectors
[ 772.199436] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda1.
ansichart@ansibox:/media$ sudo fdisk /dev/sda1

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 4863.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
(e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sda1: 40.0 GB, 40007729664 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4863 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1p1 1 4863 39062047 b W95 FAT32

Command (m for help):
[3]+ Stopped sudo fdisk /dev/sda1
ansichart@ansibox:/media$

It says it can't find a valid FAT system on sda1 however, fdisk shows that the partition type is FAT 32.

I made sure I was using the mount command correctly by mounting my windows partition manually.
sudo mount -t vfat /dev/hda2 hda2
And that works fine with no problem.

I have been trying to figure this out by googl searching, but the only results I am getting is people like me on different forums having the same problem with no solutions.

[Alk3]

There is a problem with the partition table info. I used to get this problem with my external usb HDD. I formatted and used ext3 and I have no more problems. BUT: If I plug it into a Windows box, I get problems after that. I never figured out why.

Edited by Alk3, 09 July 2007 - 11:46 PM.

[ansichart]

Ah ha!

I found out how to do it! It's a problem with fdisk.

If anyone else had the same problem as I, here is a solution that worked for me and may work for you.

Use fdisk to delete the old partions (if any) and then make the new partitions... however, don't select a file system type with it... just make the partitions.

Then, use the mkfs command to make the file system for it.

Anyway, I have a Fat 32 filesystem on my USB external hard drive and it is working fine now.

Thanks anyway Alk3, but I wanted it to be Fat 32 so I can swap media with my friends and they happen to use Windows. :-/

[I-baLL]

Which version of fdisk?

[ansichart]

Which version of fdisk?

Sorry, should have informed what version I was using.

fdisk v2.12r