TestDisk: Flash Drive="CHS and LBA don't match" [SOLVED]

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Sylvander
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TestDisk: Flash Drive="CHS and LBA don't match" [SOLVED]

#1 Post by Sylvander »

1. Re-formatted the only 962 MiB Flash Drive partition from EXT3 to FAT32 = SUCCESS.

2. Tried to copy some photo files from external HDD to Flash Drive = FAIL.
Files were OK at 1st, then file names changed to strange characters.
Was I trying to copy too much content to the destination partition?

3. Using GParted...
Tried to re-format = FAILED.
Tried to re-partition = FAILED.
UNKNOWN File System!

4. Installed and ran TestDisk on the problem Flash Drive.
Ran OK.
I have made a testdisk.log file, so that's available if wanted.
Don't know how to get TestDisk to fix this problem.

5. Any advice or instructions? :D
Last edited by Sylvander on Thu 21 Mar 2013, 11:57, edited 3 times in total.

amigo
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#2 Post by amigo »

Have you changed the partition type or only reformatted? I think gparted may fail if the partition type is not correct for the filesystem.

Sylvander
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#3 Post by Sylvander »

1. What do you mean by "partition type"? :?
GParted isn't displaying any info about "partition type".

2. All I did was reformat the existing partition from EXT3 to FAT32.

Peterm321
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#4 Post by Peterm321 »

Sylvander Today 07:03 wrote: Files were OK at 1st, then file names changed to strange characters.
This hapepened to one of my USB pen drives, I reformatted, used dd to write from /dev/zero to it, low level reformatted etc to no avail. Before all of this I copied from it what I could. It seems it was just a dodgy device. I replaced it with a new one.

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Monsie
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TestDisk: Flash Drive="CHS and LBA don't match"

#5 Post by Monsie »

Hi Sylvander,
2. All I did was reformat the existing partition from EXT3 to FAT32.
When using gparted did you delete the existing partition, create a new one, and then format it as fat32?

For what it is worth, as I recall, I have had problems with gparted in the past when it came to formatting a disk with Windows file systems. Initially everything appeared okay, but as soon as I tried to store some data, I came up with error messages. Maybe this is a bug in gparted still...

A suggestion: if you are wanting to use fat32, see if you can access a Windows PC to do the re-format... it might make a difference --otherwise as has been suggested, it could be that your flash drive is dodgy.

Hope this helps,
Monsie
My [u]username[/u] is pronounced: "mun-see". Derived from my surname, it was my nickname throughout high school.

Sylvander
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Re: TestDisk: Flash Drive="CHS and LBA don't match"

#6 Post by Sylvander »

Monsie wrote:When using gparted did you delete the existing partition, create a new one, and then format it as fat32?
1. No...
The EXT3 partition was empty...
And I did nothing more than reformat it to FAT32.
The files I then copied [using Xfe] to the newly formatted and empty FAT32 partition...
Do not need to be preserved or recovered.
Since they still exist on the source [external USB HDD].

2. I don't have a Windows OS available to me.
...Unless I ask a neighbor for the use of their PC.
Might try using my "FalconFour's UBCD 44.5" XP-light, and report back.

proebler
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#7 Post by proebler »

Sylvander,

I have had similar experience[s] where Gparted could no longer be used to reformat a flash drive.
I then tried the disk utility available in Mint, which did the job ok.
Also other Linux distros have disk utilities similar to or the same as Mint, I think.

So, if you have access to an other distro, you might want to try that.

cheers
proebler

Sylvander
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#8 Post by Sylvander »

@Monsie:
Tried "FalconFour's UBCD"...
No success here either.
Disk Management: D:>Format>FAT32>Quick Format>FAILED!
Status="Healthy"; Type="Basic".
Check Disk: File system is "RAW"; CHKDSK "not available" for RAW drives.

@Proebler:
Recently tried Mint, but couldn't get it to do stuff, so blanked the CD-RW.
Might re-burn a CD-RW and try it again on this problem.
Will report back if I do.
Tried the following 2 versions of Mint:
linuxmint-13-mate-dvd-64bit.iso [Failed to boot, blinking cursor]
linuxmint-14-xfce-dvd-64bit.iso [failed to boot, "Machine check error"]
My PC was bought 2012, and is 64-bit hardware.
Mobo=ASRock H61M-S.

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Semme
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#9 Post by Semme »

GParted? NOT a fan. Partition *type* refers to one of these:

Code: Select all

 0  Empty           24  NEC DOS         81  Minix / old Lin bf  Solaris        
 1  FAT12           39  Plan 9          82  Linux swap / So c1  DRDOS/sec (FAT-
 2  XENIX root      3c  PartitionMagic  83  Linux           c4  DRDOS/sec (FAT-
 3  XENIX usr       40  Venix 80286     84  OS/2 hidden C:  c6  DRDOS/sec (FAT-
 4  FAT16 <32M      41  PPC PReP Boot   85  Linux extended  c7  Syrinx         
 5  Extended        42  SFS             86  NTFS volume set da  Non-FS data    
 6  FAT16           4d  QNX4.x          87  NTFS volume set db  CP/M / CTOS / .
 7  HPFS/NTFS       4e  QNX4.x 2nd part 88  Linux plaintext de  Dell Utility   
 8  AIX             4f  QNX4.x 3rd part 8e  Linux LVM       df  BootIt         
 9  AIX bootable    50  OnTrack DM      93  Amoeba          e1  DOS access     
 a  OS/2 Boot Manag 51  OnTrack DM6 Aux 94  Amoeba BBT      e3  DOS R/O        
 b  W95 FAT32       52  CP/M            9f  BSD/OS          e4  SpeedStor      
 c  W95 FAT32 (LBA) 53  OnTrack DM6 Aux a0  IBM Thinkpad hi eb  BeOS fs        
 e  W95 FAT16 (LBA) 54  OnTrackDM6      a5  FreeBSD         ee  GPT            
 f  W95 Ext'd (LBA) 55  EZ-Drive        a6  OpenBSD         ef  EFI (FAT-12/16/
10  OPUS            56  Golden Bow      a7  NeXTSTEP        f0  Linux/PA-RISC b
11  Hidden FAT12    5c  Priam Edisk     a8  Darwin UFS      f1  SpeedStor      
12  Compaq diagnost 61  SpeedStor       a9  NetBSD          f4  SpeedStor      
14  Hidden FAT16 <3 63  GNU HURD or Sys ab  Darwin boot     f2  DOS secondary  
16  Hidden FAT16    64  Novell Netware  af  HFS / HFS+      fb  VMware VMFS    
17  Hidden HPFS/NTF 65  Novell Netware  b7  BSDI fs         fc  VMware VMKCORE 
18  AST SmartSleep  70  DiskSecure Mult b8  BSDI swap       fd  Linux raid auto
1b  Hidden W95 FAT3 75  PC/IX           bb  Boot Wizard hid fe  LANstep        
1c  Hidden W95 FAT3 80  Old Minix       be  Solaris boot    ff  BBT            
1e  Hidden W95 FAT1

Sylvander
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#10 Post by Sylvander »

1. Tried the Linux instructions given HERE...
Step B7 failed as follows:

Code: Select all

# fdisk /dev/sdb

Command (m for help): d
Selected partition 1

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4, default 1): 1
First sector (2048-1974270, default 2048): 
Using default value 2048
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (2048-1974270, default 1974270): 
Using default value 1974270

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.
# umount /dev/sdb1
umount: can't umount /dev/sdb1: Invalid argument
Instructions seemed to be failing to give all <Enter> steps.

2. Here's the pertinent portion of the output given by following instruction B2:

Code: Select all

Disk /dev/sdb: 1010 MB, 1010826752 bytes
196 heads, 9 sectors/track, 1119 cylinders, total 1974271 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0009dcf9

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1            2048     1972223      985088    b  W95 FAT32

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Semme
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#11 Post by Semme »

That's a <just incase you're mounted step>.. pay it no mind.

After the (w)rite, remove, reinsert, then format.

From here, retry your photo copy.

Sylvander
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#12 Post by Sylvander »

Still no success after trying again and following your latest instruction to "(w)rite, remove, reinsert, then format".

Here's the console output text:

Code: Select all

# fdisk /dev/sdb

Command (m for help): d
Selected partition 1

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4, default 1): 1
First sector (2048-1974270, default 2048): 
Using default value 2048
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (2048-1974270, default 1974270): 
Using default value 1974270

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.
# umount /dev/sdb1
umount: can't umount /dev/sdb1: Invalid argument
# mkfs.vfat -F 32 /dev/sdb1
mkfs.vfat 3.0.11 (24 Dec 2010)
# 
After umount, I removed the drive and then re-inserted, and used mkfs.vfat...
It appears to have completed successfully, but...
When I close the console window...
And...
Run GParted to view drive sdb [he Flash Drive]...
The file system of sdb1 is still shown as "unknown".
Should I attempt to use GParted to "Device>Create partition table"?

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Karl Godt
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#13 Post by Karl Godt »

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.
Though it says so I always run the

Code: Select all

partprobe

command after fdisk 'ing a drive to update the nodes in the /dev directory .

* IMO it seems that the flash had gone faulty and should be replaced . If the whole procedure you went through works on a new fresh flash pen then it is a hardware issue .

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Semme
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#14 Post by Semme »

Yeah, ya know- that you didn't mention the brand of this thing suggests some third-rate drive. I'm with faulty..

Sylvander
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#15 Post by Sylvander »

Semme wrote:Yeah, ya know- that you didn't mention the brand of this thing suggests some third-rate drive. I'm with faulty..
Didn't mention the brand because I didn't think it was relevant.
It's a Verbatim 1GB.
Has performed flawlessly up to this point.
I'm always reluctant to assume faulty hardware unless I see something that convinces me.

e.g. In the past I'd been told a particular HDD was dying.
Still using it after MANY years of reliable service.

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Semme
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#16 Post by Semme »

I have NEVER had a problem running that routine, or any similar.

GParted aside, did you try to copy anything to the drive?

Does Pup light up and see it when plugged?

Sylvander
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#17 Post by Sylvander »

1. I have NEVER had a problem running that routine, or any similar.
You are probably more experienced than I.
I think the website instructions are failing to mention certain points where I aught to hit <Enter>.
Hence, I'm hitting <Enter> when I guess I aught to do so, even though not instructed.
Fingers crossed that I'm not making mistakes. :?

2. GParted aside, did you try to copy anything to the drive?
Haven't yet tried that.
Will attempt it now:
sdb1 won't mount, mind you, Xfe IS able to see /mnt/sdb1, and Xfe DID succeed in copying a file to /mnt/sdb1, and I WAS able to open the text file [a .log file] using Geany. :D
How come?

3. Does Pup light up and see it when plugged?
When I plug in the Flash Drive...
The LED flashes, then goes constantly lit.
And...
The drive appears on the desktop as a USB connected device named sdb1.
But it won't mount. :(
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prior to the above...
Succeeded in running "LinuxMint-14.1-mate-dvd-64bit.iso".
And...
Ran GParted in there...
And...
It failed to complete any attempts at a fix [delete, re-format].
This Mint looks interesting.

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Semme
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#18 Post by Semme »

In the event I missed it- this is, which Pup?

When you say won't mount.. you mean, via click? How about through a console?

As far as that page goes you probably followed close enough.. enter after anything bolded.

What they neglect to say is the bit about removal and reinsertion prior to format.

Besides- you said format finished OK and you're able to copy, right?

Sylvander
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#19 Post by Sylvander »

1. "In the event I missed it- this is, which Pup?"
Slacko-5.3.3.1-scsi.iso

2. "When you say won't mount.. you mean, via click?"
Yes.
Normally when I click on an icon for a partition->[filesystem], the partition just mounts...
But in this case [since there is a problem?], Pmount runs and displays all the partitions, including sdb1.
But when I then click the entry for sdb1, Pmount reports: "ERROR: unable to mount sdb1".

3. "How about through a console?"
How should I do that?

4. "Besides- you said format finished OK"
Um, the "write" completed successfully [partition table altered].
And, "mkfs.vfat -F 32 /dev/sdb1" completed OK.
Are either of these a FORMAT?

5. "and you're able to copy, right?"
Right.
i.e. Able to copy a text file to sdb1, and display/read the contents of the file.

proebler
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#20 Post by proebler »

sdb1 won't mount, mind you, Xfe IS able to see /mnt/sdb1, and Xfe DID succeed in copying a file to /mnt/sdb1, and I WAS able to open the text file [a .log file] using Geany. Very Happy
How come?
how come indeed?
Succeeded in running "LinuxMint-14.1-mate-dvd-64bit.iso".
And...
Ran GParted in there...
And...
It failed to complete any attempts at a fix [delete, re-format].
suggest to use the Mint disk utility, NOT Gparted.

don't give up yet
more suggestions:

using testdisk, > Delete all data in partition table
then

using Gparted [Puppy], > Write partition table [Devices tab]
or
using Pdisk [Puppy, System] > fdisk > create new empty DOS partition table

then create partition[s] as desired.

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