HowTo: Repair a Corrupted partition Superblock

This has happened to us a few times that your computer won't boot, all your filesystem checks tell you've a bad superblock , but you cant seem to find how to fix it.  

Well here goes how to fix this issue.  

 Linux ext2/3 filesystem stores superblock at different backup location so it is possible to get back data from corrupted partition.

WARNING! Make sure file system is UNMOUNTED.

If your system will give you a terminal type the following command, else boot Linux system from rescue disk (boot from 1st CD/DVD. At boot: prompt type command linux rescue).

Make sure your superblock is the problem, by starting a filesystem check, replacing xxx with your partition name. Here, you can change ext4 to ext3 or ext2 to suit the filesystem 

#sudo fsck.ext4 -v /dev/sda5

If your superblock is corrupt, the output will look like this

fsck /dev/sda5

fsck 1.41.4 (05-June-2012)

e2fsck 1.41.4 ( 05-June-2012)

fsck.ext4: Group descriptors look bad... trying backup blocks...

fsck.ext4: Bad magic number in super-block while trying to open /dev/sda5

The superblock could not be  read or does not describe a correct ext4

filesystem.  If the device is valid and it really contains an ext4

filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock

is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:

e2fsck -b 32768 <device>

Mount partition using alternate superblock

Now lets find out where your superblock are kept.:

# dumpe2fs /dev/sda5 | grep superblock

Sample output:

Primary superblock at 0, Group descriptors at 1-6

Backup superblock at 32768, Group descriptors at 32769-32774

Backup superblock at 98304, Group descriptors at 98305-98310

Backup superblock at 163840, Group descriptors at 163841-163846

Backup superblock at 229376, Group descriptors at 229377-229382

Backup superblock at 294912, Group descriptors at 294913-294918

Backup superblock at 819200, Group descriptors at 819201-819206

Backup superblock at 884736, Group descriptors at 884737-884742

Backup superblock at 1605632, Group descriptors at 1605633-1605638

Backup superblock at 2654208, Group descriptors at 2654209-2654214

Backup superblock at 4096000, Group descriptors at 4096001-4096006

Backup superblock at 7962624, Group descriptors at 7962625-7962630

Backup superblock at 11239424, Group descriptors at 11239425-11239430

Backup superblock at 20480000, Group descriptors at 20480001-20480006

Backup superblock at 23887872, Group descriptors at 23887873-23887878

You are almost there. Finally restore the superblock from the backup, again replacing the x's with your partition name, and block number with the first backup superblock

# fsck -b 32768 /dev/sda5

Sample output:

fsck 1.40.2 (03-June-2012)

e2fsck 1.40.2 ( 03-June-2012 )

/dev/sda5 was not cleanly unmounted, check forced.

Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes

Pass 2: Checking directory structure

Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity

Pass 4: Checking reference counts

Pass 5: Checking group summary information

Free blocks count wrong for group #241 (32254, counted=32253).

Fix? yes

Free blocks count wrong for group #362 (32254, counted=32248).

Fix? yes

Free blocks count wrong for group #368 (32254, counted=27774).

Fix? yes

..........

/dev/sda5: ***** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED *****

/dev/sda5: 59586/30539776 files (0.6% non-contiguous), 3604682/61059048 blocks

Now try to mount file system using mount command:

# mount /dev/sda5 /mnt

You can also use superblock stored at 32768 to mount partition, enter:

# mount sb={alternative-superblock} /dev/device /mnt

# mount sb=32768 /dev/sda2 /mnt

Try to browse and access file system:

# cd /mnt

# mkdir test

# ls -l

# cp file /path/to/safe/location

Now reboot, and your superblock should be fixed. If it's not, repeat the steps, but restore a different backup superblock.  You should always keep backup of all important data including configuration files.

Now have a cup of beer ... CHEERS ......ITS DONE  

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