Problem with a hard-drive

Hello. I am looking for help with trying to save a HDD. This does pertain to Linux because
A.) There is a Linux partition on the drive that I want to access to retrieve data and
B.) I'm wondering if I could use Linux in some way to help recover the drive.

The following are kernel messages from a boot-up. The drive is connected through USB.

Maybe someone can tell me where I can go (a more applicable web-site/forum) that I can post on to get help.

Jan 9 19:31:49 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:31:49 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:31:56 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:31:56 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:32:03 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:32:03 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:32:03 (none) user.crit kernel: ldm_validate_partition_table(): Disk read failed.
Jan 9 19:32:09 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:32:09 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:32:17 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE,SUGGEST_OK
Jan 9 19:32:17 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Sense Key : Medium Error [current]
Jan 9 19:32:17 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Add. Sense: Unrecovered read error
Jan 9 19:32:17 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:32:17 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:32:22 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:32:22 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:32:29 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:32:29 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:32:29 (none) user.warn kernel: Dev sdb: unable to read RDB block 0
Jan 9 19:32:36 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:32:36 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:32:43 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:32:43 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:32:48 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE,SUGGEST_OK
Jan 9 19:32:48 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Sense Key : Medium Error [current]
Jan 9 19:32:48 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Add. Sense: Unrecovered read error
Jan 9 19:32:48 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 24
Jan 9 19:32:48 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 3
Jan 9 19:32:53 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE,SUGGEST_OK
Jan 9 19:32:53 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Sense Key : Medium Error [current]
Jan 9 19:32:53 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Add. Sense: Unrecovered read error
Jan 9 19:32:53 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 24
Jan 9 19:32:53 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 3
Jan 9 19:33:00 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:33:00 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:33:08 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:33:08 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:33:08 (none) user.warn kernel: unable to read partition table
Jan 9 19:33:08 (none) user.notice kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI disk
Jan 9 19:33:08 (none) user.notice kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
Jan 9 19:33:20 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:33:20 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Jan 9 19:33:20 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 1
Jan 9 19:33:20 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 2
Jan 9 19:33:20 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 3
Jan 9 19:33:27 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Jan 9 19:33:27 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0

Thanks for any advice.

Does output of fdisk -l command list partition(s) of /dev/sdb?

No sir, right now nothing is recognizing the HDD. The bios doesn't see it.

I find it curious, though, that even after the bios doesn't come up with anything that the operating system seems to think that something is there but whatever that is won't talk to it for some reason. It gives me a glimmer of hope.

Quote:

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The bios doesn't see it.

---

Thats not a good sign. It looks like Partition Table has been corrupted. Try Testdisk to recover partition table. It available in PartedMagic LiveCD.

it doesn't sound good. I tried Pmagic but the HDD is not responding so Pmagic does not offer any interaction with it. I got the kernel messages above using Pmagic. According to those, the operating system is making an effort to communicate with it and I'm curious to know how it knows that something is there ...

Jan 9 19:33:08 (none) user.notice kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI disk
Jan 9 19:33:08 (none) user.notice kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0

It's not talking back, you mentioned the partition table, well ...

Jan 9 19:32:03 (none) user.crit kernel: ldm_validate_partition_table(): Disk read failed.
Jan 9 19:33:08 (none) user.warn kernel: unable to read partition table


Also ...

Jan 9 19:32:48 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Sense Key : Medium Error [current]
Jan 9 19:32:48 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Add. Sense: Unrecovered read error
Jan 9 19:32:48 (none) user.err kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 24
Jan 9 19:32:48 (none) user.err kernel: Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 3

I'm also curious as to what this all means ...

Jan 9 19:32:17 (none) user.info kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE,SUGGEST_OK

It makes me think that whatever program is out there that can work with this HDD its going to have to communicate with it on the same level as the bios. It could be that this HDD is damaged mechanically to the point that it can't access it's disks at all. Like the apparatus that the read/write heads are on won't move. But I would like to find that out definitively.