For the last couple of days, I've been getting frequent "Read only filesystem" errors while using my laptop. It used to happen once every 2-3 days earlier but for the last couple of days it happens every couple of hours. I would be using my laptop for regular tasks or gaming and suddenly a popup would appear with this error, I also notice that the system would freeze several times for a couple of seconds when this error appears.
Whenever this happened, I would restart my system and would get a black screen with the initramfs prompt, where I would enter "fsck /dev/sda2 -y" and run it and that fixes the system almost everytime but the error returns after sometime.
Is there a way to permanently fix this? or would I have to replace the drive?
I'm attaching several screenshots, please let me know if you need any more information to provide help.
Here is the screenshot of Gnome Disks application and SMART screen.
Frequent "Read Only Filesystem" error
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Frequent "Read Only Filesystem" error
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 3 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
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Re: Frequent "Read Only Filesystem" error
Test your disk
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Smartmontools
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Smartmontools
If I have helped you solve a problem, please add [SOLVED] to your first post title, it helps other users looking for help.
Regards,
Deepak
Mint 21.1 Cinnamon 64 bit with AMD A6 / 8GB
Mint 21.1 Cinnamon AMD Ryzen3500U/8gb
Regards,
Deepak
Mint 21.1 Cinnamon 64 bit with AMD A6 / 8GB
Mint 21.1 Cinnamon AMD Ryzen3500U/8gb
Re: Frequent "Read Only Filesystem" error
Your drive is dying: SMART attribute 5, reallocated sector count, is at 9800. There's a possibility that you can sort of salvage it by running it through a so-called "ATA secure erase" as that'll test and retire sectors as needed potentially leaving you with remaining sectors that may be considered good, but chances are slim; drives have an internal pool of reserve sectors and once bad sectors actually start showing up externally such as for you usually it gets worse rapidly; for example as a matter of a wobbly spindle.
In any case also a secure erase would mean fully emptying the drive i.e. losing your current system. Feel free to ask if interested but it's then really otherwise time for backup and replacement --- which seems a great opportunity anyway to go with an SSD.
In any case also a secure erase would mean fully emptying the drive i.e. losing your current system. Feel free to ask if interested but it's then really otherwise time for backup and replacement --- which seems a great opportunity anyway to go with an SSD.
Re: Frequent "Read Only Filesystem" error
Hey @rene , I am interested in "ATA secure erase" as I am not in position to replace the drive for atleast a month, can you please guide me through the steps?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Re: Frequent "Read Only Filesystem" error
Noting again that this leaves your drive completely erased; all partitions, including any potentially non-Linux ones. Back up all that needs backing up.
Then make sure the system is plugged in: you don't want to loose power halfway through a secure erase. Boot from f.e. the Linux Mint Live USB/DVD, open a terminal and run
Verify from the displayed model number that you are looking at your TOSHIBA MQ04ABF100 and if indeed, scroll to the end of the output with
If you see
and wake the system up again, normally via the power-button. Repeating the
should complete without error. That "password" can be literal "password"; will be unset again automatically anyway by the secure erase. The next step will then actually secure-erase the drive: this will take approximately the time hdparm showed you; expect 3+ hours for a 1T HDD. No output is produced while it's running: you just wait.
When it's done. i.e., after you have your prompt back after 3+ hours, verify from another
Assuming that's all fine you now have a fully empty drive. Please reboot, and again into the Live system, so as to reinstall. If it didn't work to remedy things chances seem fair that you'd find trouble again already while reinstalling --- but even if you do not there's no guarantees that the issue won't again return. Your drive is as said very likely to simply be dying.
Then make sure the system is plugged in: you don't want to loose power halfway through a secure erase. Boot from f.e. the Linux Mint Live USB/DVD, open a terminal and run
Code: Select all
sudo hdparm -I /dev/sda | less
Shift-G
. You should have something likeCode: Select all
Security:
Master password revision code = 65534
supported
not enabled
not locked
not frozen
not expired: security count
supported: enhanced erase
200min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 200min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
frozen
rather than not frozen
your BIOS has locked out the functionality which we need to regain by power-cycling the drive; exit less with q
. If indeed we need to power-cycle, suspend to RAM withCode: Select all
sudo sh -c "echo -n mem >/sys/power/state"
sudo hdparm -I /dev/sda
should now show not frozen
. If indeed,Code: Select all
sudo hdparm --security-set-pass password /dev/sda
Code: Select all
sudo hdparm --security-erase password /dev/sda
sudo hdparm -I /dev/sda
that indeed the password is not enabled
as per that above display.Assuming that's all fine you now have a fully empty drive. Please reboot, and again into the Live system, so as to reinstall. If it didn't work to remedy things chances seem fair that you'd find trouble again already while reinstalling --- but even if you do not there's no guarantees that the issue won't again return. Your drive is as said very likely to simply be dying.
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Re: Frequent "Read Only Filesystem" error
You can use Clonezilla to backup your drive skipping the bad sector s. -rescue is the CZ flag. It will backup only the good sectors . Good luck.
If I have helped you solve a problem, please add [SOLVED] to your first post title, it helps other users looking for help.
Regards,
Deepak
Mint 21.1 Cinnamon 64 bit with AMD A6 / 8GB
Mint 21.1 Cinnamon AMD Ryzen3500U/8gb
Regards,
Deepak
Mint 21.1 Cinnamon 64 bit with AMD A6 / 8GB
Mint 21.1 Cinnamon AMD Ryzen3500U/8gb