external hard drive doesn't appear (kubuntu 8.04, Acer laptop)

is it possible that the drive is not formatted? what is the output of "sudo fdisk -l"?

that is totally possible.. how do i format the hard drive?
heres the output of doing sudo fdisk -l:

"
hermann@hermann-laptop:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for hermann:

Disk /dev/sda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x737bae0b

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 14219 114214086 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 14220 14593 3004155 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 14220 14593 3004123+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 750.1 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xaf6121fd

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
hermann@hermann-laptop:~$
"

On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 11:06 PM, Dimitrios Symeonidis <email address hidden>wrote:

> is it possible that the drive is not formatted? what is the output of
> "sudo fdisk -l"?
>
> ** Changed in: ubuntu
> Assignee: (unassigned) => Dimitrios Symeonidis (azimout)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> external hard drive doesn't appear (kubuntu 8.04, Acer laptop)
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/276368
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> I just bought a 700GB external hard drive.
>
> when i plug it in nothing happends. its like the hard drive simply aint
> there.
>
> But when i go to the terminal and type:
> sudo so
>
> and then
>
> fdisk -l
>
> then it reports that it finds the drive.
>
> but i cant access it.
>
>
> how do i make the external hard drive appear in the gui?
>
> sincerely,
> Hermann Ingjaldsson
>

yes, it seems that /dev/sdb is unformatted

BE VERY CAREFUL WHILE FOLLOWING THE NEXT STEPS, if you make a mistake you could loose all your data!!!!!!

from the terminal you can do "sudo fdisk /dev/sdb", then press p to see the partition table, press n for a new partition, press p for primary, then the default values for start and end cylinder... please not that you have created an ext2/3 partition, which will not be readable under windows, unless you install this:
http://www.fs-driver.org/

otherwise, install gparted and follow the instructions here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowtoPartition

thank you very much for your help,

the problem was that the drive hadnt been formatted.
to do so i just install gparted and from then on it was quite simple.
(was important to format with FAT32 for that works also in windows)

would really make kubuntu better if it would detect when drives werent
formatted
and offer to format them automatically.

98% of the hazzle going through in this is the difficulty of not having
anything to work with.
One plugs in the drive and nothing happends.

Im sure somewhere in the program the system knows whats been plugged in, and
unformatted/unusuable
drives is a state where the user is almost always hoping for the system to
start dealing with the problem by saying
"hey that drive needs formatting, want me to do that for ya?"

just some thoughts,
thanks for the help,
Hermann Ingjaldsson

On Wed, Oct 1, 2008 at 5:35 PM, Dimitrios Symeonidis <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #46845 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/46845
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Dimitrios Symeonidis proposed the following answer:
> yes, it seems that /dev/sdb is unformatted
>
> BE VERY CAREFUL WHILE FOLLOWING THE NEXT STEPS, if you make a mistake
> you could loose all your data!!!!!!
>
> from the terminal you can do "sudo fdisk /dev/sdb", then press p to see the
> partition table, press n for a new partition, press p for primary, then the
> default values for start and end cylinder... please not that you have
> created an ext2/3 partition, which will not be readable under windows,
> unless you install this:
> http://www.fs-driver.org/
>
> otherwise, install gparted and follow the instructions here:
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowtoPartition
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/46845/+confirm?answer_id=3
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/46845
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

formatting fat32 using program gparted was the solution to my problem.

detecting unformatted drives and offer solutions to that problem would make kubuntu better.

thanks for the help,

you are right, this is a good idea.
i found no related idea on brainstorm, so i created one:
Idea #13965: offer to format unformatted drives
you should vote it up if you agree with it...

so wheres the idea?
i cant fint it.

On Thu, Oct 2, 2008 at 11:19 AM, Dimitrios Symeonidis <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #46845 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/46845
>
> Dimitrios Symeonidis posted a new comment:
> you are right, this is a good idea.
> i found no related idea on brainstorm, so i created one:
> Idea #13965: offer to format unformatted drives
> you should vote it up if you agree with it...
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

it's on ubuntu brainstorm: brainstorm.ubuntu.com
specifically, it's at http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/13965/
you need to create an account and login in order to vote or to post your own ideas

great, i voted it up.

On Thu, Oct 2, 2008 at 11:59 AM, Dimitrios Symeonidis <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #46845 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/46845
>
> Dimitrios Symeonidis posted a new comment:
> it's on ubuntu brainstorm: brainstorm.ubuntu.com
> specifically, it's at http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/13965/
> you need to create an account and login in order to vote or to post your
> own ideas
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>