I cannot access a partition on hdd

Asked by Stefan Fourie

I copied os (ubuntu 12.04) updated onto my 2nd hdd. Now I cannot access the data that was on the hdd before the os was copied onto it. I don't know if it is over written or not.
If I use disk utility I can still see the partition, but when I search for the data, nothing is found.
I am nit sure if it is mounted or not.
Here are some details:
Uuid:
/dev/sda5: UUID="df695ccc-3016-4d9b-b981-11f924fadd07" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sdb1: UUID="df695ccc-3016-4d9b-b981-11f924fadd07" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sdb5: UUID="5282e75c-c686-4fae-8242-6bfc21ae882a" TYPE="swap"

fdisk:
stefan@hettie-desktop:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 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: 0x71251de1

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 16064 8001 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 16065 312576704 156280320 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 16128 312576704 156280288+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

Disk /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 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: 0x00054d84

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 2048 310519807 155258880 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 310521854 312580095 1029121 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 310521856 312580095 1029120 82 Linux swap / Solaris

cat /etc/fstab
stefan@hettie-desktop:~$ cat /etc/fstab
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=df695ccc-3016-4d9b-b981-11f924fadd07 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=5282e75c-c686-4fae-8242-6bfc21ae882a none swap sw 0 0

stefan@hettie-desktop:~$ cat /etc/mtab
/dev/sda5 / ext4 rw,errors=remount-ro 0 0
proc /proc proc rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev 0 0
none /sys/fs/fuse/connections fusectl rw 0 0

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Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#1

What sort of data are you trying to access?

Revision history for this message
Stefan Fourie (sfourie72) said :
#2

It is all my old data, documents, music, phots etc.

Revision history for this message
N1ck 7h0m4d4k15 (nicktux) said :
#3

Hi ,

From the useful results you gave , I can see that /dev/sdb drive , is not partitioned correctly. You have /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdb2(Extended) and /dev/sdb5.

Regularly should be /dev/sb1 and /dev/sdb2. (without extended partition)

Therefore is possible you copied Ubuntu over the files . (I assume).

I cannot see any other partitions in your second HDD (/dev/sdb).

Revision history for this message
N1ck 7h0m4d4k15 (nicktux) said :
#4

When you copied (installed) Ubuntu in /dev/sdb , did you choose to format the drive ?

If yes , then the possibilities of data destruction increased.

Revision history for this message
Stefan Fourie (sfourie72) said :
#5

No I did not choose to format the drive. I assumed it will use free space
to copy the os and related data.

On 18 September 2012 21:35, NikTh <email address hidden>wrote:

> Your question #208928 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/208928
>
> NikTh posted a new comment:
> When you copied (installed) Ubuntu in /dev/sdb , did you choose to
> format the drive ?
>
> If yes , then the possibilities of data destruction increased.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

--
*Stéfan Fourie*
*SDF Services*
*Cell: 079 857 6396*
*Email: <email address hidden>*

Revision history for this message
Stefan Fourie (sfourie72) said :
#6

You see, sdb is the original disk where ubuntu was first installed on. i added sda (but it is an older disk) it used to be a windows disk that was formatted as nfts. So then I copied ubuntu os from sdb onto sda. Now to me it seems it partioned sda and wrote ubuntu on there.
i want to access sda5 which used to be the old disk

Revision history for this message
N1ck 7h0m4d4k15 (nicktux) said :
#7

No ,
/dev/sda not contains any linux partitions. As you can see from the results

/dev/sda1 * 63 16064 8001 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 16065 312576704 156280320 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 16128 312576704 156280288+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

is NTFS , so only windows is there.

You said you copied Ubuntu from /dev/sdb to /dev/sda . How you copied ? You mean your data ? Documents ... etc ?

The /dev/sda5 contains a valid ntfs file-system. Did you try to mount /dev/sda5 and search for you data ?

When Ubuntu installed on a partition , then converts the file-system to ext4. So neither of the partitions of /dev/sda seems to contain a valid filesystem for Ubuntu. (ext4).

Revision history for this message
Stefan Fourie (sfourie72) said :
#8

No I copied the os (ubuntu) I think I basically copied the whole contnets of sdb onto sda. But remember sdb did not contain much documents ets, more the os and installations. I used sdb for data, documents, photos, music etc.

After I copied it, I presume it divided sda into two partitions. with a clean partition of 160gb and a partition of 160gb with data which is ubuntu.

I can mount the partitoin, but cannot acess a certain file in the media folder. the file is named the uuid of the d\isk (sda) The complex part is that under media in file system, the uuid of the old disk appears. So is it that all my data is stored in that folded named the uuid of the disk?

Revision history for this message
N1ck 7h0m4d4k15 (nicktux) said :
#9

On 09/19/2012 12:06 AM, Stefan Fourie wrote:
> No I copied the os (ubuntu) I think I basically copied the whole
> contnets of sdb onto sda. But remember sdb did not contain much
> documents ets, more the os and installations. I used sdb for data,
> documents, photos, music etc.
>
> After I copied it, I presume it divided sda into two partitions. with a
> clean partition of 160gb and a partition of 160gb with data which is
> ubuntu.
>
> I can mount the partitoin, but cannot acess a certain file in the media
> folder. the file is named the uuid of the d\isk (sda) The complex part
> is that under media in file system, the uuid of the old disk appears. So
> is it that all my data is stored in that folded named the uuid of the
> disk?
>

Hi ,

I must agree that the situation here is complex . Yes.

Try to boot from a LiveCD/Usb , where nothing is mounted , and see if
you can access (find) your data.
Thanks

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