# Could not mount specified ROOT partition. How to rescue sys?

## Mati

Hi there,

first my system yesterday started to have strange I/O problems, afterwards no process could be instantiated, afterwards only a reboot was possible and 

now the system complains with 

```

Could not mount specified ROOT, try again

Could not find the root block device in .

Please specify another value or: press Enter for the same, tpye 'shell' ...

```

Nothing works anymore. 

I used gparted to repair the xfs filesystem but it immediately complains with an error:

```

The filesystem has valuable metadata changes in a log which needs to

be replayed.  Mount the filesystem to replay the log, and unmo...

```

i think the root partition is somehow defect, maybe the hard disk (its a notebook) is not working anymore. 

How can i rescue the system or get it again to run? Which information do you need?

Thanks for any help

----------

## NeddySeagoon

Mati,

If this system used to work and you have done nothing, its has suffered a hardware failure.

It may be the HDD or the motherboard.

The line 

```
Could not find the root block device in . 
```

should list all the block devices that the kernel can see.

In this case none.

If you have just made a new kernel, its missing the some code for your HDD controller on the motherboard.

What does lspci say.  Has your HDD controller vanished from there?

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## Hypnos

Booting with sysrescuecd maybe useful here, to check the state of your hardware with a known "good" setup.  Follow Neddy's suggestions from there.

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## Mati

Hi,

 *Quote:*   

> If this system used to work and you have done nothing, its has suffered a hardware failure. 

 

Might be yes, but im not 100% sure. In fact, i did nothing - so you might be right.

 *Quote:*   

> should list all the block devices that the kernel can see.
> 
> In this case none. 

 

correct yes.

 *Quote:*   

> If you have just made a new kernel, its missing the some code for your HDD controller on the motherboard. 

 

i did nothing, no kernel rebuild, no emerge. 

 *Quote:*   

> What does lspci say. 

 

It says:

```

/bin/ash: lspci: not found

```

Anyway, i'm looking forward to any further help. 

Thanks a lot!

----------

## NeddySeagoon

Mati,

Boot with a CD. SystemRescueCD is good but any liveCD will do.  See if you can find your disk drives at all.

If they are there, try to mount the partitions - do you get any errors?

If the drives are missing, can you see the hard drive controller in the lspci output?

Did you do something thats easy to overlook - like leaving some USB storage connected?

This often causes the HDDs to be reordered.

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## Mati

xfs_repair fixed the problem (from sysrescuecd). Seems that some inodes where mislinked...

thanks for help and suggestions.

----------

