Overlapping partition description areas. Aborting
Overlapping partition description areas. Aborting
Hello,
I'm trying to access my physical XP install and when running the following command I get this error " Overlapping partition description areas. Aborting"
VBoxManage internalcommands listpartitions -rawdisk /dev/hda
VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 1.5.4
(C) 2005-2007 innotek GmbH
All rights reserved.
Overlapping partition description areas. Aborting
I added my user to the "disk" group as well as the vbusers group.
I get this error when running it as user or root (sudo su -)
I'm running Ubuntu 7.10 x86 and have been working on getting my XP working for two weeks with no luck. I'm using a HP nx6125 laptop.
I did have this working on my old laptop (Dell D800)
I'm trying to access my physical XP install and when running the following command I get this error " Overlapping partition description areas. Aborting"
VBoxManage internalcommands listpartitions -rawdisk /dev/hda
VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 1.5.4
(C) 2005-2007 innotek GmbH
All rights reserved.
Overlapping partition description areas. Aborting
I added my user to the "disk" group as well as the vbusers group.
I get this error when running it as user or root (sudo su -)
I'm running Ubuntu 7.10 x86 and have been working on getting my XP working for two weeks with no luck. I'm using a HP nx6125 laptop.
I did have this working on my old laptop (Dell D800)
I get the same error, and I'm trying to access my Vista partition from VirtualBox under ubuntu:
Does anyone know why? Please help us...
Code: Select all
VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 1.5.4
(C) 2005-2007 innotek GmbH
All rights reserved.
Overlapping partition description areas. Aborting
Error reading the partition information from '/dev/sda'
I haven't any idea what causes the problem. But for understanding whats going on insert a Linux LiveCD in your notebook and boot it. Next type as user root the command fdisk -l and post its output from screen.
Maybe there is everything ok. But before doing a next step it's important to know.
regards
Postfix
Maybe there is everything ok. But before doing a next step it's important to know.
regards
Postfix
Code: Select all
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa30da30d
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 13018 104561026+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 18501 19457 7687102+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 13019 15628 20964825 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 15629 18500 23069340 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 18257 18500 1959898+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 15629 17734 16916382 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7 17735 18256 4192933+ 83 Linux
Partition table entries are not in disk order
It's the kind of problem I expected. It is easy to fix and causes an other problem by side effect. But there is in most cases a simple solution.
But step by step, and first your current problem. Solving this will change the order of your harddisk partitions at /dev/sda. After fixing it, fdisk -l will show you the follwiing new order:
where ...
And former fdisk comment "Partition table entries are not in disk order." will be droped. The renaming results form the new order.
And this renaming (say better new order) causes a side effect problem. If you have installed an OS, e.g. Linux, you had to tell your OS this changes. In Linux you must edit this in
- /etc/fstab
- /etc/mtab
- /boot/grub/menu.lst
and in other files containing the old names of the partitions. (Don't forget your scripts, even mounting scripts). And make allways a backup copy of any file before editing!
And Grub uses its own convention for devices and partitions. As you may see in /boot/grub/device.map Grub uses hd0 instead of /dev/hda and uses hd0,0 instead of /dev/hda1. See the naming convention in the Grub documentation! (execute info grub)
Your installed Windows (and any other OS) is affected, too. Lucky if your Windows may be complete installed on /dev/sda1. So you may boot your Windows, login as Administrator, and using Windows own "Mount Manager" (it must have one tool for mounting and formating disk partitions) and mount the reordered partitions under the same drive letter as before.
Please see your windows handbook how to make an installed windows booting from harddisk again, and how to mount harddisk partitions with a drive letter.
Back to fdisk and lets reorder the partitions at /dev/sda
First download a Rescue Linux LiveCD and burn it to CD/DVD. It is usefull for doing all changes described above or if in the next part anything goes wrong. (a hint: http://www.sysresccd.org )
Boot from your Rescue Linux LiveCD/DVD, login as user root on a terminal. Make a copy of the current Master Boot Record (MBR) of /dev/sda and save it on USB-stick or protable harddisk.
Example, where an USB-stick is mounted at /media/my-usb-stick
a) saving a backup image of the MBR
b) restoring the MBR form the backup image
At last umount the USB-stick!
Then execute fdisk /dev/sda
For seeing what's going on press the key m (m for help), then press the key x (extra functionality), and press the key m (m for help) again.
Next press the key f (fix partition order), then press the key v (verify the partition table), and after that press the key r (return to main menu).
Now press the key m (m for help), then press the key p (print the partition table).
You should see the corrected new order of the partitions.
If everything is ok, and only if everything is ok(!!), then press the key w (write new partition table to disk and exit).
If something seemed not be ok, then press the key q (quit without saving changes).
After all, and everything is well done, and you have well tested all your installed OS, then go to VB and test raw disk access again ...
But step by step, and first your current problem. Solving this will change the order of your harddisk partitions at /dev/sda. After fixing it, fdisk -l will show you the follwiing new order:
Code: Select all
Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa30da30d
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 13018 104561026+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 13019 15628 20964825 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 15629 18500 23069340 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 15629 17734 16916382 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 17735 18256 4192933+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 18257 18500 1959898+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 18501 19457 7687102+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
Code: Select all
former /dev/sda1 ---------------> /dev/sda1 (unchanged)
former /dev/sda2 ---renamed in--> /dev/sda4
former /dev/sda3 ---renamed in--> /dev/sda2
former /dev/sda4 ---renamed in--> /dev/sda3
former /dev/sda5 ---renamed in--> /dev/sda7
former /dev/sda6 ---renamed in--> /dev/sda5
former /dev/sda7 ---renamed in--> /dev/sda6
And former fdisk comment "Partition table entries are not in disk order." will be droped. The renaming results form the new order.
And this renaming (say better new order) causes a side effect problem. If you have installed an OS, e.g. Linux, you had to tell your OS this changes. In Linux you must edit this in
- /etc/fstab
- /etc/mtab
- /boot/grub/menu.lst
and in other files containing the old names of the partitions. (Don't forget your scripts, even mounting scripts). And make allways a backup copy of any file before editing!
And Grub uses its own convention for devices and partitions. As you may see in /boot/grub/device.map Grub uses hd0 instead of /dev/hda and uses hd0,0 instead of /dev/hda1. See the naming convention in the Grub documentation! (execute info grub)
Your installed Windows (and any other OS) is affected, too. Lucky if your Windows may be complete installed on /dev/sda1. So you may boot your Windows, login as Administrator, and using Windows own "Mount Manager" (it must have one tool for mounting and formating disk partitions) and mount the reordered partitions under the same drive letter as before.
Please see your windows handbook how to make an installed windows booting from harddisk again, and how to mount harddisk partitions with a drive letter.
Back to fdisk and lets reorder the partitions at /dev/sda
First download a Rescue Linux LiveCD and burn it to CD/DVD. It is usefull for doing all changes described above or if in the next part anything goes wrong. (a hint: http://www.sysresccd.org )
Boot from your Rescue Linux LiveCD/DVD, login as user root on a terminal. Make a copy of the current Master Boot Record (MBR) of /dev/sda and save it on USB-stick or protable harddisk.
Example, where an USB-stick is mounted at /media/my-usb-stick
a) saving a backup image of the MBR
Code: Select all
dd if=/dev/sda of=/media/my-usb-stick/sda.old-MBR.img bs=512 count=1
Code: Select all
dd if=/media/my-usb-stick/sda.old-MBR.img of=/dev/sda bs=512 count=1
Then execute fdisk /dev/sda
For seeing what's going on press the key m (m for help), then press the key x (extra functionality), and press the key m (m for help) again.
Next press the key f (fix partition order), then press the key v (verify the partition table), and after that press the key r (return to main menu).
Now press the key m (m for help), then press the key p (print the partition table).
You should see the corrected new order of the partitions.
If everything is ok, and only if everything is ok(!!), then press the key w (write new partition table to disk and exit).
If something seemed not be ok, then press the key q (quit without saving changes).
After all, and everything is well done, and you have well tested all your installed OS, then go to VB and test raw disk access again ...
Thank you very much postfix for your extremely detailed post!!!
I already have the SystemRescueCD, and editing the grub menu and fstab won't be a problem (hope will be the same fot mtab).
I'm a bit more worried about windows, but I hope it won't be too hard.
I'm going to try it right now! Thank you again for your help.
P.S. One more question: do you know why my "Partition table entries are not in disk order."? Thanks!
I already have the SystemRescueCD, and editing the grub menu and fstab won't be a problem (hope will be the same fot mtab).
I'm a bit more worried about windows, but I hope it won't be too hard.
I'm going to try it right now! Thank you again for your help.
P.S. One more question: do you know why my "Partition table entries are not in disk order."? Thanks!
Everything is done and seems to be right:
Now the partition table has changed as you said, but when I run the command of Virtual Box (with root privileges), it still displays the same error:
Code: Select all
Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 13018 104561026+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 13019 15628 20964825 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 15629 18500 23069340 5 Extended
/dev/sda4 18501 19457 7687102+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5 15629 17734 16916382 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 17735 18256 4192933+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 18257 18500 1959898+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
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~$ sudo VBoxManage internalcommands listpartitions -rawdisk /dev/sda
VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 1.5.6
(C) 2005-2008 innotek GmbH
All rights reserved.
Overlapping partition description areas. Aborting
it happens, in mixed installations of 2 oder more OS, and partitioning the harddisk isn't handmade ready before installing any of these OS.
Imagine someone is using windows from 2 partitions say /dev/sda1 and /dev/sda3, and partition /dev/sda2 contains a linux running with a large swapfile instead of a swap partition, e.g. Linspire und Freespire Linux does. Then this will be changed by splitting the space of /dev/sda2 into 2 partitions, one for swapping and one for the linux files. By using primary partitions only the resulting partition order will be
/dev/sda1 (ntfs, windows)
/dev/sda2 (swap, linux swap)
/dev/sda4 (ext2/ext3, linux)
/dev/sda3 (ntfs, user data files form windows)
Changes made in using Linux may not affecet any other installed OS, or there is a need to chance all their configuration correctly. E.g. windows needs the partition /dev/sda3 in the same kind as before the changes were made.
The order and arrangement tells a little bit if a harddisk partitioning was well thought before or less, e.g. for a minimum of movement of the harddisk heads using swap parttionon and one or more other linux partitions, or if installed more than one OS, witch should the important one.
A well thought and arranged harddisk partitioning would have a corrected disk order.
Imagine someone is using windows from 2 partitions say /dev/sda1 and /dev/sda3, and partition /dev/sda2 contains a linux running with a large swapfile instead of a swap partition, e.g. Linspire und Freespire Linux does. Then this will be changed by splitting the space of /dev/sda2 into 2 partitions, one for swapping and one for the linux files. By using primary partitions only the resulting partition order will be
/dev/sda1 (ntfs, windows)
/dev/sda2 (swap, linux swap)
/dev/sda4 (ext2/ext3, linux)
/dev/sda3 (ntfs, user data files form windows)
Changes made in using Linux may not affecet any other installed OS, or there is a need to chance all their configuration correctly. E.g. windows needs the partition /dev/sda3 in the same kind as before the changes were made.
The order and arrangement tells a little bit if a harddisk partitioning was well thought before or less, e.g. for a minimum of movement of the harddisk heads using swap parttionon and one or more other linux partitions, or if installed more than one OS, witch should the important one.
A well thought and arranged harddisk partitioning would have a corrected disk order.
Last edited by postfix on 2. Mar 2008, 04:59, edited 4 times in total.
!
Yes, I see and I've forgotten writing it in my post obove, because in most cases it doesn't matter, but maybe it takes effect using VBs raw disk access mode. You are using an extended partition (/dev/sda3), in many cases (and even microsoft and ibm did/does) it is recommanded that there should be only one extended partition and that it should be/must be the last one of the used primary partitions.sidelil wrote:Everything is done and seems to be right:
Now the partition table has changed as you said, but when I run the command of Virtual Box (with root privileges), it still displays the same error:Code: Select all
Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/sda1 * 1 13018 104561026+ 7 HPFS/NTFS /dev/sda2 13019 15628 20964825 83 Linux /dev/sda3 15629 18500 23069340 5 Extended /dev/sda4 18501 19457 7687102+ 7 HPFS/NTFS /dev/sda5 15629 17734 16916382 7 HPFS/NTFS /dev/sda6 17735 18256 4192933+ 83 Linux /dev/sda7 18257 18500 1959898+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
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~$ sudo VBoxManage internalcommands listpartitions -rawdisk /dev/sda VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 1.5.6 (C) 2005-2008 innotek GmbH All rights reserved. Overlapping partition description areas. Aborting
Following this rule there should not be a /dev/sda4 behind an existing extended partition /dev/sda3. So, if your /dev/sda4 mustn't be a primary partition (e.g. in respect of booting conditions) it would help to enlarge the extended partition /dev/sda3 over the hole dataspace from /dev/sda4, so that this one went inside /dev/sda3 and would be renamed in /dev/sda8. (a hint: use a partitioning tool like GPart/GPartEd or Partition Magic) After that, the last one overlapping is fixed, too.
Please tell all your installed OS about this changing as done before!
After this I don't know any more rule witch could be understood as partition overlapping. If VB would be repeated the error message after this last change, we had to go to the next level inside the OS.
One a friends notebook VB works well after fixing the disk order.
The partition /dev/sda4 is a Recovery partition installed by the manufacturer of my laptop (HP). If I move it inside the extended partition I wouldn't be able to boot it any more, would I? (It's not such a problem because I have the recovery DVD).
One more question: what's the best way to move the partition inside the extended one? I use gparted, but the only way I can think for moving it is:
- reducing sda2
- resizing sda3, allocating more space at the beginnig,
- moving sda4 inside it,
- extending sda3 at the end
- moving sda4 at the end of sda3
- resizing sda3, throwing away the free space at the beginning (because i don't need it anymore)
- resizing sda2, enlarging in at the original size.
Can you see what I mean? Is there a neater way to do it? If not, no worries, this one will still work.
Thank you once more for your help.
One more question: what's the best way to move the partition inside the extended one? I use gparted, but the only way I can think for moving it is:
- reducing sda2
- resizing sda3, allocating more space at the beginnig,
- moving sda4 inside it,
- extending sda3 at the end
- moving sda4 at the end of sda3
- resizing sda3, throwing away the free space at the beginning (because i don't need it anymore)
- resizing sda2, enlarging in at the original size.
Can you see what I mean? Is there a neater way to do it? If not, no worries, this one will still work.
Thank you once more for your help.
I see what you mean, it is a good way.
I don't know, how fast your pc moves your harddisk data. But if you decide to move sda4 between an reduced sda2 and sda3, why should sda4 not hold being bootable?
Of cause you have to move some more partitions, but if it is done, there will be no need to move one partition anymore.
The state of your current partitions in block order is:
But what do you think about the following? (in block order again:)
Notice:
- the recovery partition (new device name /dev/sda2) could be boot
- now linux root partition (new device name /dev/sd3) and linux swap partition (new device name /dev/sda5) are closed behind. this results better read/write performance when using the swap partition, because the heads of your harddisk will use shorter ways of movement now. The new /dev/sda5 begins with the next following sector behind the new /dev/sda3.
Your way is all right!
What I', writing now is nothing else than loud thougths.
- - - - - -
a hint (using new device names):
If Grub is your first boot manager after coming from BIOS, Grub must be reinstalled.
Boot from your Linux System Rescue CD, create the directory /mnt/sda3 for mounting /dev/sda3 with write+read permission. Mount it.
Now reinstall Grub in the Master Boot Record of /dev/sda using
So coming from BIOS your PC could boot Grub as boot manager.
If you use Windwos' boot manager instead of Grub, then reinstall Grub in the "Record 0" of /dev/sda3 using
Make a copy of "Record 0" of /dev/sda3 into a file (for example the file is called LINBOOT.IMG) with
Copy this file to usb-stick and move it to Windows' C:\. You'll used it for Windows boot manger to make a Linux boot entry. For details see your windows handbook or google boot.ini
I don't know, how fast your pc moves your harddisk data. But if you decide to move sda4 between an reduced sda2 and sda3, why should sda4 not hold being bootable?
Of cause you have to move some more partitions, but if it is done, there will be no need to move one partition anymore.
The state of your current partitions in block order is:
Code: Select all
Old-Device-Name Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 13018 104561026 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 3019 15628 20964825 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 15629 18500 23069340 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 15629 17734 16916382 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 17735 18256 4192933 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 18257 18500 1959898 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 18501 19457 7687102 7 HPFS/NTFS
Code: Select all
Old-Device-Name New-Device-Name Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 /dev/sda1 1 13018 104561026 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 /dev/sda2 13019 ... 7687102 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 /dev/sda3 ... ... reduced 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 /dev/sda4 ... ... enlarged 5 Extended
/dev/sda7 /dev/sda5 ... ... 1959898 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda5 /dev/sda6 ... ... 16916382 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 /dev/sda7 ... ... 4192933 83 Linux
- the recovery partition (new device name /dev/sda2) could be boot
- now linux root partition (new device name /dev/sd3) and linux swap partition (new device name /dev/sda5) are closed behind. this results better read/write performance when using the swap partition, because the heads of your harddisk will use shorter ways of movement now. The new /dev/sda5 begins with the next following sector behind the new /dev/sda3.
Your way is all right!
What I', writing now is nothing else than loud thougths.
- - - - - -
a hint (using new device names):
If Grub is your first boot manager after coming from BIOS, Grub must be reinstalled.
Boot from your Linux System Rescue CD, create the directory /mnt/sda3 for mounting /dev/sda3 with write+read permission. Mount it.
Now reinstall Grub in the Master Boot Record of /dev/sda using
Code: Select all
grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/sda3 /dev/sda
If you use Windwos' boot manager instead of Grub, then reinstall Grub in the "Record 0" of /dev/sda3 using
Code: Select all
grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/sda3 /dev/sda3
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dd if=/dev/sda3 of=/mnt/sda3/LINBOOT.IMG bs=512 count=1