Problems performing a fix-disk

[Stephen Gordon]

Hello, my Humax's hard drive has been playing up and it keeps freezing during playback and failing to record shows, so I decided t install the custom software and run the disk check utility, but when I run the utility it just says that the partitions are already unmounted and does not seem to be doing anything.

---

Please select option: 1
Any additional options (or press return for none):
Are you sure you wish to run the hard disk checker? [Y/N] Y
Running /bin/fix-disk
Custom firmware version 3.03


Checking disk sda

Partition /dev/sda1 is already unmounted
Partition /dev/sda2 is already unmounted
Partition /dev/sda3 is already unmounted
/bin/fix-disk: line 511: arithmetic syntax error

Press return to continue:

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does anybody have any suggestions on how I should proceed in order to identify and fix and problems with the hard drive and get my Humax working again?

 

[prpr]

That's a weird one. Try "fix-disk -P" to skip the pending sector checks, which is where it appears to be going wrong.

 

[Stephen Gordon]

thank you for your suggestion

I tried it, all I got was this

humax# fix-disk -P
Running /bin/fix-disk
Custom firmware version 3.03


Checking disk sda

Partition /dev/sda1 is already unmounted
Partition /dev/sda2 is already unmounted
Partition /dev/sda3 is already unmounted
Skipped pending sector error tests
Partition sda1 - Unrecognised partition type, aborting...
humax#

 

[prpr]

What does "fdisk -lu /dev/sda" report?

 

[Stephen Gordon]

Humax HDR-Fox T2 (humax) 1.03.12/3.03

To return to the menu, type: exit

humax# fdisk -lu /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 8 2104510 1052251+ 83 Linux
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary
/dev/sda2 2104512 1932539166 965217327+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 1932539168 1953520062 10490447+ 83 Linux
humax#

 

[Stephen Gordon]

I have just tried another fix disk, when I try this I get

/---------------------------------------------\
| M A I N T E N A N C E M O D E M E N U |
\---------------------------------------------/

[ Humax HDR-Fox T2 (humax) 1.03.12/3.03 ]

1 - Check and repair hard disk (fix-disk).
2 - Run short hard-disk self test.
3 - Run long hard-disk self test.
4 - Check self-test progress.
epg - Clear persistent EPG data.
dlna - Reset DLNA server database.
x - Leave maintenance mode (Humax will restart).
diag - Run a diagnostic.
cli - System command line (advanced users).

Please select option: 1
Any additional options (or press return for none):
Are you sure you wish to run the hard disk checker? [Y/N] y
Running /bin/fix-disk
Custom firmware version 3.03


Checking disk sda

Unmounted /dev/sda1
Unmounted /dev/sda2
Unmounted /dev/sda3
/bin/fix-disk: line 511: arithmetic syntax error

Press return to continue:

/---------------------------------------------\
| M A I N T E N A N C E M O D E M E N U |
\---------------------------------------------/

[ Humax HDR-Fox T2 (humax) 1.03.12/3.03 ]

Note: Some areas of the hard disk are not mounted.
Not all functions will be available.
(normal if you have just run a disk check)

1 - Check and repair hard disk (fix-disk).
2 - Run short hard-disk self test.
3 - Run long hard-disk self test.
4 - Check self-test progress.
epg - Clear persistent EPG data.
dlna - Reset DLNA server database.
x - Leave maintenance mode (Humax will restart).
diag - Run a diagnostic.
cli - System command line (advanced users).

 

[prpr]

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 8 2104510 1052251+ 83 Linux
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary
/dev/sda2 2104512 1932539166 965217327+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 1932539168 1953520062 10490447+ 83 Linux
humax#

That looks OK to me. I'm wondering if fix-disk is somehow itself corrupt.
Anyway, you can try a manual "e2fsck -f -y /dev/sda1" and repeat the same command for sda2 and sda3 and see if that shows any errors.
Make sure you've unmounted the filesystems first: "umount /dev/sda1" and the same for sda2 and sda3.

I have just tried another fix disk, when I try this I get

Well, yes, that's the same command you tried before so it's not surprising it gives the same results.

 

[Stephen Gordon]

humax# e2fsck -f -y /dev/sda1
e2fsck 1.42.10 (18-May-2014)
/usr/lib/ext2/bin/e2fsck: Attempt to read block from filesystem resulted in short read while trying to open /dev/sda1
Could this be a zero-length partition?


humax# e2fsck -f -y /dev/sda2
e2fsck 1.42.10 (18-May-2014)
/usr/lib/ext2/bin/e2fsck: Attempt to read block from filesystem resulted in short read while trying to open /dev/sda2
Could this be a zero-length partition?


humax# e2fsck -f -y /dev/sda3
e2fsck 1.42.10 (18-May-2014)
/usr/lib/ext2/bin/e2fsck: Attempt to read block from filesystem resulted in short read while trying to open /dev/sda3
Could this be a zero-length partition?

 

[Stephen Gordon]

nb the unmount command failed, I think the disks were already unmounted from my earlier fixdisk.

humax# umount /dev/sda1
umount: can't umount /dev/sda1: Invalid argument
humax#

 

[Stephen Gordon]

I will wait until tomorrow night and then unmount the disks and try the command you gave me. You might be right about fix-disk being corrupt, maybe I should try and reinstall the custom software before trying it anymore.

 

[prpr]

I'm not sure exactly what your disk is unhappy about, but it's definitely not happy about something.
Can you do a manual SMART report: "smartctl -a /dev/sda"

Errors on trying to unmount a second time can be ignored, obviously. You just must make sure you've done it at least once.