USB disk doesn't appear in file browser

Asked by Steve Franks

I've attached an external hard disk to my Ubuntu laptop, but it isn't visible in File Browser, or System Monitor.
It is probably not formatted as a Linux disk, as it came from a dead PVR. I don't think that the drive itself is damaged.
Ubuntu does try to access it, but seems to give up. Windoz does slightly better, it says that it's a Maxstor. hard disk.
Is there any other program that I can use to examine the drive?
If possible I'd like to see whether there is any data on it, but failing that I'd like to have the 80gb as extra storage.

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu gnome-system-monitor Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
Johannes Pilkahn
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Johannes Pilkahn (j-pilkahn) said :
#1

Can you post the outputs of 'sudo fdisk -l', 'sudo lshw -C disk', and 'lsusb'?

Thank you.

Revision history for this message
Steve Franks (stevef48) said :
#2

sudo fdisk -l gives:
/dev/sda1 * 1 513 4120641 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 514 3648 25181887+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 3493 3648 1253038+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 514 3363 22892562 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 3364 3492 1036161 82 Linux swap / Solaris

sudo lshw -C disk:
  *-disk
       description: ATA Disk
       product: IC25N030ATCS04-0
       vendor: Hitachi
       physical id: 0
       bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
       logical name: /dev/sda
       version: CA3O
       serial: CSH306DBCX7JZB
       size: 27GiB (30GB)
       capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
       configuration: ansiversion=5 signature=0d8c0d8c
  *-cdrom
       description: DVD reader
       product: UJDA730 DVD/CDRW
       vendor: MATSHITA
       physical id: 1
       bus info: scsi@1:0.0.0
       logical name: /dev/cdrom
       logical name: /dev/dvd
       logical name: /dev/scd0
       logical name: /dev/sr0
       version: 1.00
       capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd
       configuration: ansiversion=5 status=open
lsusb:
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 05e3:0702 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB 2.0 IDE Adapter
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 045e:0039 Microsoft Corp. IntelliMouse Optical
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

Thanks for your interest and help

Revision history for this message
Johannes Pilkahn (j-pilkahn) said :
#3

Nowhere does this ominous external drive show up.

It was connected when you ran those commands, right?!

Revision history for this message
Steve Franks (stevef48) said :
#4

Yes it was connected.
When I connect it to a PC it ticks, continuously in Ubuntu, for a few minutes in Windoz.

Revision history for this message
Steve Franks (stevef48) said :
#5

BTW This is the device:
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 05e3:0702 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB 2.0 IDE Adapter

Revision history for this message
Best Johannes Pilkahn (j-pilkahn) said :
#6

mkey.

I'm all the more certain now that it's a hardware issue.

If neither OS can access it, it looks like it's going down the drain.

The constant ticking leads me to believe the bearings are gone, i.e. it constantly tries to spin up and fails to reach decent speed.

Still, as a last resort, boot your Windows, click the 'Run' dialog in the Start menu, type 'mmc' and hit Enter. Select 'Add/Remove Snap-In' and add 'Disk Management'. If it doesn't appear here, trash it.

Revision history for this message
Steve Franks (stevef48) said :
#7

I think that you're right.
Thanks for all the help.