Ian Astley wrote:
No need to format it ext3. If you want to zero out the drive, you can use "dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb" and it will overwrite the partition table, and all data on the drive. (It is not a secure erase.)This augurs well for being able to dump her data files to a temporary directory on your hard disk. You can then try repairing the disk -- drastic measures might involve erasing the disk by re-formatting it as ext3 and using# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb1to work the whole disk, then re-partitioning to your taste (needless to say there will not be much left on the disk after this lot, pretty much zero in fact ;-) ). You might also use smartctl at this point. I have done similar things with a disk which was playing up and it has worked fine since.Best wishes, Ian
I have found that running the tools from the drive manufacturer is often a better choice, as it can test the drive, and remap bad sectors, as well as giving you an idea if it is worth trying to use the drive. If it fails their test, don't bother.
Mikkel -- Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with Ketchup!
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