Empty directory not getting deleted in external harddisk

Linux Tyro ubuntu.bkn at gmail.com
Wed Oct 26 17:00:20 UTC 2011


On Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 2:28 AM, Bruce Pieterse <octoquadza at gmail.com>wrote:

Well, based on the output of fdisk -l earlier I can see that you have a
> 250GB HDD that has a windows installation and a Linux installation
> (dual-boot), however the 320GB partition has a Windows NTFS partition:


Yes I have a windows partition (because my sis uses the same pc) and that is
the default boot option however, I go for Ubuntu LTS. 320GB partition was
the external hard-disk.


> 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 <--
> Windows Filesystem
> /dev/sda2           15258       30402   121644033    5  Extended <--
> Extended Partition Table
> /dev/sda5           15258       29781   116658176   83  Linux <-- Linux
> swap partition under extended partition table
> /dev/sda6           29781       30402     4984832   82  Linux swap /
> Solaris <-- root filesystem (/) for linux under extended partition table
>
>
> 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 <--
> Windows Filesystem
>

/dev/sdb1 it is also showing a windows partition? But it is an external hard
disk and they do also act like Windows partition? To make them like Linux it
should be formatted with ext3/4, I guess it is like that.....?


> I was going to suggest that maybe you can copy the contents of the device
> over to your home directory if there is sufficient space, and reformat it as
> NTFS again and copy the data back to the drive.
>

I would definitely do this one what you have suggested but I would need a
holiday to do this all and before that I would be taking back-up of all the
songs, movies and document and then I could format that external hard disk.


> If you never go into windows then it should be ok to reformat the drive to
> ext3/4. However what I recommended earlier might be beneficial if you do
> occasionally use windows and need to access files from your linux
> installation to work on. You can allocate a small percentage, perhaps
> 20-50GB's depending on your needs and you have to use a windows supported
> filesystem(FAT16/FAT32/NTFS) when creating partitions.
>

You are saying to format that external hard-disk? If in case it is formated
with ext3/4, it could no more be used with Windows in any time and on any
machine which has windows...? 20-50GB allocation out of a total 320 GB (of
the external usb hard disk) could be done? So that this hard disk could be
used in both - linux and windows?


> The best program to use is disk-utility or if you want a more advanced
> application you can try gparted (sudo apt-get install gparted from the

terminal).
>

Would have to read about it before applying. Yes it should be a great
utility ubuntu is providing.


> I just remembered that I also had this problem when I first started out
> with Linux. The best way is to definitely reformat to a linux supported
> filesystem to avoid data corruption and journalling errors.
>

But then would it be used in Windows also? (since other members would
occasionally use the same external hard disk in windows too).

Thx.

-- 
Two atoms are walking along. Suddenly, one stops. The other says, "What's
wrong?" "I've lost an electron." "Are you sure?" "I'm positive!"

===================================================
Ubuntu LTS is good <http://sites.google.com/site/whyilikeubuntu/>!
===================================================
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