GParted in UBUNTU shows entire disk as UNALLOCATED SPACE

[Prescilla]

Good day to everyone. I hope someone can help me with my problem.

I have a dual boot Windows and Ubuntu system.

I recently encountered an hd0 out of disk error and was not able to boot into Ubuntu. So I booted into Windows, after 2 to 3 times of booting and rebooting into Windows, I tried booting again into Ubuntu but still I get the hd0 out of disk error.

So I decided to run Ubuntu from LIVEUSB to try to fix my Ubuntu partition using GParted, but when I run GParted, it shows my entire disk as UNALLOCATED SPACE!

The strange thing is that Nautilus still shows and mounts my partitions. Also every time I boot into Windows , my partitions exists and I am able to read and write to them.

I have no idea what is wrong. Please help! I can't stand using Windows since most of the tools I use are in Ubuntu. I don't mind reinstalling Ubuntu. In fact I already tried reinstalling using the LIVEUSB but I wasn't able to, since GParted or the Ubuntu installer itself does not recognized my partitions and shows the entire disk as unallocated space.

When I run sudo fdisk -l, here's the output:

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142448 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: 0xb30ab30a

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *        2048   104869887    52433920   83  Linux
/dev/sda2       104869888   105074687      102400    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3       105074688   156149759    25537536    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda4       156151800   625153409   234500805    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5       156151808   169156591     6502392   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6       169158656   294991871    62916608    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda7       294993920   471037944    88022012+   7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda8       471041928   625121152    77039612+   7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

In Nautilus, my partitions are recognized and mounted:


In GParted, the whole disk is unallocated space:


In Windows, partitions are recognized and mounted as well:

[Shadius]

In my case, it was because I had overlapping partitions. However, from what I can see from your output of fdisk, I haven't detected any overlapping. Unless I'm missing it. You can right-click on on the drive from within GParted and selecting Information to see if it gives you any warnings.

[Prescilla]

In my case, it was because I had overlapping partitions. However, from what I can see from your output of fdisk, I haven't detected any overlapping. Unless I'm missing it. You can right-click on on the drive from within GParted and selecting Information to see if it gives you any warnings.

Thank you for the quick response.
Here's the Information I got from GParted -> Information option:

[Shadius]

Thank you for the quick response.
Here's the Information I got from GParted -> Information option:

I think I figured it out. So from your output of fdisk it appears that sda4 is larger than the disk itself. Thus, giving you that warning of "Can't have a partition outside the disk!" Your output indicates that your total sectors are 625142448, but your sda4 partition ends at 625153409. Am I clear so far? So, I believe you would have to shrink sda4 to bring the size down to match the disk drive size.

[Prescilla]

I think I figured it out. So from your output of fdisk it appears that sda8 is larger than the disk itself. Thus, giving you that warning of "Can't have a partition outside the disk!" Your output indicates that your total sectors are 625142448, but your sda8 partition ends at 625121152. Am I clear so far? So, I believe you would have to shrink sda8 to bring the size down to match the disk drive size.

Wait, that seems to be wrong. I think I confused myself.

Isn't 625142448 greater than 625121152???

I have no idea what to do...

[Shadius]

Good day to everyone. I hope someone can help me with my problem.

I have a dual boot Windows and Ubuntu system.

I recently encountered an hd0 out of disk error and was not able to boot into Ubuntu. So I booted into Windows, after 2 to 3 times of booting and rebooting into Windows, I tried booting again into Ubuntu but still I get the hd0 out of disk error.

So I decided to run Ubuntu from LIVEUSB to try to fix my Ubuntu partition using GParted, but when I run GParted, it shows my entire disk as UNALLOCATED SPACE!

The strange thing is that Nautilus still shows and mounts my partitions. Also every time I boot into Windows , my partitions exists and I am able to read and write to them.

I have no idea what is wrong. Please help! I can't stand using Windows since most of the tools I use are in Ubuntu. I don't mind reinstalling Ubuntu. In fact I already tried reinstalling using the LIVEUSB but I wasn't able to, since GParted or the Ubuntu installer itself does not recognized my partitions and shows the entire disk as unallocated space.

When I run sudo fdisk -l, here's the output:

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142448 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: 0xb30ab30a

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *        2048   104869887    52433920   83  Linux
/dev/sda2       104869888   105074687      102400    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3       105074688   156149759    25537536    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda4       156151800   625153409   234500805    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5       156151808   169156591     6502392   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6       169158656   294991871    62916608    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda7       294993920   471037944    88022012+   7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda8       471041928   625121152    77039612+   7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

Okay, it seems the problem is sda4 instead. Notice that it ends at 625153409, but the total sectors of the disk drive are 625142488. So if you do that math, it's over by 10921. You will have to shrink the size of the partition to bring it back into the disk drive, so to speak. Sorry for the confusion, but I'm sure that this is the problem, this time. You might wait for a second opinion on this also.

[Shadius]

Isn't 625142448 greater than 625121152???

I have no idea what to do...

Yes, you're right. Maybe I should delete this post to avoid confusion? Yes? Let me know, it is your thread, after all. I don't want to confuse you in trying to help you. I've edited the post to include the correct information. Again, I'm so sorry about the confusion.

[HermanAB]

Howdy,

Gparted is not the world's best partition editor. I would rather use fdisk.

[houseworkshy]

This is an odd one, which I'm bumping as much as anything. If you do reinstall maybe reduce the number of partitions and use exe3 or four as the linux file system despite the fact that windows can't see it. The not booting what used to boot does suggest that a close look at the bootloader may be in order, it may be worth posting it. Invisible to gparted but viewable in windows is just plain weird.
This distro may be helpful http://partedmagic.com/doku.php
Wish I had a quick fix but don't. Do backup that parition while you can before doing anything.
Bumping bigtime.

[oldfred]

It usually is not gparted, but Windows (or third party Windows partition tools) and sometimes testdisk that cannot count and make extended too large.

Fixparts - Repair broken partition tables (not overlapping issues) & delete Stray gpt data from MBR drives
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1705325
http://www.rodsbooks.com/fixparts/
First backup partition table and copy to another device.
sudo sfdisk -d /dev/sda > parts_sda.txt