How to fix corrupted partition from ubuntu?

[lordmonkeyu]

Hello,
I have just reinstalled ubuntu today and I run out of space on its partition so I wanted to add some space by subtracting some of it from Windows's partition (/dev/sda5 or /dev/sda4 I don't really know because things did get messed up) and what I get in result is this




And this error message.


Now I cannot access this partition and the system says that I should format it ( but I have a lot of important stuff in there )

Please tell me it fixable

[Nithogger]

Relative of mine had the same issue, Windows wouldn't boot fast, and after a while it wouldn't boot at all (Ok, I know, windows isn't fast at all, but it was even slower then usual) Anyway. Nobody knows what happened there. All we know is that the HDD was dead. It just died random and that's that.
Only thing we could come up with was this: Install ubuntu on a cd or flashdrive and retrieve all your documents and files etc. etc. to a big enough external memory. This can either be a Flashdrive or an external HDD. doesn't matter much which one as long as it has enough space on it for the lots of data.
After your files are secured make sure you have all the data coverd and back-uped on the external HDD, buy a new HDD and build that one in (don't forget to remove the battery whilest doing that) and reinstall the whole thing.
although, after re reading your post: formatting after the data is saved might solve the trick, but only if you HDD is just corrupt (not sure what that means) and not damaged, liked the one dealt with was.

I hope there is a better way of fixing it, but I couldn't find it. Or my brother.
Good luck..

Feel free to contact me any time you like.

[oldfred]

You cannot run filechecks on the extended partition as it is just a container. The ntfsfix worked on sda5, but it only does minor fixes and sets the chkdsk flag for windows to run chkdsk. Ubuntu/gparted will not mount a NTFS partition with the chkdsk flag set to prevent futher damage that chkdsk then might not be able to repair.

In your case it may be D

chkdsk drive /p /r
The chkdsk command checks the specified drive and repairs or recovers the drive if the drive requires it. The command also marks any bad sectors and it recovers readable information. Run chkdsk several times, until no more errors are detected.
chkdsk c: /r
You can use the following options:
/p Does an exhaustive check of the drive and corrects any errors.
/r Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information.
Note If you specify the /r option, the /p option is implied. When you specify the chkdsk command without arguments, the command checks the current drive with no options in effect.
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d....mspx?mfr=true

[lordmonkeyu]

So... I have tried what olfred suggested but i got this



Any other ideas ?

[oldfred]

RAW means it is not formated/ partition boot sector has issues. If it was formated and you have somehow lost the format or corrupted the partition boot sector you may be able to recover the boot sector with testdisk. Windows keeps a backup of the partition boot sector. If backup is valid you can copy it back with testdisk. Otherwise you may be able to use a fixBoot (XP) or BootRec.exe /FixBoot (Vista/7) command from windows.

Fix for most, a few have other issues, better than windows fix in many cases as it also fixes other parameters:
If win7 use small 'system reserved' NTFS partition instead of the partition where windows was installed for win7
This has instructions on using testdisk to repair the install of grub to the boot sector for windows from Ubuntu or Linux LiveCD.
http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawik...ms:Boot_Sector

[lordmonkeyu]

I have visited the site you provided and there is something like:

One of the following happens when trying to boot a Windows: grub menu appears, boots to grub prompt, immediate reboot,

whereas this is not my case because I can boot easily to both windows and ubuntu but I cannot see the D: partition.

I can try to use the fixboot but later on when I get the Windows cd ( pendrive ).
Any other options before I do that ?

[Blasphemist]

I've never seen that error but I do see issues. I think you are spending time on something that won't solve your issues.

Do you have anything in the Ubuntu installation (sda7) that must be salvaged? Nothing else in the extended partition shows as being used.

I'd delete all partitions that are within the extended partition. This is sda5, sda6, sda7, sda8. Then delete the extended partition (sda4). Your extended partition shows lba flag configuration. I suspect you installed Fedora at some time causing this but it could have been done in error as well.

I believe that after deleting these partions you should recreate the extended partition and have it use all available space. Then within it create whatever logical partitions you need. You only need one swap, a bit bigger than the amount of memory you have. I prefer to make it last and at the end of the disk but that is just preference. Linux OS partitions should be 15-20 GB if you use separate /Home partitions or a shared ntfs partition that will house your pictures, music, videos, etc. I say a shared ntfs partition so that linux and windows can both get to this. If you don't share data like this you should ensure each OS has enough to store the planned data.

Please see my screen shot that shows what I describe. As you can see I have a bunch of distros but if you won't you'd just split the space in the extended partition as needed.

When all this is done, then start doing installations and make sure you choose to allocate the disc space manually. Currently Ubuntu labels that option as "something else" on the disc allocation screen. If you install Fedora again, ensure that you don't do lba as it will greatly complicate things for you.

[lordmonkeyu]

Thanks for the reply but what I understand from what you have written you suggest to erase the whole extended partition and remake it (empty of course) and I am just trying to recover the partition as it was with just making some changes to file system or something. ( I hope it's possible ).

[lordmonkeyu]

Sorry for double posting but now I cannot even boot nor linux nor windows, and instead of standard grub i get grub rescue prompt.

I have booted from ubuntu live cd and now I cannot even locate grub in here. Can you help me on that ?

I have been looking for grub but i get these results :

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo find / -name "*grub"
/mnt/boot/grub
/boot/grub
/usr/sbin/update-grub
/usr/lib/grub
/usr/lib/grub-legacy/update-grub
/usr/lib/linux-boot-probes/mounted/40grub
/usr/share/grub
/usr/share/grub/default/grub
/usr/share/recovery-mode/options/grub
/var/lib/ucf/cache/:etc:default:grub
/etc/default/grub
/etc/alternatives/default.plymouth.grub
/etc/bash_completion.d/grub
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-update-grub
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub

EDIT:
Ok it's even worse - now I don't even get the grub rescue prompt - I get the "blinking underscore" and I cannot do anything :/
Please help me

[oldfred]

Post boot script. The fix with testdisk was for your problem as it is a repair to the windows partition boot sector. The main reason it is corrupted is those who have installed grub to the windows partition not the MBR. But now lets see boot script output first before doing anything else.

Boot Info Script courtesy of forum members meierfra & Gert Hulselmans
Page with instructions and download:
http://bootinfoscript.sourceforge.net/
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