Partition Table Missing

Forum: Other Help Topics
Topic: Partition Table Missing
started by: gui

Posted by gui on Aug. 14 2004,20:53

I have make an stupid error and the partition table of my /dev/hda1 is..........broken? corrupted? I don't know but disk do not respond Windows fdisk works all ok but at reboot time disk is not there Partition Magic: same Ranish Partition Manager said partition table has not valid values
Looking at post I found this:
dsl@box:~$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/hda

Disk /dev/hda: 30.0 GB, 30003494912 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3647 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/hda doesn't contain a valid partition table
dsl@box:~$
and that what I obtain
Is an recoverable error? Something can I do? or...must I bought a new hd?

Posted by DonttPanic on Aug. 14 2004,21:27

can you do anything with cfdisk? did you try running DSL from a liveCD to rewrite the partition table and reinstall DSL?

Posted by gui on Aug. 14 2004,21:51

Quote (DonttPanic @ Aug. 14 2004,17:27)

can you do anything with cfdisk? did you try running DSL from a liveCD to rewrite the partition table and reinstall DSL?

I don't know how to use it
Now I'll try to do what you said: installing DSL to damaged disk In a couple of minutes I tell you.......

Posted by DonttPanic on Aug. 14 2004,21:56

To use cfdisk, all you need to do is open a terminal and type:

sudo cfdisk

(the sudo gives you root privlages)
That should present you with your partition table.

Posted by gui on Aug. 14 2004,22:43

Quote (DonttPanic @ Aug. 14 2004,17:56)

To use cfdisk, all you need to do is open a terminal and type:

sudo cfdisk

(the sudo gives you root privlages)
That should present you with your partition table.

DSL HD installation said no partition table found and aborted
I tried with debian. It partition disk etc etc but when reboots disk has gone! Same as Windows Fdisk everything seems to go ok but at reboot time disk dissapears!...........

Posted by DonttPanic on Aug. 14 2004,22:48

This may sound like a silly question, but are the cables to the hard drive in (sometimes they can get partially dislodged from the hard drive or motherboard for mysterious reasons)

Posted by gui on Aug. 14 2004,22:55

Quote (DonttPanic @ Aug. 14 2004,17:56)

To use cfdisk, all you need to do is open a terminal and type:

sudo cfdisk

(the sudo gives you root privlages)
That should present you with your partition table.

I tried but nothing happens
It advises me that is no partition If I want to start with zero table
I said yes and it seems to be working but when I type sudo cfdisk again.......
Fdisk said invalid flag 0x0000 of partition 4 table will be corrrected by w(rite) I do that and again......... :-(

Posted by DonttPanic on Aug. 14 2004,23:30

I honestly have no idea what's wrong with this thing, but it sounds like it should be able to be fixed.

Posted by gui on Aug. 15 2004,04:09

Quote (DonttPanic @ Aug. 14 2004,19:30)

I honestly have no idea what's wrong with this thing, but it sounds like it should be able to be fixed.

I hope so!
Tomorrow will be another day now I must sleep all day over this machine!
Thanks see you later!

Posted by chibiace on Aug. 15 2004,23:15

heh. >.< my 2gb seagate can be read and written to. but it cant be found in fdisk or cfdisk and cant be formatted by linux or windows xp, though dos and windows 98 work. lol.... lucky its only 2gb compared to your 30.

Posted by gui on Aug. 17 2004,01:47

Quote (chibiace @ Aug. 15 2004,19:15)

well mine can be seen by fdisk (DOS and Linux) cfdisk sfdisk testdrive ndd etc but partition tabla can not be written
I'd prefer not be seen but be writable........... Well tomorrow I'll beguin look for 'magical' programs that perhaps can recover it

Posted by DonttPanic on Aug. 17 2004,02:32

This may sound stupid, and probably is, but is the jumper on the hard drive set correctly, and all the cables securely in place?

Posted by gui on Aug. 17 2004,12:35

Quote (DonttPanic @ Aug. 16 2004,22:32)

This may sound stupid, and probably is, but is the jumper on the hard drive set correctly, and all the cables securely in place?

hmmmmmm I suppose yes because machine has not been moved since 1789 lol

Posted by DonttPanic on Aug. 17 2004,17:34

Quote (gui @ Aug. 17 2004,08:35)

hmmmmmm I suppose yes because machine has not been moved since 1789 lol

hampster-powered, i suppose? well thats pretty incredible if DSL can run on that

Posted by ke4nt1 on Aug. 17 2004,18:14

What do you feed them??

let me guess..

"damn small hamster food ! "

73
ke4nt

Posted by ripcrd6 on Aug. 17 2004,19:23

Look at the jumper. If it is on CS (cable select), and you only have one drive on that chain, set it to MA (master). On some Western Digital drives you must set it to master single drive or whatever is on the sticker on the drive. Many OEM computers such as Dell and Gateway ship with the drives in CS mode. I find CS to be very, VERY dangerous. If you have 2 drives CS can mess up in Linux. Oh, and the master drive should be plugged into the connector at the END of the cable. If you have CS set and you are plugged into the connector in the middle of the cable this could be your problem. You really need to know what you are doing if you are mucking about inside the PC case or find a friend that does know what he is doing. It's probably an easy fix, but having the experience to spot it is important.

Posted by AwPhuch on Aug. 17 2004,19:42

Did you save (write) the partition table info after you made changes...then reboot??

Brian
AwPhuch

Posted by gui on Aug. 18 2004,16:29

Well today morning I've downloaded Maxtor's MaxBlast Plus III this evening I'll tell you It's suppossed be the partition tool of the HD's manufacter When you boot the diskkete said: 'Caldera DR-DOS' so... I can assume is builded in Linux-Caldera and Digital Research DOS? Now is 13:29 I must wait until 18:00 mmmmmm