problem: external IDE /via/ USB

[stuseven]

+
I bought a nifty looking accessory... adapter
for IDE drives which connects them via a USB
port. This is not the case type, but just a cord,
with power supply.

Anyway, this USB connection is detected at
boot time... I can hear the drive spin up... and,
it tells me what type of drive it is, and size... but,
I get an error message - "cant read partitition" or
similar... after which point the USB setup times-out
repeatedly until boot finishes without connecting
the drive.

Having not been used for five years, it's possible
this drive indeed has no partitioning on it, which would
explain the message "can't read partition" - but, while
the USB dialog is identifying it, FDISK will not run on
the designated drive - it told me this drive was at
SDC... fdisk /dev/sdc gets "no such device" message.

How can I either access or repartition this disk, using
the USB setup ? I'm assuming, if the drive was really
shot, it wouldn't register any of this information via
the USB connection.

 

[Arno Wagner]

+
I bought a nifty looking accessory... adapter
for IDE drives which connects them via a USB
port. This is not the case type, but just a cord,
with power supply.

Anyway, this USB connection is detected at
boot time... I can hear the drive spin up... and,
it tells me what type of drive it is, and size... but,
I get an error message - "cant read partitition" or
similar... after which point the USB setup times-out
repeatedly until boot finishes without connecting
the drive.

Having not been used for five years, it's possible
this drive indeed has no partitioning on it, which would
explain the message "can't read partition" - but, while
the USB dialog is identifying it, FDISK will not run on
the designated drive - it told me this drive was at
SDC... fdisk /dev/sdc gets "no such device" message.

How can I either access or repartition this disk, using
the USB setup ? I'm assuming, if the drive was really
shot, it wouldn't register any of this information via
the USB connection.

I assume this is Linux? Does /dev/sdc (the special inode) exist?
What USB-dialog are you talking about?

Arno

 

[stuseven]

+
Arno - thanks for your reply.

The dialog I refer to is just the messages when this
cord with drive attached is plugged in... a set of new
messages pop up on screen then... it is there it tells
me "drive connected at /dev/sdc" and then size of drive
and manufacturer... so I do know it is being detected,
I just cant access it at /dev/sdc or via fdisk.

Yes, Linux.

Really, I cant say what is happening with that /dev/sdc
designation... it's the address used by whatever else SCSI
I plug in, so I know it works, it just isnt agreeing with info
in the USB messages. To me, as I say, this just doesn't
add up... it cant be both detecting the drive, and then,
have the address not readable/accessible... at least I
dont understand that.

 

[Arno Wagner]

+
Arno - thanks for your reply.

The dialog I refer to is just the messages when this
cord with drive attached is plugged in... a set of new
messages pop up on screen then... it is there it tells
me "drive connected at /dev/sdc" and then size of drive
and manufacturer... so I do know it is being detected,
I just cant access it at /dev/sdc or via fdisk.

My guess is that this is just the kernel output flushed to
the active terminal.

Really, I cant say what is happening with that /dev/sdc
designation... it's the address used by whatever else SCSI
I plug in, so I know it works,

Then the special file is ok, agreed.

it just isnt agreeing with info
in the USB messages. To me, as I say, this just doesn't
add up... it cant be both detecting the drive, and then,
have the address not readable/accessible... at least I
dont understand that.

When I do fdisk on an empty USB-attached disk, I get

root /dev>fdisk -l /dev/sdc

Disk /dev/sdc: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/sdc doesn't contain a valid partition table
root /dev>

Which is exactly what I should get. But I do not get timeouts
at all.

Here is an idea: The timeouts suggest there is something wrong with
the disk. If the kernel gets enought errors, it decides the device
is unusable and detaches it. You should look in the syslog what
problems the kernel finds. Easiest way: Have one xterm display
"tail -f /var/log/syslog" (may also be /var/log/messages or
something else in the /var/log directory) and then plug in the
device. Try fdisk on it. See whether the kernel tells you it
did detach or disable the device or the like.

Arno