Empty directory not getting deleted in external harddisk

[Johnny Rosenberg]

2011/10/25 Linux Tyro <ubuntu.bkn at gmail.com>:
> On Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 1:13 AM, Bruce Pieterse <octoquadza at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>> This is how the directories are getting created:
>>>
>>> i) 43c9f2721ed24ab138b75e5e       ->           ii) databases
>>>         ->              iii) d74157950031f86b102e1759dcd53f
>>> db
>>>    (it is directory)                               (it is also a
>>> directory)                             (it is a file, I don't know which
>>> format it is)
>>>
>>> In the above the last two ('databases' and
>>> 'd74157950031f86b102e1759dcd53fdb') I am able to delete (but each time
>>> whenever I plug the hard disk) but the first one
>>> ('43c9f2721ed24ab138b75e5e'), a directory doesn't get deleted even after
>>> emptying it (that is, even after deleting the other two).
>>>
>>> i) '43c9f2721ed24ab138b75e5e' is the directory inside the usb hard-disk.
>>> ii) 'databases' is the directory inside the directory no. i)
>>> iii) 'd74157950031f86b102e1759dcd53f' is the file inside the directory
>>> no. ii)
>>>
>>> I am able to delete ii) and iii) but i) is not getting deleted. Its not
>>> on /media (I checked with the command 'ls /media') but inside the usb
>>> hard-disk.
>>>
>>> I have several times unmounted the device (from the right click menu) and
>>> several times inserted again but again the files get created [ii) and iii)]
>>> however i) remains there.
>>
>> Ok, thanks for confirming the directory structure. You have not indicated
>> if you have run a fsck on the drive, perhaps there is something wrong with
>> journal on the filesystem, in which case you keep seeing the same folder
>> reappearing.
>>
>> Please open a terminal (CTRL + ALT + T) and run fsck -y /dev/sd[a-z][0-9].
>> Where [a-z] and [0-9] this would be substituted for the actual block device
>> detect by the OS and partition i.e /dev/sdb1. If you are not sure, mount the
>> device and send the information from the terminal when you run sudo fdisk -l
>> and I/we can advise accordingly.
>
> Here is the required output and command:
>
> myfamily at myfamily-desktop:~$ sudo fdisk -l
> [sudo] password for myfamily:
>
> Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
> I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0xfedcfedc
>
>    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/sda1   *           1       15258   122553318+   7  HPFS/NTFS
> /dev/sda2           15258       30402   121644033    5  Extended
> /dev/sda5           15258       29781   116658176   83  Linux
> /dev/sda6           29781       30402     4984832   82  Linux swap / Solaris
>
> Disk /dev/sdb: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
> I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0xa4b57300
>
>    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/sdb1               1       38913   312568641    7  HPFS/NTFS

So it seems like your USB disk is /dev/sdb1. So in this case, Bruce
Pieterse suggested that you should run the following in a terminal:

fsck -y /dev/sdb1


Kind regards

Johnny Rosenberg
ジョニー・ローゼンバーグ