external hard drive not accessible except...

[wihenao]

Hi.

When I reboot my machine, my external hard drive becomes inaccessible. However, if I go to files and click on it, it becomes accessible all of a sudden.

So every morning I have to click on it, in order to start my work day. Anybody has any ideas?

Thanks a lot.

[ajgreeny]

Hi.

When I reboot my machine, my external hard drive becomes inaccessible. However, if I go to files and click on it, it becomes accessible all of a sudden.

So every morning I have to click on it, in order to start my work day. Anybody has any ideas?

Thanks a lot.

So am I right in thinking it is not inaccessible but just not mounted? If you can mount it simply by clicking it in the file manager it is accessible and just needs to be mounted at boot by editing the /etc/fstab file.

Please show us the output of terminal commands

sudo blkid -c /dev/null
sudo parted -l
cat /etc/fstab

Please use Code-Tags for terminal output. See my signature below for a How-to

[Bashing-om]

wihenao; Hello;

Is the external drive always connected prior to firing the system up ?
Then you might consider explicitly mounting the external drive.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Fstab
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=283131
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1983336

As guides on how/why to set this up to automount the external drive.

ain't nothing but a thing

[yancek]

If you want a partition on an external hard drive available on boot, you need an entry for it in the /etc/fstab file. Not knowing the name of the drive/partition or the type of filesystem makes it difficult to be more specific. You could post that info here and wait for suggestions or do an online search for entries in /etc/fstab which is the file you need the entry in. What filesystem is it? Linux, windows?

[wihenao]

It is datadrive. So all I have to do is edit the fstab...

wilmer@ioe-gpu:~$ sudo blkid -c /dev/null
/dev/sda1: UUID="5609272e-b7d3-426f-9218-1667d59e4af5" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda5: UUID="db33b349-0a65-4cbf-b05f-b4367a0c5541" TYPE="swap"
/dev/sdc1: LABEL="datadrive" UUID="005ea273-8bcc-4e60-bdec-5cf79179f689" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sdb1: LABEL="fastdata" UUID="504b7d54-4a15-448d-8ac7-6be7c0c60a2b" TYPE="ext4"
wilmer@ioe-gpu:~$ sudo parted -l
Model: ATA SAMSUNG SSD 830 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 256GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 222GB 222GB primary ext4 boot
2 222GB 256GB 34.3GB extended
5 222GB 256GB 34.3GB logical linux-swap(v1)


Model: ATA SanDisk SDSSDHII (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 240GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 17.4kB 240GB 240GB ext4


Model: ATA WDC WD1002FAEX-0 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 1000GB 1000GB primary ext4


wilmer@ioe-gpu:~$ cat /etc/fstab
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=5609272e-b7d3-426f-9218-1667d59e4af5 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=db33b349-0a65-4cbf-b05f-b4367a0c5541 none swap sw 0 0
wilmer@ioe-gpu:~$

[Bashing-om]

wihenao; Yeah !

If and the stress is IF this drive is always connected when you power the system up; Then :
Make up a mount point .

sudo mkdir /mnt/backup

Next is:
Edit the /etc/fstab file with admin privileges ( like unto similar gksudo gedit /etc/fstab )
Add:

##backup drive added 19May2016##
UUID= 005ea273-8bcc-4e60-bdec-5cf79179f689 /mnt/backup           ext4    defaults        0       0

save the file; exit the editor of choice; then make sure the system accepts the edit:

mount -a

Mind ya, if this drive is not always connected .. will require that you use the appropriate mount options suitable to your use case . Then is homework time on your part to know what you want the system to do . Here the mount option(s) is 'defaults' where the drive is always connected.

By all means, if you do not fully understand what we are doing here you are invited to ask questions for clarification.

ain't nothing but a thing

[wihenao]

Thanks. That is great

[Bashing-om]

wihenao; Good deal !

Pleased it worked out for you.

keep on keep'n on