mounting issues

**samuri_tux** · 08-10-2007, 02:14 PM

I'm trying to salvage some information from my aunts hard drive using knoppix (she got a pretty bad virus), but I'm having trouble mounting her hard drive.

I use

Code:

mount  -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /media/hda1

and get the error

Code:

Failed to startup volume: Invalid argument
Couldn't mount device '/dev/hda1' : Invalid argument
Mount failed.

I obviously am doing something wrong, but I'm uncertain what. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Arthan Khwelnul

**samuri_tux** · 08-11-2007, 02:21 AM

More specifically, the hd is from windows xp and therefor is ntfs. Is the invalid argument error the result of a bad command or a stupid mistake on my half or is there something potentially wrong with the hd itself? (One of my friends said that the hd's filesystem could simply be corrupted beyond recognition) Any help would be very much appriciated.

Arthan Khwelnul

**Harry Kuhman** · 08-11-2007, 02:52 AM

Does Knoppix's desktop show an icon for the partition? If so clicking on it should open it (in read only mode, for file recovery). If the desktop doesn't show the partition icon then yes, the partition might be damaged beyond Knoppix's ability to open it. Or it could be that the partition is fine, but the partition table is mucked up (unfortunately, not uncommon with Windows). If you don't have a partition icon, try looking at the man pages for testdisk and gpart. You may want to use Google for aditional documentation as well. Either of the commands has the ability to examine the disk and try to repair a bad partition table. There is not much they can do though if the partition itself is destroyed.

**cbagger01** · 08-23-2007, 11:32 PM

Originally Posted by samuri_tux

I'm trying to salvage some information from my aunts hard drive using knoppix (she got a pretty bad virus), but I'm having trouble mounting her hard drive.

I use

Code:

mount  -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /media/hda1

and get the error

Code:

Failed to startup volume: Invalid argument
Couldn't mount device '/dev/hda1' : Invalid argument
Mount failed.

I obviously am doing something wrong, but I'm uncertain what. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Arthan Khwelnul

If your aunt has an SATA hard drive, the name might be "/dev/sda1" instead of "/dev/hda1"

In any event, you will probably need to have superuser or "root" authority in order to mount the device from the command line. Something like this:

sudo su
mkdir /mnt/sda1
mount -t ntfs /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1
konqueror /mnt/sda1 &

But the best choice is to follow Harry's advice and use the desktop icons.

**TashaN** · 01-17-2008, 04:41 AM

Hi, i have the same problem with one of my hard disks. I couldn't mount it even though it appeared in my desktop. I can't even open it as read only "recovery", as you mentioned.