# Solved: Ubuntu 9.10 fails to mount 'vfat' & DVD media



## Bat66wat6 (Jul 2, 2008)

Firstly, I like using and learning about computers but am new to this forum having no real experience with the Linux OS, so please go easy on the Linux techie talk.

System Setup:
I have recently installed Ubuntu 9.10 on my new laptops internal 320GB SATA hard drive. This hard drive is divided into four partitions: Windows (NTFS), Data (FAT32), Linux-Swap and Linux (ext3).
The system dual boots fine with GRUB2 as expected, windows xp (on windows partition) is fully setup and works perfectly with all of the hardware on the system through the provided propriety drivers.

The Problem:
I need to access the large (230 GB) "Data" partition of the hard drive where I have stored the proprietry drivers for my built-in WLAN (which ubuntu can't find free drivers for, so can't use the WLAN). I go to the top panel: Places -> My Computer and locate the Data partition, which is displayed. I double click expecting it to automount the FAT32 formatted partition. The system wants a password which I provide, then instead of auto mount and file browsing, I get an error spat out at me with some pathetic 'unknown file system: (vfat)' problem.

After getting no where trying to get into the FAT32 partition I decide to go for the 'Applications & Support' DVD that contains the same propriety drivers I need. It goes in the optical drive, gets read and displayed in the GUI My Computer. There is no autorun so I double click the disc symbol and get the same kind of error (can't remember error text) as when I tried to access the FAT32 partition.

Puzzled as to why the hell Linux can't use the FAT32 partition of an internal hard drive, I try to use my USB external hard drive, which is also FAT32. After plugging it in the device is displayed (as with the DVD) but can't be accessed, giving the same error as with the internal partition.
Then I try my USB flash drive, which is also FAT32, I get the same kind of rubbish spat out at me as with the other attempts.
Out of frustration I try to access the Windows NTFS partition, which is mounted (displayed on desktop) and opens up with no problems or errors.


So, why is Linux spitting out errors when confronted with internal and external FAT32 partitions or DVDs and then happily opening up bill gates NTFS partitions, which I know the Linux OS doesn't like.
I wrote this using Windows XP on the same dual-boot machine described at the top of this post.


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi Bat66wat6,

From Ubuntu 9.10, execute the following command and post its output please:
[email protected]:~$ sudo fdisk -l 
where -l is lower case letter L

-- Tom


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## Bat66wat6 (Jul 2, 2008)

Below is the output from the _sudo fdisk -l_ command.


```
Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
    
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
    
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
    
Disk identifier: 0xf98d6e74
    
 
   
     Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
    /dev/sda1               1        2614    20996923+  83  Linux
    /dev/sda2            2615        3242     5044410    5  Extended
    /dev/sda3   *        3243        5856    20996955    7  HPFS/NTFS
    /dev/sda4            5857       38912   265522320    b  W95 FAT32
    /dev/sda5            2615        3242     5044378+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
```
In addition to this I also noted the error message I get when attempting to mount the FAT32 partition.



> Unable to mount DATA
> 
> Error mounting: mount exited with exit code 32:
> mount: unknown filesystem type 'vfat'


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

I have separate disks for NTFS and W95 FAT32 (LBA) with the following output of the fdisk -l command:
/dev/sda1 * 1 9728 78140128+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc1 * 5 4865 39045982+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

and what I do to mount either is the following (as root):
# mkdir /mnt/ntfs
# mkdir /mnt/vfat

# To mount the NTFS disk (from Ubuntu 10.04) - same for Ubuntu 9.10:
# mount -v -t ntfs /dev/sda1 /mnt/ntfs

# mount -v -t vfat /dev/sdc1 /mnt/vfat
/dev/sdc1 on /mnt/vfat type vfat (rw)

To verify the ntfs mount, issue the mount command, and I get (from my Live CD environment):
/dev/sda1 on /mnt/ntfs type fuseblk (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096)

From your output of the fdisk command, I assume that your are referring to /dev/sda2 as your Data partition, eh?

You can lookup and see identities for disk partitions at: List of partition identifiers for PCs. If you download the document Partition Types, which is an SGML document, rename it or copy it to the filename partition_types.shtml and then open it from the File>Open File... feature in Firefox.

I am guessing that you could backup partition /dev/sda2 with a dd command to an external disk, and then repartition it as a 'c' type of partition as my /dev/sdc1 partition to be able to mount it. After repartitioning it, then run a dd command in the reverse direction from the backup you took to reinstall the information on the newly reformatted partition. Then try the mount command similar to mine above, but for your system, i.e.:
# mkdir /mnt/vfat
# mount -v -type vfat /dev/sda2 /mnt/vfat

If that does not work, you should be able to reverse the steps in the above paragraph to put things back as they were initially.

If the partition you are having difficulty with is the /dev/sda4 W95 FAT32 partition which you have as a 'b' type partition, then do the backup of it (as above), repartition it to a type 'c' partition, dd the backed up data to the new partition, and then retry the mkdir and mount steps as above (which should work IMO).

-- Tom


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## Bat66wat6 (Jul 2, 2008)

Thanks for taking the time to reply but much of your post refers to the NTFS partition. The NTFS partition in my case, weirdly enough, is in fact the only partition that *does* mount correctly when I attempt to access it. It is *all* other types of media that I am having the most trouble with, USB flash drives, optical media (DVD), USB hard drives and most irritatingly of all, the W95 FAT32 "DATA" partition.

Also, why would I have to and how would I


> repartition it to a type 'c' partition


No partitioning utility type software I come across mentions 'a' types, 'b' types etc. There is also 92 GB of data on that partition that would take a lifetime to transfer across my USB ports, i'd really hate having to move it all then put it back on.

I'm sorry, but put simply i'm a total Linux noob and still have no real idea why on earth it isn't auto mounting, why I have to manually mount it and/or re-partition a partition that's formatted to the linux compatible(apparently), windows compatible, everything compatible FAT32 file system. Couldn't the absent drivers be anything to do with it? I mean the touch pad doesn't even work in Ubuntu, I have to plug in a USB mouse.

Sorry for the nooby response


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Just to be clear, none of my post refers to your NTFS partition. I just give examples of how I mount my own ntfs partition for you to compare how you do it.

What absent drivers are you talking about? If it is the proprietary drivers you reference in your system setup above, then you are talking about Windows drivers, not Ubuntu drivers which just work out of the box.

It may be possible to change the Id of a partition with the following command, but I caution you not to use it:
# sfdisk --change-id /dev/sda4 b c
modified from the sfdisk command man page example into your requirements, but I am unsure it would work (and is only recommend for advanced user use) - my uncertainty centers around the (LBA) property of my results from fdisk command output vs yours, i.e. without the (LBA) property of your W95 FAT32 disk: /dev/sda4.

I would recommend you upgrade to Ubuntu Lucid Lynx (10.04) from Ubuntu 9.10.

With regard to the touch pad not working you should visit the Ubuntu Forums here, and first search for 'touch pad', read the output, and pose your questions there if nothing is found.

-- Tom


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I've been following your thread since the beginning, hoping that I could help in some way. I can't really help, but I'm still going to make some comments. 

I think that there is something really strange with your installation or computer. Best guess is some corruption in Ubuntu, so I support the suggestion to try Ubuntu 10.04, at least by Live CD if you don't feel like installing it.

Linux trouble with NTFS is pretty much old news--I'd say 2 or 3 years old depending on the distribution. Ubuntu 8.04 (my first Linux experience) had no trouble reading and writing. Some distros can even be installed in NTFS, but it's not recommended.

Go to System - Administration - Hardware Drivers. If there are any proprietary or restricted drivers listed there, try it/them. Perhaps some of your issues will be addressed.

I've had no touchpad issues with 3 laptops and have not heard of others having problems (although I think there are far more desktops than laptops being used with Ubuntu and other Linuxes). Maybe you have an unusual one that will be helped by the above proprietary driver.

I cannot understand why you are having those issues with different partitions and drives. Thought maybe it was the Id=b, but doubt it now, and doubt that all your FAT32's are 'b'.

I tried two USB flash drives (one at a time, so they are both sdb in the following) with my Ubuntu 9.10. Both auto mounted with the window showing their contents automatically displaying. Note that, to my surprise, they have different Ids.

The fdisk -l for the 32 GB shows



> Disk /dev/sdb: 32.3 GB, 32346472448 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3932 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x04dd5721
> ...


And for the 256 MB



> Disk /dev/sdb: 262 MB, 262144000 bytes
> 32 heads, 33 sectors/track, 484 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 1056 * 512 = 540672 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x89af5bbd
> ...


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## Bat66wat6 (Jul 2, 2008)

I am currently downloading Ubuntu 10.04 as suggested and will run of live CD to see if it can utilize my WLAN or touch pad. The experience described by TerryNet supports the idea I have had from the start, that my ubuntu didn't install correctly.

Although despite the time wastage with the media mounting problem it leaves me with another question. How can the Operating System not install correctly? I followed the live CD installation process as expected and left the machine to it's own devices (on mains power) when installing on the ext3 partition. Is it just one of those freak occurrences?

**EDIT**
The installation of Ubuntu must have screwed up the first time round because I am typing this post through Ubuntu running of my internal hard drive. I didn't manage to install Ubuntu 10.04 because the disc I burned the .iso image on would boot then freeze on the first Ubuntu loading screen. Instead I re-installed Ubuntu 9.04 onto the same ext3 partition (re-formatted). Oddly enough all of my Linux problems have gone away, the touchpad and even my WLAN works now. 

Instead of wanting to mark this thread solved and move on to the next thing I find myself wanting to know how the setup can make a mess of an install, even when the user is careful and follows instructions as expected?


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## Bat66wat6 (Jul 2, 2008)

Never mind about that last part, the important thing is that Ubuntu now works as I expected it to.

Thanks for taking the time to help another Linux noob. :up:
Thread marked solved.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

> I find myself wanting to know how the setup can make a mess of an install, even when the user is careful and follows instructions as expected?


I think you already answered this about as well as anybody can: "just one of those freak occurrences." 

Glad it's working for you now. Ubuntu isn't perfect by any means, but those problems you were getting just made no sense at all.


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