5

I know this question was proposed in the past but I tried almost everything. I don't know if my problem is more complicated or I am missing something.

In my computer I have a big ntfs partition in which I keep files both for windows 10 and ubuntu. When I set the thing the first time I already had problems to write on it using linux but with the guides I managed to fix it. The problem is that I lost the ability to write again and I don't know why. I already tried to manually modify fstab and to use NTFS configuartion tool to set the permissions.

This is my fstab file; the partition is sda7

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>

#Entry for /dev/sda5 :
UUID=4f83e373-2a7d-442b-8ad3-8d5929a8ddaa   /   ext4    errors=remount-ro   0   1
#Entry for /dev/sda1 :
UUID=080EEE880EEE6E5E   /media/Riservato_per_il_sistema ntfs-3g defaults,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0   0
#Entry for /dev/sda7 :
UUID=6BB0D79157E7DFD1   /media/Storage/ ntfs-3g defaults,nodev,nosuid,locale=en_US.UTF-8    0   0
#Entry for /dev/sda2 :
UUID=B01EF20D1EF1CC7A   /media/sda2 ntfs-3g defaults,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0   0
#Entry for /dev/sda6 :
UUID=8c082106-53f1-409c-8347-df226cd0b95d   none    swap    sw  0   0

I also tried to modify the ownership with

    cd /media/Storage/
sudo chown -R -v username:username *

but the result was this answer for every file and folder 

chown: changing ownership of 'Windows': Read-only file system
failed to change ownership of 'Windows' from root:root to username:username

Is someone able to give me any suggestion?

EDIT: output of blkid aftes step1

/dev/sda1: LABEL="Riservato per il sistema" UUID="080EEE880EEE6E5E" TYPE="ntfs" PARTUUID="fd65e542-01"
/dev/sda2: UUID="B01EF20D1EF1CC7A" TYPE="ntfs" PARTUUID="fd65e542-02"
/dev/sda5: UUID="4f83e373-2a7d-442b-8ad3-8d5929a8ddaa" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="fd65e542-05"
/dev/sda6: UUID="8c082106-53f1-409c-8347-df226cd0b95d" TYPE="swap" PARTUUID="fd65e542-06"
/dev/sda7: LABEL="Storage" UUID="6BB0D79157E7DFD1" TYPE="ntfs" PARTUUID="fd65e542-07"

EDIT2:fstab at the beginning of step#3

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>

#Entry for /dev/sda5 :
UUID=4f83e373-2a7d-442b-8ad3-8d5929a8ddaa   /   ext4    errors=remount-ro   0   1
#Entry for /dev/sda1 :
#UUID=080EEE880EEE6E5E  /media/Riservato_per_il_sistema ntfs-3g defaults,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0   0
#/dev/sda7  /media/Storage  ntfs-3g defaults,nodev,nosuid,locale=en_US.UTF-8    0   0
#/dev/sda7  /media/Storage/_    ntfs-3g defaults,nodev,nosuid,locale=en_US.UTF-8    0   0
#Entry for /dev/sda2 :
#UUID=B01EF20D1EF1CC7A  /media/sda2 ntfs-3g defaults,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0   0
#Entry for /dev/sda6 :
UUID=8c082106-53f1-409c-8347-df226cd0b95d   none    swap    sw  0   0
heynnema
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Berker
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  • In Windows, start an administrative command prompt window, and type chkdsk /f d: changing the "d" to the correct drive letter for this ntfs partition. Is this your C: drive, or some other drive letter? Then try to write in Ubuntu. If that works, I'll give you the complete procedure you'll need to follow. – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 15:20
  • I did it but when i tried to restart to switch to ubuntu again the computer remained stucked on the windows screen that normally appears for updates. It says "preparing windows do not turn off the computer" should I wait? – Berker Dec 04 '16 at 15:48
  • Yes, wait, it's doing Windows updates... unrelated to the problem we were trying to solve. These updates may take a while, so be patient. You didn't say what drive letter was the one having problems in Ubuntu. Was it C:, or something else? Are you running Windows 10? – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 15:50
  • Yes sorry! It' s not C: it's E: and I am running windows 10 – Berker Dec 04 '16 at 15:56
  • Be forewarned, if it's doing the notorious Windows 10 Anniversary Update, you might find yourself unable to boot anything, and the Ubuntu partition wiped clean. Did chkdsk on E: show any errors? – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 16:01
  • I already did that update before installing ubuntu knowing that. Don't worry. No errors by the way but now ubuntu doesn't start anymore. Windows is fine but if I try to start ubuntu it says "device descriptor read/64, error -32" for a couple of things. Then it goes in emergency mode – Berker Dec 04 '16 at 16:16
  • Reboot Windows and run chkdsk /f e: again, and also do other drive letters like C:, and D:, and whatever other drives in Windows. – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 16:25
  • Rerunned everything plus the other partitions. Still ubuntu doesn't start "Usb 2-1.2: device descriptor read/64, error -32" "/dev/sda5: clean" "bluetooth:can't change to configuration err" "you are in emergency mode. Ecc ecc" – Berker Dec 04 '16 at 16:53
  • Give me a few minutes to write up a partial answer. In the mean time, power cycle your computer, unplug all of your USB devices and try to boot Ubuntu again. – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 16:56
  • Go ahead and follow my partial answer. Report back. – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 17:06
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    Possible duplicate of Can't mount NTFS partition with write permissions – Andrea Lazzarotto Dec 05 '16 at 13:42

3 Answers3

8

In most of the cases the problem is with fast startup feature of Windows 10. If it is the case you have to simply disable fast startup on Windows.

Here are the steps.

  1. Type Control Panel in the search box.
  2. Click Control Panel.
  3. Click Power Options.
  4. Click Choose what the power buttons do.
  5. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
  6. Scroll down to Shutdown settings and uncheck Turn on fast startup.
  7. Click Save changes.
Yasas Gunarathne
  • 201
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    And you also need to open an administrative command prompt window and disable hibernation by typing powercfg /h off. This problem just changed while I was in the middle of fixing the original problem. – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 17:05
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    This should be the accecpted answer -- this fixed the problem for me. I dual boot Windows / Ubuntu, and I've known that booting into Ubuntu after hibernating the Windows side put some sort of lock on the shared partition, but was not aware of this new "fast startup" option in Windows 10, which seems to do something similar. Thanks @Yasas ! – Garrett Simpson May 09 '19 at 03:29
0

New problem that didn't exist before... May be related to Windows update that just ran...

If Ubuntu continues to fail to boot...

step #1

  • power cycle the computer and remove all USB devices
  • at the GRUB menu, choose Ubuntu Advanced Options
  • select root access
  • type sudo fsck -f /
  • run fsck more than once if there are errors
  • type sudo mount -o remount,rw /
  • type sudo pico /etc/fstab
  • use the arrow keys to move around
  • place # comment markers at the beginning of the lines that start with:
    1. UUID=080EEE880EEE6E5E
    2. UUID=6BB0D79157E7DFD1 (we'll re-enable this one later)
    3. UUID=B01EF20D1EF1CC7A
  • type control-o to save, enter to use the same filename, and control-x to exit pico
  • reboot Ubuntu (should boot fine now)
  • start terminal from the Unity dashboard
  • type sudo blkid and copy/paste output into your original question
  • quit terminal

step #2

  • boot into Windows
  • open the Power control panel
  • choose change what the power buttons do
  • choose change options that are unavailable
  • uncheck fast startup
  • close the Power control panel
  • open an administrative command prompt window
  • type powercfg /h off
  • type chkdsk /f c:
  • approve to run chkdsk at next reboot
  • reboot into Windows to let chkdsk run

step #3

  • boot into Ubuntu
  • open terminal from the Unity dashboard
  • type sudo gedit -H /etc/fstab
  • remove the # marker from the line starting with #UUID=6BB0D79157E7DFD1
  • save the file and quit gedit
  • reboot Ubuntu

step #4

You mis-edited /etc/fstab. Here's what it should look like when you're done...

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
#                

#Entry for /dev/sda5 :
UUID=4f83e373-2a7d-442b-8ad3-8d5929a8ddaa   /   ext4    errors=remount-ro   0   1
#Entry for /dev/sda1 :
#UUID=080EEE880EEE6E5E   /media/Riservato_per_il_sistema ntfs-3g defaults,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0   0
#Entry for /dev/sda7 :
UUID=6BB0D79157E7DFD1   /media/Storage/ ntfs-3g defaults,nodev,nosuid,locale=en_US.UTF-8    0   0
#Entry for /dev/sda2 :
#UUID=B01EF20D1EF1CC7A   /media/sda2 ntfs-3g defaults,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0   0
#Entry for /dev/sda6 :
UUID=8c082106-53f1-409c-8347-df226cd0b95d   none    swap    sw  0   0
heynnema
  • 70,711
  • I tried to rerun sudo fsck -f / but all the times it stops with the error "e2fsck: Cannot continue, aborting" after "/dev/sda5 is mounted" – Berker Dec 04 '16 at 17:15
  • Did you follow my answer exactly? Do you have a Ubuntu Live DVD? – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 17:22
  • I should have to. So: after the message of the recovery mode I pressed enter and I obtained access to a command line starting with @root. Then I inserted the command and this was the result. – Berker Dec 04 '16 at 17:34
  • Ah, you're getting dumped directly into the root prompt. I've edited my steps again... start from the beginning and this time it should work. My error. If however, it throws any more similar errors, skip the fsck and go straight to the sudo mount step. – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 17:50
  • Ok new error: arrived to the gedit part it answer with "failed to connect to Mir: Failed to connect to server socket: no such file or directory. Unable to init server: Could not connect: Connection refused." Anyway I have the live cd and if I select "try ubuntu" now I have full access to the partition. Should I just reinstall Ubuntu or this would mess with my Windows installation? – Berker Dec 04 '16 at 18:17
  • Ok, I've re-edited step #1... but why don't you just do step #2 by itself... then reboot into Ubuntu... if it still doesn't boot Ubuntu, we'll start again at step #1. We'll get this. Sometimes it's just a little difficult to do this remote control. Don't reinstall Ubuntu. – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 18:25
  • Alright! Step#1 and Step#2 completed! Ubuntu is working now and I have complete access to the partition! I pasted the output of blkid and now I am moving to Step#3 – Berker Dec 04 '16 at 19:15
  • See... there is daylight at the end of the tunnel :-) Good job. The UUID's from blkid look good... they match what's in fstab. Of the 3 ntfs disk mounts that you were doing in fstab, you should probably leave the 1st and 3rd ones commented out... unless you need mounted access to your C: partition... doubtful. Please remember to vote/accept my answer if it was helpful. – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 19:22
  • See step #4... some fstab edit mistakes... and use the UUID... not the /dev/sda7. – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 19:29
  • It was like this already the first time I opened it in recovery, I don't know why but I was just going to ask how to fix it when you answered! Now everything works perfectly! Thank you! Thank you very, very, very much! =D – Berker Dec 04 '16 at 19:42
  • Great! It took a while but we got there! Please also vote on my answer by clicking on the grey up arrow positioned over the zero... I get extra brownie points that way :-) – heynnema Dec 04 '16 at 19:52
  • I did it but it looks like I don't have enough reputation yet for the up vote =/ – Berker Dec 04 '16 at 20:08
0

I have ubuntu studio installed with gnome and xcfe and ubuntu studio desktop environments installed.I have this same issue with genome environment but no in others... So my suggestion is to install an alternate desktop environment and try again.

OR

you could also try launching nautilus as root and then try doing whatever you want...

Abir Roy Chowdhury
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