noob help with block device

[Brokoro]

when trying to access my external harddrive so as to back up my files and fix my WindowsXP i cant reach it, everytime i try to get to any of the USB ports... i get this warning, im betting this is a very common warning and i have spent hours upon hours of frustration trying to figure it out... and i still cant get it... the warning is as follows...

Could not mount device.

The reported error was:

mount: /dev/sda1 is not a valid block device.

any help would be immensly appreciated.

[nad]

Perhaps it has been assigned as something else. Is this message reported on the desktop or are you mounting manually?

Right after you plug it in, open a terminal session and run the command: tail /var/log/messages ; to read the end of your message log. There should be information about what the kernel has found at a usb bus, the driver installed and the device descriptor assigned.

This should all happen automagically. Try booting with the device attached to the system and if you continue to have issues, please post back with the knoppix version you are using and your exact actions.

[Brokoro]

it didnt work for me... all it said was
[quote]No such file or directory... and i used the shell Konsole... which is the terminal... as i currently believe so... im sure im right...

I did try to boot the OS with the Hard drive connected.. but it didnt mount it.. sadly enough...

anyway... im running Knoppix version: 3.4.1

what i really need is the exact code/command to mount my CD-Drive and/or my USB1 port but i cant figure one out... i tried to learn throught the command manmount... but that was a waste of time... it didnt say what i was looking for...

So the things i need to know:
How to Mount my CD-drive
How to mount my USB1
How to turn both of the top into Valid Block Devices...

[Dave_Bechtel]

--Post results of ' sudo fdisk -l ' (that's an L) with the drive connected, and ' dmesg '

[quote="Brokoro"]it didnt work for me... all it said was

No such file or directory... and i used the shell Konsole... which is the terminal... as i currently believe so... im sure im right...

I did try to boot the OS with the Hard drive connected.. but it didnt mount it.. sadly enough...

anyway... im running Knoppix version: 3.4.1

what i really need is the exact code/command to mount my CD-Drive and/or my USB1 port but i cant figure one out... i tried to learn throught the command manmount... but that was a waste of time... it didnt say what i was looking for...

So the things i need to know:
How to Mount my CD-drive
How to mount my USB1
How to turn both of the top into Valid Block Devices...