[SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

seth · 2024-05-05 12:39:17

will nuking the file system delete the files on the drive?

That's the implication of the "nuke" metaphor, yes.

Unclean withrawels (power loss or for a USB just yanking it out of the hub) that left the filesystem in an inconsistent state, also dual booting w/ windows fast-start enabled (3rd link below) would be prone to such.

mpan · 2024-05-05 13:12:51

Five days ago I asked to run chkdsk. Is there a reason we still see no response to that?

M1s3ry · 2024-05-05 19:29:46

mpan wrote:

Five days ago I asked to run chkdsk. Is there a reason we still see no response to that?

sorry for not responding
i don't have any windows device and i can't dual boot sadly
also you said it may cause data loss so i wasn't into it tbh

mpan · 2024-05-05 19:43:38

You may still be able to recover some files using PhotoRec (of testdisk package), foremost, and scalpel.

After doing so, you may try finding a Windows machine and running chkdsk from there. Family, friends, college, work, wherever.

Why was it NTFS, if you don’t use Windows?

M1s3ry · 2024-05-05 20:09:12

mpan wrote:

You may still be able to recover some files using PhotoRec (of testdisk package), foremost, and scalpel.

i still don't know what had happened to the drive i can move or copy files but i can't see them
i moved all the folders safely to my main disk using mv command
but i don't know what files i had left and most of them are randomly named
auto completion doesn't work either so i have to write the full name of the file

mpan wrote:

Why was it NTFS, if you don’t use Windows?

because i may need to use windows if i messed up my pc
which i definitely will because i'm kinda new to linux and at some point i'm gonna mess stuff up

seth · 2024-05-05 20:33:14

i can move or copy files but i can't see them

I've a seriously hard time understanding what's that supposed to mean (hence the entire inquiry in this thread)
How can you not "see them" if you can copy them???
Or do you mean you can copy files from the drive and it seems you can copy file onto it (at least your filemanager doesn't complain), but those files never end up on that drive?

because i may need to use windows if i messed up my pc

i don't have any windows device and i can't dual boot sadly

And this makes even less sense?

M1s3ry · 2024-05-05 20:51:58

seth wrote:

I've a seriously hard time understanding what's that supposed to mean (hence the entire inquiry in this thread)
How can you not "see them" if you can copy them???

if i use the terminal i can move or copy files in or out the drive but i can't see them the drive shows empty
even with ls/ls-a command it shows nothing but let's say i use cd command i can get into the folder and can access it and it's files
but i have to type the name myself there is no auto completion or anything
i also can access them using the adress bar if i added the folder name myself

ex:/dev/sdb1 shows nothing inside not even with ls/ ls -a
but if i did

cd /dev/sdb1/example

or

cd example

if i'm inside the disk i can see what's inside and open/move/copy them

seth wrote:

because i may need to use windows if i messed up my pc
i don't have any windows device and i can't dual boot sadly
And this makes even less sense?

windows computers are almost everywhere
but linux isn't usually used
also if i messed up i can format to windows again and my files will be accessible
so it's kinda safer option for me

loqs · 2024-05-05 21:18:21

M1s3ry wrote:

also if i messed up i can format to windows again and my files will be accessible
so it's kinda safer option for me

Have you considered a backup of some form?

seth · 2024-05-05 21:23:44

So the problem isn't "files" but "directories" or, in doubt rather the top level node (only) is unreadable.

windows computers are almost everywhere

Use one of them to fix the drive?

so it's kinda safer option for me

Not if we're going by this thread
There's btw. eg. https://www.diskinternals.com/linux-reader/

M1s3ry · 2024-05-05 21:58:18

seth wrote:

windows computers are almost everywhere
Use one of them to fix the drive?

well i don't have access to one at the moment sadly but i think i have no other choices

seth wrote:

so it's kinda safer option for me
Not if we're going by this thread

.... xD

should i flag this as SOLVED or wait until i figure stuff out? "it may take time idk really"

Thank you i really appreciate you and your time <3

Last edited by M1s3ry (2024-05-05 22:00:28)

seth · 2024-05-06 06:59:01

It's solved as in "you understand that the filesystem is corrupted, that it corrupts reading the top level node (at least) and that you've to run chkdsk to fix that" - if you've ever yanked the disk out of the system w/o properly unmounting it, you also know why this likely has happened an you probably learned that using NTFS in a windows-less environment is perhaps not the best of all ideas.

You should be *very* careful with using the drive because you don't know to what extent it has been corrupted and what will happen when chkdsk cleans it.
If you can backup all data from the drive and want to continue use the drive *now* but only can run chkdsk on it (much) *later*, I'd rather backup the data and create a new filesystem ("format the drive") than trusting a FS you /know/ to be in an inconsistent state.

M1s3ry · 2024-05-08 14:07:21

Update:
i connected the hard drive to a windows machine and ran

chkdsk D: /f

and it worked perfectly
i had to run cmd as administrator
it took few seconds to finish

all my files were there and safely recovered

Thank you all again <3

Arch Linux

#26 2024-05-05 12:39:17

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

#27 2024-05-05 13:12:51

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

#28 2024-05-05 19:29:46

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

#29 2024-05-05 19:43:38

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

#30 2024-05-05 20:09:12

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

#31 2024-05-05 20:33:14

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

#32 2024-05-05 20:51:58

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

#33 2024-05-05 21:18:21

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

#34 2024-05-05 21:23:44

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

#35 2024-05-05 21:58:18

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

#36 2024-05-06 06:59:01

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

#37 2024-05-08 14:07:21

Re: [SOLVED]Storage hdd files not showing even with ls commands

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