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I have my drive partitioned. When choosing for ubuntu to boot, it doesn't and stays on a blank purple screen. it seems that this site has a solution to my problem

http://bernaerts.dyndns.org/linux/74-ubuntu/232-ubuntu-boot-failure-initramfs

but I want to make sure that forcing an fsck won't mess anything up. I ran a check on my hard drive and it says it has 16 bad sectors. Will doing the fsck help with this? (ie write in places where the drive is not messed up?). any ideas? thanks!

When accessing GRUB and booting it in recovery mode, it ends in this (I transcribed it, I may have made some mistakes)

mount: mounting /dev/loopO on /root failed: Invalid argument
Begin: Running /scripts/init-bottom ... mount: mounting /dev on /root/dev f: no such file or directory
done.
mount: mounting /sys on /root sys failed: no such file or directory
mount: mounting /proc on /root/proc failed: No such file or directory
Target filesystem doesn't have requested /sbin/init
No init found. Try passing init= bootarg.

BusyBox v1.10.5 (Ubuntu 1:1.18.5-1ubuntu4) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built in commands

(initramfs) _

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo parted —list
Model: ATA TOSHIBA MK3259GS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 320GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: msdos
Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
1      1049kB  26.8GB  26.8GB  primary  fat32        hidden, lba
2      26.8GB  155GB   128GB   primary  ntfs         boot
3      155GB   320GB   165GB   primary  ntfs
Warning: Unable to open /dev/sr0 read-write (Read-only file system).  /dev/sr0
has been opened read-only.
Error: Can’t have a partition outside the disk!

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fsck /dev/sda3
fsck from util-linux 2.20.1
fsck: fsck.ntfs: not found
fsck: error 2 while executing fsck.ntfs for /dev/sda3
Jerome Morrow
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  • To find out if you have EXT3 or EXT4, go into gparted for a GUI and type sudo parted --list for command line... – Fabby Feb 10 '15 at 09:32
  • Could you also boot from a LiveCD and install the smartmontools and then run a smartctl --all /dev/sda to see if you have any serious problems with your disk? (I suspect a disk failure) – Fabby Feb 10 '15 at 09:35
  • We're reaching the maximum number of comments: you should delete your old comments (I will do the same) to install smartmontools, just go to the software centre and search for smartmontools which contains (amongst other things) smartctl. As you're a beginning Ubuntu user, please also read this: How to install software for a future ex-Windows user – Fabby Feb 10 '15 at 10:16
  • Don't use fdisk any more, it's deprecated! Anyway: I see what your problem is... Go back here: http://askubuntu.com/questions/6328/how-do-i-install-ubuntu and pay particularly attention to Item 9. – Fabby Feb 11 '15 at 10:16
  • It means: "Do not use fdisk -l, use parted --list instead". Fdisk is as old as the original PC itself and cannot handle GPT, only MBR... As to Item 9: Indeed! make a separate partition for Ubuntu. Have a look here for more info... – Fabby Feb 11 '15 at 13:07
  • How to efficiently partition a single Windows-Ubuntu dual boot disk – Fabby Feb 13 '15 at 08:53
  • Have you got a pure windows system that you're trying to check with Ubuntu? If yes, don't do it!!!: run CHKDSK /f /r under Windows... – Fabby Feb 14 '15 at 09:00
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    so this is what I have: two partitions, one with ubuntu (precise pangolin) and one with windows. I had been using the ubuntu for about two years (I think) until I couldn't boot it a few days ago. I still have files on it I'd like to recover (if possible). under this condition, should I still use the CHKDSK /f /r ? – Jerome Morrow Feb 16 '15 at 06:24
  • can you please look at the link I provided in the question? it seems to describe the problem I have almost exactly, but I've heard that rewriting the filesystem might erase my data. Can you give me your thoughts on that? thanks – Jerome Morrow Feb 18 '15 at 06:00

1 Answers1

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It's a very bad idea to run Ubuntu on a non-native file system. It'll work for a while and then give you problems (which is what's happening now).

Therefore:

  1. Boot Windows and run a CHKDSK X: /F /R where X: is the drive letter of the partition currently failing.
  2. Back-up all your files from this partition
  3. Read How to efficiently partition a single Windows-Ubuntu dual boot disk to avoid problems in the future and take this answer how you should do it.
  4. Re-install Ubuntu using your new knowledge...

And especially: don't use the link in your question as it is a solution using ext3 and ext4. (Which is what I'm trying to make you use from now on)

Community
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Fabby
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  • I ran the CHKDSK X: /F /R but there doesn't seem to be any files in this partition (except for one that says wubildr). are they all gone? – Jerome Morrow Feb 18 '15 at 09:50
  • also, how was it that I ended up using ubuntu with ntfs? – Jerome Morrow Feb 18 '15 at 09:56
  • You used wubi! Wubi is now deprecated as it caused a ton of problems... :-( As you're a reputation 1 user: If this answers your question, don't forget to click the grey ☑ under the "0" at the left of this text, which means "yes, this answer is valid"! ;-) – Fabby Feb 18 '15 at 10:01
  • so, are my files all gone? – Jerome Morrow Feb 18 '15 at 10:05
  • You can have a look here: http://askubuntu.com/questions/201485/how-can-i-recover-files-inside-a-wubi-install-before-re-installing-ubuntu – Fabby Feb 18 '15 at 10:18
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    thanks for all the help! I finally recovered the files on the ubuntu partition (and it's bootable now) after I back them up I'll reinstall ubuntu to get it into its native filesystem – Jerome Morrow Feb 21 '15 at 20:45