cp /dev/hda3 /dev/hdb3

[Super Donkey]

On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 14:01:51 +0100, Jan Kokoska wrote:

>> A)Why did cp /dev/hda3 /dev/hdb3 mess up hda3
> 
> This is an insane thing to do. "cp" is for files and direcotries on a
> mounted filesystem. Trust rather manpage than Usenet.
> 
> Use GNU parted to move your partitions as in "parted /dev/hda",
> "move /dev/hda3 /dev/hdb3" after making the /dev/hdb3 partition, which
> you can from parted already.

I will do that next time thanks.

> 
>> B)How do I fix the partition table or what ever so that linux knows its an
>> ntfs partition?
> 
> Well try to mount it as ntfs if you have the support in your kernel...
> alternatively just read it with less.. if you page through the garbage
> and see strings you would expect on the ext2 partiton, you are in
> trouble and the ntfs partition is gone. If not, try switching the
> paritition type using cfdisk/fdisk and check the partition layout too
> (numbering and sizes). If this is the same as originally and type is
> ntfs and you can't mount it and windoze doesn't recognize it either and
> CHKDISK in windoze fails then I am afraid you have lost the data.
> 

When the troubles with that HD began I already did a backup of
the documents I created, however not of the music that I ripped and some
other big files. So it's not the end of the world as anything I can get
out of it is a pro.

I tried mounting the partition right after I sent this email and it didn't
work. Some error message about superblocks being out of size. qtparted
prints the message that the (former ntfs) partition is strange.

I will and see if Windows will recognize it (I haven't Windows installed
at the moment). Though the HD is in such a bad shape that after 10-20
minutes in Windows it makes the click of death. In linux it doesn't but if
I have smart on in the BIOS it will not boot into linux as the kernel
gives me some IO error messages.

I will also try less and cfdisk/fdisk. BTW: Partition magic tells me that
the paritition is unformated.

Thanks for the help.