iPod 5.5g 30gb Video: Read Only Filesystem/Bad Hard Drive?

[daveX99]

Hi -
My first post here in the RB forums, so please feel free to (gently) correct any faux-pas I may commit here.

I've been struggling to get RockBox to install and function smoothly on my 5.5g 30gb iPod.  I'm pretty sure I've managed to install it correctly, but as I add music to the device, it gets a little weird.  I'm not sure how to diagnose my problem.

First, I'm working in a tough environment:  I'm running Ubuntu 9.10, and have a Mac available as well.  I can restore the iPod using the Mac, but that puts the Mac version of the firmware on the iPod, so I then reformat it to VFAT using the instructions on the Rockbox site here: http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/IpodConversionToFAT32

More than once, I've run into trouble after adding a few GB of songs to the iPod where when I drag a folder into the iPod, I get an error message saying that it's a read-only file system.  I'm beginning to suspect a problem with the hard drive, but I'm not sure of the best way to diagnose it.

If I run fsck.vfat, I get the following output:

Code: [Select]

sudo fsck.vfat -a /dev/sdb2
dosfsck 3.0.3, 18 May 2009, FAT32, LFN
FATs differ but appear to be intact. Using first FAT.
Read 32 bytes at 2915958784:Input/output error

If I run fsck.vfat without the '-a' flag, I am asked 'FATs differ but appear to be intact. Use which FAT ?' and I must choose between the First or Second Fat.  I can only assume that I'm choosing between FAT32 and LFN as they list them... If I select 1 for FAT32, I get the same output as above.  If I choose 2, I get something more interesting:

Code: [Select]

dosfsck 3.0.3, 18 May 2009, FAT32, LFN
FATs differ but appear to be intact. Use which FAT ?
1) Use first FAT
2) Use second FAT
? 2
/RockPop/The Notwist
  Contains a free cluster (528144). Assuming EOF.
Read 32 bytes at 2915958784:Input/output error

...It's pointing to a specific folder.  If I cd to that folder on the iPod in the terminal and ask for a listing, I get a series of errors, and a listing that looks like dozens of files & directories with names all written mostly in non-alphanumeric character - garbage, in other words. And this folder should only contain a single directory which in turn contains a jpeg and an mp3.

I had gotten a similar message before, pointing at a different directory & decided to re-format & re-install.  I am thinking that I just have a bad section somewhere on the hard drive.

Bottom line:  how can I be sure this is the hard drive, & not something else?

Thanks in advance. I really like what RB is offering here, & I want to make it work for me.

-dave.

[dreamlayers]

Try running dosfsck with the -t switch.  That should mark bad unreadable clusters as bad.

[daveX99]

Thanks, dreamlayers - I'm running it now.  It's going through the files slowly, with output like:

Code: [Select]

/RockPop/Bill Laswell/ROIR Dub Sessions/Bill Laswell_03_Cybotron.mp3
  Cluster 347 (148516) is unreadable. Skipping it.

If you have a sec, could you (or anyone) tell me what the end result of running fsck with the -t tag will be?

The man page is a little light on detail, and says using that flag will 'Mark unreadable clusters as bad.'  Does that mean that the clusters are marked somehow so they are never written to again?  I'm fairly tech-savvy, but hardware & file systems are not my strong suit.

Since the process is still running, I don't know what 'Skipping it.' in the output means.  I'm hoping that means 'Marked' as per the man page, and that when I next try to add files, those clusters will be ignored (a 'forbidden zone').

I will try and post again when fsck is done doing its thing.

Thanks for the help.

-dave.

[dreamlayers]

The "is unreadable. Skipping it." message is misleading.  According to the source, that cluster is being removed from the file and marked as bad.  Clusters which are marked as bad won't be used again until the partition is reformatted or the marking is undone using some utility.

The files mentioned are corrupted by the removal of a cluster from them.  You should copy them again or delete everything and copy everything again.

A hard drive should be able to replace bad sectors with spare sectors.  All you need to do is write to that sector.  There is information on how to do this online.  The iPod diagnostics can provide some useful information also. 

If you have a lot of bad sectors, the hard drive should be considered defective.  You might be able to get it working properly by marking bad clusters or replacing bad sectors, but don't trust it for storage of data you don't want to lose.

[daveX99]

So... After letting fsck.vfat run overnight, it finished with a list of 'Cluster 177161 is unreadable.' messages.  There were like a hundred of them, each identifying a different cluster.

I re-mounted the iPod & it's still read-only.

I'm going to pronounce it dead, & have the drive replaced if it doesn't cost too much.

Thanks for the tips, dreamlayers.

-dave.

[daveX99]

One last update - I've had the drive replaced.  Glad I did it.  I had bought the iPod on eBay, and it always felt a bit off, but functioned well enough with the original firmware.

When I installed RockBox, I noticed trouble.  I had a hard time loading music, and it would stall or take a long time to load lists from the database.

Unfortunately, I assumed it was the software, not the hardware.  Now that I've installed RB on a fresh hard drive, I know it wasn't the software.  It works great now.

[Chronon]

Thank you for posting the resolution to your problem.