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Thread: Problem with GPT drive on Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

  1. #1
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    Question Problem with GPT drive on Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

    Hello all,

    I have persistent problems getting my new 3TB HDD (Seagate Barracuda ST3000DM001) running on my Windows 7 64bit Professional / ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10 64 bit dual boot system. These are all the details, even though I am pretty sure the problem is not distribution-specific.

    This is what is going on: I started out partitioning the drive using Ubuntu's gparted. I created a GPT partition table, a big NTFS and a smaller ext4 partition. Everything worked fine and I could use the drive straight away - no surprises there.
    However, booting Windows to check, I found the drive missing. The Windows partitioning tool told me the drive was "unitiliazed" - it asked me to create a MBR or GPT table.
    So I let Windows do its work, getting the drive running straight away. Booting Ubuntu again, now parted reported the drive as "unallocated space". I checked gdisk, and it tells me that there is an MBR present but no GPT info, even though Windows created a GPT table and a 3TB NTFS partition.
    Since then I spent hours of switching back and forth, I used gdisk to --zap remaining GPT and MBR info, I created partition tables by hand. Once I got an invalid setup where the drive could be read from Windows AND Linux at the same time, however reporting different partition layouts.
    WHAT IS GOING ON? Right now I have the drive usable in Windows, configured with just one 3TB NTFS partition and performing like it should - but still showing as "unallocated" space in parted and listed as an MBR drive in gdisk. I have 2 other HDDs and a SSD running, all sharing NTFS and ext partitions and all of them running fine under both systems.

    I am stuck now... Please help.


    Cheers

    Q.
    Last edited by quantenmetz; December 23rd, 2012 at 02:58 PM. Reason: Missing Info

  2. #2
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    Re: Problem with GPT drive on Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

    Windows only boots from gpt drives with UEFI. Is your computer new enough to have UEFI not just BIOS?
    Windows 7 will read gpt data partitons, but XP cannot even see a gpt drive.

    I have my old XP on a MBR drive and use gpt on several other (smaller) drives with out issue. My Ubuntu can see the XP, but XP never saw Linux parititons any way so that did not matter to me.

    Windows often does nasty things to gpt drives. When it installs it converts to MBR, but leaves the backup gpt partition table at the end of the drive. Then Linux tools see both MBR & gpt and get confused. Usually gdisk or fixparts required to repair.
    Windows also may convert a large drive to MBR but then it is only 2.2GB not your 3GB.

    If you want Windows and only have BIOS, probably best just to have another smaller drive. I prefer systems on different drives.
    UEFI boot install & repair info - Regularly Updated :
    https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
    Please use Thread Tools above first post to change to [Solved] when/if answered completely.

  3. #3
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    Re: Problem with GPT drive on Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

    Hey oldfred,

    Thanks for the reply. I don't want to boot from the drive. My OS's are installed on the SSD. I just want to use it as data drive, but somehow Linux and Windows don't understand each other's definition of a GPT table.

    The drive is now definitely defined by a GPT table, I have a working (under Windows) 3TB partition on it. What does confuse gdisk to think it sees a MBR drive? Why do I see "unallocated space" in parted?

    Cheers

    Q.

  4. #4
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    Re: Problem with GPT drive on Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

    If you formatted with Windows, does it see the entire 3TB?

    With the new rounding for SSDs & 4K drives there often is 1MB unallocated shown at various places. Before the rounding was such that it was under 1MB and space was there, just not shown as it only shows larger spaces.

    Post this. If you do not have gdisk download from repository or rodbooks site. Change to sdb or sdc as appropriate.

    sudo parted /dev/sda unit s print
    sudo gdisk -l /dev/sda


    GPT fdisk Tutorial -srs5694 in forums
    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1439794
    http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/
    UEFI boot install & repair info - Regularly Updated :
    https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
    Please use Thread Tools above first post to change to [Solved] when/if answered completely.

  5. #5
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    Re: Problem with GPT drive on Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

    Hello again oldfred,

    Code:
    sudo parted /dev/sdd unit s print
    Error: /dev/sdd: unrecognised disk label
    and

    Code:
    sudo gdisk -l /dev/sdd
    GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 0.8.5
    
    Partition table scan:
      MBR: protective
      BSD: not present
      APM: not present
      GPT: not present
    
    Creating new GPT entries.
    Disk /dev/sdd: 5860533168 sectors, 2.7 TiB
    Logical sector size: 512 bytes
    Disk identifier (GUID): C568D91E-09F2-4B37-85B2-419A8A72CE38
    Partition table holds up to 128 entries
    First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 5860533134
    Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
    Total free space is 5860533101 sectors (2.7 TiB)
    
    Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
    Windows thinks the drive has a GPT table (it created it itself...) and uses it flawlessly with one 3TB NTFS partition...


    Cheers

    Q.

  6. #6
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    Re: Problem with GPT drive on Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

    I am somewhat surprised if Windows created a gpt partition table that gdisk does not actually see something.

    I am not sure sure I would have one very large NTFS partition. How long does chkdsk then take when you have issues?

    I follow this poster's logic that every large drive should have an operating system.

    Creating a Dedicated Knoppix Partition for large drives
    http://www.troubleshooters.com/linux..._partition.htm
    Except I have multiple Ubuntu installs and rotate newest install from drive to drive.
    I now have SSD with main install but still keep working Ubuntu installs on every drive.
    UEFI boot install & repair info - Regularly Updated :
    https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
    Please use Thread Tools above first post to change to [Solved] when/if answered completely.

  7. #7
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    Re: Problem with GPT drive on Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

    I am somewhat surprised if Windows created a gpt partition table that gdisk does not actually see something.
    Well, yes, so am I...
    The only "solution" I can think of right now is turn the drive into a MBR disk with 2 <2TB partitions. Can I do that without losing the data?


    Cheers

    Q.

  8. #8
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    Re: Problem with GPT drive on Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

    You cannot change to MBR and still use the entire 3TB. MBR limits are the total size of a drive cannot be over 2.2TB.

    Testdisk works with gpt drives, I am now curious if it shows it correctly or not.

    Testdisk is in the repository so you can easily download it.
    Choose efi/gpt even if not UEFI to use gpt partitions.

    Instructions
    http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step
    http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Menu_Analyse
    UEFI boot install & repair info - Regularly Updated :
    https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
    Please use Thread Tools above first post to change to [Solved] when/if answered completely.

  9. #9
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    Re: Problem with GPT drive on Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

    Hey oldfred,

    We had this thing called "Christmas" here, that caused some inevitable delay. I hope your're still following the thread, though.
    I installed testdisk and it tells me

    Code:
    Bad GPT partition, invalid signature.
    Ain't that great?

    Then I went on and did the "quick search" and found something very interesting: Apparently, the old setup of one large NTFS and a small Ext4 partition still lingers somewhere on the drive, even though I used gdisk to --zap it:

    Code:
    P MS Data                     2048 5438576639 5438574592 [Barracuda]
    P MS Data               5438576640 5860532223  421955584 [barracudaExt4]
    So, what do I do now? I really want to avoid re-installing everything on that disk if this is somehow possible...


    Cheers

    Felix
    Last edited by quantenmetz; December 25th, 2012 at 06:20 PM. Reason: Missing information

  10. #10
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    Re: Problem with GPT drive on Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

    We are having Christmas, I just popped in as I was copying some photos of kids and new grandson to computer.

    Does testdisk show old partitions and offer to let you recover any?
    Otherwise gdisk is usually the tool for repairing gpt drives.
    UEFI boot install & repair info - Regularly Updated :
    https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
    Please use Thread Tools above first post to change to [Solved] when/if answered completely.

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