Menu

Clonezilla client says partition is invalid

Help
Allen J
2011-07-21
2013-04-05
  • Allen J

    Allen J - 2011-07-21

    Hello.
    I am new to clonezilla, but not new to imaging. I successfully pulled two images from two different laptops. I decided to clone a third laptop, so I started the server as I did before, but when the client connected and ran the logical disk manager, it came up with an error message. I could only read parts of the error message because it disappeared before I could finish it. What I could make out, was that the error said the partition was illegal/invalid and said wrong in caps in regards to the partitions. It did not say which partition had the error. It also warned me that if I were to continue, something strange would happen. It asked me if I wanted to continue, but before I could answer, the screen came up with a blinking cursor. I can enter either y or n to proceed, so hitting n will cancel the pull, and hitting y will procede with creation of the image, even though the client then tells me I made a bad choice. My specs are clonezilla server on ubuntu server 10.04 on a HP Proliant ML110 G6 server with a 1 TB HDD. The client is a HP Probook 4520s with a 320 GB HDD split into two 160 GB partitions, one with Linux Mint 10, the other with Windows 7 Pro 64 bit. Im not sure what the problem is, but I doubt its the dual boot system, because I managed to pull another dual boot system with clonezilla just fine. I wonder if it is because the os is 64 bit, the linux os has backport modules installed causing it to appear twice int the bootloader/ os choice screen, or because the HDD is in AHCI instead of IDE. I set clone zilla to save disk with all default coices/ settings. If anyone can also tell me how to change the HDD from AHCI to IDE AFTER OS INSTALLATION would be much appreciated. Please help.

     
  • Steven Shiau

    Steven Shiau - 2011-07-25

    "What I could make out, was that the error said the partition was illegal/invalid and said wrong in caps in regards to the partitions." -> Please make sure the destination disk/partition is equal to or larger than the source one.

    Steven.

     
  • Allen J

    Allen J - 2011-07-27

    i'm copying a 320GB HDD which has about 50GB of data on it, to a 1TB HDD, so it is large enough, the 1TB HDD has about 7 percent of the disk used.

     
  • Steven Shiau

    Steven Shiau - 2011-07-28

    Maybe you hit the issue that cloning 512-byte sector to 4k-byte sector. Is your destination disk 4k-byte sector?

    Steven.

     
  • Allen J

    Allen J - 2011-07-28

    I'm not sure if it would matter. I'm using the clonezilla server to backup the image to the server. I would be restoring the image to the original 320 GB HDD. I'll try and check the sectors

     
  • Allen J

    Allen J - 2011-08-03

    The sector of the client HDD is 512 byte. I want to push the image to the same HDD, but clonezilla wont clone the client. That is the main issue, I'm saving the image to the server for storage, so it shouldn't be an issue.

     
  • Steven Shiau

    Steven Shiau - 2011-08-10

    Is that possible you can take a photo about the screen when you encounter this issue?
    If so, please post it.
    Thanks.

    Steven.

     
  • Michael

    Michael - 2011-08-21

    Hello everyone,

    I am also having issues with an 'illegal/invalid: /dev/sda' error while attempting to image a client box.  The OS is Win7 x46 Pro and in my case I'm trying to image to a 1TB external USB using Clonezilla version 1.2.9-19.  After I boot the iso and point to the USB drive, the screen gets flooded with driver tests, then I get a message saying:

    The partition table used in this disk is illegal/invalid: /dev/sda
    It's not supported by parted.  Parted is used in Clonezilla to parse the filesystem in the partition table.  This partition table is detected as WRONG by parted!

    Like allensword mentioned, there was a message saying the use of dd (?) might result in a bad image, so I aborted and retried the process with the partitions option instead and no source disk was found by Cz.  Restarting the computer also resulted in a failed boot due to the USB device being removed, ultimately requiring a system recovery.  Most disturbing.  Any thoughts?

    Thanks in advance,

    -Michael

     
  • Steven Shiau

    Steven Shiau - 2011-08-26

    Could you please boot Clonezilla live again, enter command line prompt, then run:
    1. sudo -i
    2. parted -s /dev/sda print
    3. fdisk -l /dev/sda
    4. sfdisk -d /dev/sda
    Then post the results of (2) to (4).

    Steven.

     
  • Thomas Moats

    Thomas Moats - 2011-10-18

    I am having the same issue.  I ran Steven_shiau's commands and this is what I received:  Thank you in advance for your help.

    Warning: /dev/sda contains GPT signatures, incdicating that it has a GPT table.  However., it does not have a valid fake msdos partition table, as it should.  Perhaps it was corrupted - possibly by a program that doesn't understand GPT partition tables.  Or perhaps you deleted the GPT table, and are now using an msdos partition table.  Is this a GPT partition table?
    Error: Invalid argument during seek for read on /dev/sda

    "fdisk command"
    Warning: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.

    Disk /dev/sda:80.0 GB, 80000000000 bytes
    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9726 cylinders, total 156250000 sectors
    units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
    Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
    I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
    Disk identifier: 0x4da9f9f5

            Device Boot                         Start                                End                           Blocks                         Id                          System
    /dev/sda1     *                               2048                         206847                        102400                          7            HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
    /dev/sda2                                 206848                  156246015                   78019584                          7            HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

    "sfdisk command"
    Warming:  GPT(GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'!  The util sfdisk doesn't support GPT.  Use GNU Parted.

    # Partition table of /dev/sda
    unit:  sectors

    /dev/sda1 : start=             2048,    size=      204800,   Id= 7,  bootable
    /dev/sda2 : start=         206848    size=156039168,  Id = 7
    /dev/sda3 : start=                    0     size=                  0,  Id = 0
    /dev/sda4 : start=                    0     size=                  0,  Id = 0

     
  • Steven Shiau

    Steven Shiau - 2011-10-26

    So you were reinstalling an image to a GPT disk?
    If so, could you please give Clonezilla live 1.2.11-11 a try?
    There is an improvement about this, and your problem might be solved.
    Please report the results.
    Thanks.

    Steven.

     
  • Thomas Moats

    Thomas Moats - 2011-10-26

    Hey Guys,
    I figured out the issue.  If the hard drive was formatted by a Windows 7 machine, you will need to go to do the following.

    1. Connect the disk to a PC and be sure you get a drive letter.  If not, go to disk management and format the disk.

    2. Go to DOS command line (click on “Start Menu”, then “Run”, type in “cmd” in textbox, and hit “OK”)

    3. Type in “DiskPart” in command line.

    4. Type in “list disk” in command line to show all disks in this machine.

    5. Use “select” to set the focus to the specified partition.  For example “select disk 1″.

    6. Use “clean” command to remove GPT disk from the current in-focus disk by zeroing sectors.

    7. Now remove the disk and install it back into the machine that is to be imaged.

    8. Image with Clonezilla</li>

     
  • Steven Shiau

    Steven Shiau - 2011-10-28

    sysadmin2,
    Thanks for sharing that.
    Yes, that's the same with the improvement in Clonezilla live 1.2.11-11. i.e. to clean the MBR partition table before creating a GPT table.

    Steven.

     
  • Thomas Moats

    Thomas Moats - 2011-10-28

    Thanks Steve, I thought I had the new version, but I do not.  When I figured out the long way, I submitted my post before I read yours.  I'll try the new version and see if that fixes the issue with out the extra work.  Thanks for the help.

     
  • Steven Shiau

    Steven Shiau - 2011-11-09

    No problem. If any problem, feel free to post it again.

    Steven.

     
  • Xiaomeng

    Xiaomeng - 2012-01-04

    I have tried the latest clonezilla live and drbl. I still got the save error.
    Warning: dev/sdb has a GPT signatures, indicating that it has a GPT table. However it does not have a valid fake msdos partition table, as it should. Perhaps it was corrupted possibly by a program that doesn't understand GPT partition tables….

    Model: ST350041 8AS (scsi)
    Disk /dev/sdb: 500GB
    Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
    Partitioin Table: gpt

    Number Start End Size File system Name Flags

    *****************************************************************
    Restoring partition /dev/sdb1…
    Unable to find target partition "sdb1" !!!
    *****************************************************************
    …………..

    Please help!

     
  • Xiaomeng

    Xiaomeng - 2012-01-04

    Moreover. I try to dump a disk image from the same Windows 7 PC and choosed test image. Got some message like:

    Checking the partition table in the image XXXXX
    GPT 1st partition table file found!
    GPT 2nd partition table file found!
    This partition table file was NOT found: sda-gpt.gdisk.

    Was this image saved by the older version of Clonezilla? ……

    I just upgraded my Clonezilla to the latest one. I checked the source disk, it only has two ntfs partition and the partition table is MBR!

     
  • tugboatbill

    tugboatbill - 2012-01-07

    I tried the diskpart suggestion - still am not able to restore.  :(

    Same situation - original disk formatted on a win 7 box.

     
  • tugboatbill

    tugboatbill - 2012-01-07

    OK, I downloaded clonezilla-live-1.2.11-43-i686-pae and did a backup.  Tried the restore and it worked!  System booted w/o any issues.

    I tried to restore the backup I made with clonezilla-live-1.2.11-23-i686-pae but that failed again the same way as before.  I'm not 100% sure that backup was good though as I was never able to restore it. 
    For me, the latest pre-release has fixed the problem.

     
  • Steven Shiau

    Steven Shiau - 2012-01-11

    OK, thanks for confirming Clonezilla live 1.2.11-43 works for you.

    Steven.

     
  • ekrizon

    ekrizon - 2012-06-07

    Apologies for reviving this thread.  I am having this same issue however it is with CREATING the initial image (have not gotten to restoring yet).  This is on a brand new Asus G75V laptop.  Partitions are all stock and never been modified.  All that has been done as windows updates applied.  2x500GB HDD installed, attempting to disk clone the main OS HDD

    Currenty using latest stable clonezilla-live-20120525-precise.

    Steven the outputs to your commands required.

    parted -s /dev/sda/ print

    Error: Unable to satisfy all constraints on the partition.

    fdisk -l /dev/sda

    WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.

    Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
    256 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60563 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
    Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512
    Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
    I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
    Disk identifier: 0x2902cc6d

    Device Boot            Start                   End                   Blocks                        ID                 System
    /dev/sda1                     1             4294967295           2147483647+         ee                     GPT
    Parition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.

    sfdisk -d /dev/sda

    WARNING: GPT (GUID P:artition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util sfdisk doesn't support GPT.  Use GNU Parted.

    partition table of /dev/sda
    unit:sectors

    /dev/sda1 : start=  1, size=4294967295, Id=ee
    /dev/sda2 : start=  0, size=                     0, Id=0
    /dev/sda3 : start=  0, size=                     0, Id=0
    /dev/sda4 : start=  0, size=                     0, Id=0

     
  • Steven Shiau

    Steven Shiau - 2012-06-19

    Could you give Clonezilla live 1.2.12-65 a try?
    Some improvement about EFI was done.

    Steven.

     

Log in to post a comment.

Want the latest updates on software, tech news, and AI?
Get latest updates about software, tech news, and AI from SourceForge directly in your inbox once a month.