How to delete /dev folder that is accidentaly copied to external hdd?
I have accidentally copied the entire contents of root to my external hard drive because of using wrong syntax of cp. I have deleted the rest leaving /dev folder. Using rm results to "device busy" and already have opened it on windows to delete but it says "file does not exist" and "name too long".
rm
asked Dec 31 '18 at 5:19
X3MelectroX3Melectro
112
add a comment |
I have accidentally copied the entire contents of root to my external hard drive because of using wrong syntax of cp. I have deleted the rest leaving /dev folder. Using rm results to "device busy" and already have opened it on windows to delete but it says "file does not exist" and "name too long".
rm
asked Dec 31 '18 at 5:19
X3MelectroX3Melectro
112
You could always make a live USB, mount the external hard drive, and remove it that way.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Dec 31 '18 at 5:33
add a comment |
I have accidentally copied the entire contents of root to my external hard drive because of using wrong syntax of cp. I have deleted the rest leaving /dev folder. Using rm results to "device busy" and already have opened it on windows to delete but it says "file does not exist" and "name too long".
rm
asked Dec 31 '18 at 5:19
X3MelectroX3Melectro
112
I have accidentally copied the entire contents of root to my external hard drive because of using wrong syntax of cp. I have deleted the rest leaving /dev folder. Using rm results to "device busy" and already have opened it on windows to delete but it says "file does not exist" and "name too long".
rm
rm
asked Dec 31 '18 at 5:19
X3MelectroX3Melectro
112
asked Dec 31 '18 at 5:19
X3MelectroX3Melectro
112
asked Dec 31 '18 at 5:19
X3MelectroX3Melectro
112
asked Dec 31 '18 at 5:19
X3MelectroX3Melectro
112
asked Dec 31 '18 at 5:19
X3MelectroX3Melectro
112
112
You could always make a live USB, mount the external hard drive, and remove it that way.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Dec 31 '18 at 5:33
add a comment |
You could always make a live USB, mount the external hard drive, and remove it that way.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Dec 31 '18 at 5:33
You could always make a live USB, mount the external hard drive, and remove it that way.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Dec 31 '18 at 5:33
You could always make a live USB, mount the external hard drive, and remove it that way.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Dec 31 '18 at 5:33
add a comment |
1 Answer
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Since dev is where hardware devices are identified (/dev/sda etc) I suspect that's the reason it's flagged as busy, and I also suspect that this issue might persist even in a live USB boot. I suggest you turn off automatic mount options, reboot, and while the disk is unmounted reformat it using either gnome-disks or gparted.
Failing that, you could always dd it with something like sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd# where # is the disk's identifier in lsblk. It's slow and will fully erase that disk, but it also won't ask questions as to whether the disk is mounted, etc; it will just overwrite regardless (be careful which disk you point it at, it also won't ask questions if you tell it to overwrite your OS disk). After this you will need to create a whole new partition table for the device with one of the aforementioned programs.
answered Dec 31 '18 at 13:14
MintyMinty
33817
I know reformating is the way but I can't do these because external hdd contains huge files. I can't back-up it on cloud because of internet connection problem(3rd world) I also don't have another hard drive. It also doesnt have any partition(1 primary partition). TL;DR I'll just leave the folder since it only has 740kb rather than reformating the whole drive.
– X3Melectro
Jan 1 at 10:44
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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active
oldest
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active
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votes
Since dev is where hardware devices are identified (/dev/sda etc) I suspect that's the reason it's flagged as busy, and I also suspect that this issue might persist even in a live USB boot. I suggest you turn off automatic mount options, reboot, and while the disk is unmounted reformat it using either gnome-disks or gparted.
Failing that, you could always dd it with something like sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd# where # is the disk's identifier in lsblk. It's slow and will fully erase that disk, but it also won't ask questions as to whether the disk is mounted, etc; it will just overwrite regardless (be careful which disk you point it at, it also won't ask questions if you tell it to overwrite your OS disk). After this you will need to create a whole new partition table for the device with one of the aforementioned programs.
answered Dec 31 '18 at 13:14
MintyMinty
33817
I know reformating is the way but I can't do these because external hdd contains huge files. I can't back-up it on cloud because of internet connection problem(3rd world) I also don't have another hard drive. It also doesnt have any partition(1 primary partition). TL;DR I'll just leave the folder since it only has 740kb rather than reformating the whole drive.
– X3Melectro
Jan 1 at 10:44
add a comment |
Since dev is where hardware devices are identified (/dev/sda etc) I suspect that's the reason it's flagged as busy, and I also suspect that this issue might persist even in a live USB boot. I suggest you turn off automatic mount options, reboot, and while the disk is unmounted reformat it using either gnome-disks or gparted.
Failing that, you could always dd it with something like sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd# where # is the disk's identifier in lsblk. It's slow and will fully erase that disk, but it also won't ask questions as to whether the disk is mounted, etc; it will just overwrite regardless (be careful which disk you point it at, it also won't ask questions if you tell it to overwrite your OS disk). After this you will need to create a whole new partition table for the device with one of the aforementioned programs.
answered Dec 31 '18 at 13:14
MintyMinty
33817
I know reformating is the way but I can't do these because external hdd contains huge files. I can't back-up it on cloud because of internet connection problem(3rd world) I also don't have another hard drive. It also doesnt have any partition(1 primary partition). TL;DR I'll just leave the folder since it only has 740kb rather than reformating the whole drive.
– X3Melectro
Jan 1 at 10:44
add a comment |
Since dev is where hardware devices are identified (/dev/sda etc) I suspect that's the reason it's flagged as busy, and I also suspect that this issue might persist even in a live USB boot. I suggest you turn off automatic mount options, reboot, and while the disk is unmounted reformat it using either gnome-disks or gparted.
Failing that, you could always dd it with something like sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd# where # is the disk's identifier in lsblk. It's slow and will fully erase that disk, but it also won't ask questions as to whether the disk is mounted, etc; it will just overwrite regardless (be careful which disk you point it at, it also won't ask questions if you tell it to overwrite your OS disk). After this you will need to create a whole new partition table for the device with one of the aforementioned programs.
answered Dec 31 '18 at 13:14
MintyMinty
33817
Since dev is where hardware devices are identified (/dev/sda etc) I suspect that's the reason it's flagged as busy, and I also suspect that this issue might persist even in a live USB boot. I suggest you turn off automatic mount options, reboot, and while the disk is unmounted reformat it using either gnome-disks or gparted.
Failing that, you could always dd it with something like sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd# where # is the disk's identifier in lsblk. It's slow and will fully erase that disk, but it also won't ask questions as to whether the disk is mounted, etc; it will just overwrite regardless (be careful which disk you point it at, it also won't ask questions if you tell it to overwrite your OS disk). After this you will need to create a whole new partition table for the device with one of the aforementioned programs.
answered Dec 31 '18 at 13:14
MintyMinty
33817
answered Dec 31 '18 at 13:14
MintyMinty
33817
answered Dec 31 '18 at 13:14
MintyMinty
33817
answered Dec 31 '18 at 13:14
MintyMinty
33817
33817
I know reformating is the way but I can't do these because external hdd contains huge files. I can't back-up it on cloud because of internet connection problem(3rd world) I also don't have another hard drive. It also doesnt have any partition(1 primary partition). TL;DR I'll just leave the folder since it only has 740kb rather than reformating the whole drive.
– X3Melectro
Jan 1 at 10:44
add a comment |
I know reformating is the way but I can't do these because external hdd contains huge files. I can't back-up it on cloud because of internet connection problem(3rd world) I also don't have another hard drive. It also doesnt have any partition(1 primary partition). TL;DR I'll just leave the folder since it only has 740kb rather than reformating the whole drive.
– X3Melectro
Jan 1 at 10:44
I know reformating is the way but I can't do these because external hdd contains huge files. I can't back-up it on cloud because of internet connection problem(3rd world) I also don't have another hard drive. It also doesnt have any partition(1 primary partition). TL;DR I'll just leave the folder since it only has 740kb rather than reformating the whole drive.
– X3Melectro
Jan 1 at 10:44
I know reformating is the way but I can't do these because external hdd contains huge files. I can't back-up it on cloud because of internet connection problem(3rd world) I also don't have another hard drive. It also doesnt have any partition(1 primary partition). TL;DR I'll just leave the folder since it only has 740kb rather than reformating the whole drive.
– X3Melectro
Jan 1 at 10:44
add a comment |
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You could always make a live USB, mount the external hard drive, and remove it that way.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Dec 31 '18 at 5:33