Mark Hull-Richter wrote: > It happened again - the directory comes up as blank, and the icon for > the flash drive won't unmount. > > Here's what I get in /var/log/messages: > > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: usb 1-8: new high speed USB device > using address 15 > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: scsi13 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass > Storage devices > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: Vendor: SanDisk Model: U3 Titanium > Rev: 2.18 > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: Type: Direct-Access > ANSI SCSI revision: 02 > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: SCSI device sdb: 4013713 512-byte hdwr > sectors (2055 MB) > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: sdb: Write Protect is off > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: sdb: assuming drive cache: write > through > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: SCSI device sdb: 4013713 512-byte hdwr > sectors (2055 MB) > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: sdb: Write Protect is off > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: sdb: assuming drive cache: write > through > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: sdb: unknown partition table > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost kernel: Attached scsi removable disk sdb at > scsi13, channel 0, id 0, lun 0 > Feb 26 12:43:46 localhost scsi.agent[10634]: disk at > /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb1/1-8/1-8:1.0/host13/target13:0:0/13 > :0:0:0 > Feb 26 12:43:47 localhost fstab-sync[10710]: added mount point > /media/MHRTITAN for /dev/sdb > > It seems that the partition table is not being recognized.... > > It mounts fine on my Windows XP under VMWare on the same machine. Next time, dd if=/dev/sda count=1 | xxd | less I don't propose to decode the partition table (I could, but it would take me longer than I'd do free), but I suspect that the invalid partition table will be clearly wrong, maybe all binary zeros. To see what a good partition table looks like, dump /dev/hda or some other. The important stuff is here: 00001b0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 39cb 0200 0000 0001 ........9....... 00001c0: 0100 83fe 3f02 3f00 0000 04bc 0000 8000 ....?.?......... 00001d0: 0103 06fe 3f04 43bc 0000 827d 0000 0000 ....?.C....}.... 00001e0: 0105 83fe ffff c539 0100 3f14 a804 00fe .......9..?..... 00001f0: ffff 05fe ffff 044e a904 00a6 5009 55aa .......N....P.U. and the 55aa at the end is crucial: if that's not 55aa, nothing else matters. btw I suggest using dd to take a full copy while it's working. If necessary, you can play with parted, extract the bits and gain an education later. -- Cheers John -- spambait 1aaaaaaa at coco.merseine.nu Z1aaaaaaa at coco.merseine.nu Please do not reply off-list