Partition table problems

sud_crow · 2005-08-17 20:20:23

Hi everyone,

A friend of mine is having an issue with partitions and im not sure on how to solve it.

Here is the problem:
He is going from Windows to Linux, so he installed Linux then moved all the important data from Windows to Linux, after that, formated (dont know how exactly) with mkfs.etx3 the ntfs partition, and moved the data over again.

At the next boot, he cant mount the data partition as it reports some problem with the partition table.

This partition is the only one, in a second disk, so /dev/hdc is the whole slave disk.

Now, if when he runs fdisk -l and this reports the partition table is invalid, being only one partition in the whole disk, cant he just "delete" the partition using cfdisk and recreate it, then write the MBR and reboot? Would this destroy the data, or is it safe to do it?

Thanks in advance!

kipper · 2005-08-18 18:18:22

are you sure it is /dev/hdc and not /dev/hdb for the second drive ? Is the second hardrive installed as master on the secondary ide or as a slave on primary?

Assuming it's /dev/hdc is the drive, is your friend mounting /dev/hdc1 in fstab ?

Deleting the partition then writing the MBR will generally destroy the data.

sud_crow · 2005-08-18 20:21:47

Hi,

Its not hdb as that is the cdrw i think. Im quite sure its hdc, but i will ask him just in case.

He was trying to mount it, but it reported with an error and it wouldnt work. via fstab or manually.

Im not sure yet about the results of "deleting" and "recreating" a partition... i think i will try it if i dont get a sure answer.

Thanks for the reply

Arch Linux

#1 2005-08-17 20:20:23

Partition table problems

#2 2005-08-18 18:18:22

Re: Partition table problems

#3 2005-08-18 20:21:47

Re: Partition table problems

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