# USB problem with external storage



## ever (Nov 13, 2009)

Hi,
firstly: hello everyone, its my first post here I hope my english would be understoodable enough.
secondly: i have problem with my external storage (hdd) connected
by usb.

The Problem:
I plugged the hdd (in 3'5 chasis with usb connector) into the
usb slot in my server. 
As you can see in dmesg (you can find it below) - freebsd has recognized it properly.
Disk has linux partition but no file system.
I tried to format it and this is what i got:

```
-bash-2.05b# newfs /dev/da0s1
newfs: wtfs: 512 bytes at sector 390716801: Inappropriate ioctl for device
```

disklabel:

```
-bash-2.05b# disklabel /dev/da0s1
disklabel: /dev/da0s1 read: Unknown error: 0
```

I tried to do fdisk i label this disk by sysinstall tool,
but it wasnt able to write it:

```
ERROR: Unable to write data to disk da0!
```

Disk is 100% healthy - i plugged it into my notebook's usb
port (with rescue cd) and i was able to format it, read, write, etc. Then I reformated it with ntfs and plugged into freebsd again. This time i could mount it as ntfs but nothing else - writing nor erasing was possible.
Even dd was unable to write enything on it.
So i'm completly run out of ideas.
Could you help me?

Software:
FBSD 6.2
kernel options:

```
# SCSI peripherals
device          scbus           
device          da              
device          pass            
device          ses             

# USB support
device          uhci            
device          ohci            
device          ehci            
device          usb             
device          ugen            
device          uhid            
device          umass
```

Hardware:

```
uhci0: <Intel 82801EB (ICH5) USB controller USB-A> port 0xdc00-0xdc1f irq 11 at device 29.0 on pci0
uhci0: [GIANT-LOCKED]
usb0: <Intel 82801EB (ICH5) USB controller USB-A> on uhci0
usb0: USB revision 1.0
[...]

umass0: Super Top USB 2.0  IDE DEVICE, rev 2.00/2.01, addr 2
da0 at umass-sim0 bus 0 target 0 lun 0
da0: <WDC WD20 00JB-00KFA0 \\0000\\0000> Fixed Direct Access SCSI-0 device
da0: 1.000MB/s transfers
da0: 190782MB (390721968 512 byte sectors: 255H 63S/T 24321C)
```


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## DutchDaemon (Nov 13, 2009)

You do know that full write support for NTFS requires a different driver? See mount_ntfs(8) and sysutils/fusefs-ntfs.


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## ever (Nov 13, 2009)

Yes i know that. But still with default driver it should be possible to write some data.
Anyway - i have no problem with ntfs - it was just an example.
The real thing is that i cant do anything with this external storage under this specify freebsd with or without any FS on a ext. device.


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## Dru (Nov 13, 2009)

I cant say I would know the difference between a partial write support, or full write support, and Im still new to FreeBSD, but I havent had any problems with usb storage, though when i want to be able to write to storage, Ive just been using fat32, though there is the ntfs-3G driver.

You could try formatting it with your laptop to fat32, give it a name, drive letter optional, then plug it in to your FreeBSD machine, power it on, create a fstab entry, and mount location.

Then if anything do mount it with:

```
mount -a -t msdosfs
```

Also do you have:

```
ntfs_load="YES"
msdosfs_load="YES"
```

in /boot/loader.conf?

Id have to go read up and to know if its really needed, but it certainly isnt creating any errors that Ive found.

Again...Im still fairly new to FreeBSD...just sharing what Ive came across so far.



Edit: I guess you should probably just mount it without the fstab entry first, cause if it fails, and you still have the fstab entry, it wont fully boot till its commented out.


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## ever (Nov 16, 2009)

It seems to be a hardware problem.
I've changed usb chasis with regural 'usb to ata' interfrace and it helped.
So probably Freebsd doesnt support this usb hdd chasis.


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## User23 (Nov 16, 2009)

ever said:
			
		

> It seems to be a hardware problem.
> I've changed usb chasis with regural 'usb to ata' interfrace and it helped.
> So probably Freebsd doesnt support this usb hdd chasis.



Well you are using FBSD 6.2 . Try a new version like the 8.0RC3


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## ever (Nov 16, 2009)

User23 said:
			
		

> Well you are using FBSD 6.2 . Try a new version like the 8.0RC3



Yes, i'm definitely gonna try 8.0 but you know - if something works perfect its not good idea to change it especially as a productive server.
Anyway - strange is that despite of having ehci in kernel, usb works only as a uhci usb 1.1.
But maybe its better (i've  read a lot about unstable ehci in FBSD 6.2).


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## User23 (Nov 16, 2009)

Yes i know 

I dont want to scare you but I have seen FreeBSD 5.x rebooting while i put in a memory stick and FreeBSD 7.x rebooting while i disconnect the stick accidently without unmounting. :e


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## ever (Nov 17, 2009)

I'm aware of that, but fortunetly i haven't seen any signs that something is wrong with my systems.
BTW rebooting isn't the worst what could i imagine


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