I need more help, please, folks.
I often feel that I am floundering around with insufficient knowledge,
but usually with help, I get where I want to go. Hopefully this is
another of those times.
After what I thought was a successful conclusion to the Lost Partition
saga, which had finished in a sensible, understandable boot, when I
went to shut down the laptop last night, it warned me that my working partition was running out of space. It offered to let me scrutinise
it, which I did, and it showed that the biggest folder was the Videos
one, which I understood because I had not been using the separate old
m2SSD partition while I could not access it, but I now can. I noted
that today's first job would be to do a massive house-keeping job on
my Videos. This was not a surprise.
But today, I can't boot the laptop. It hangs after the initial splash
screen phase, with the line at the top left of the screen showing
'clean: /dev/dsa2....' and various file quantities. The only way I
can get it to return to any control is to use the old favourite
Cntr-Alt-Del combination.
I can boot into emergency mode, and I tried reverting the /etc/fstab
file to earlier versions, but that doesn't change the boot failure.
I have booted from a Live USB, but I'm not sure what to do next. One
thought is that I need to empty the Rubbish Bin, and research shows
some guidance on that, but it seems a little inconclusive, and fraught
with danger.
I read that it is possible to mount any partition on the PC's HDD (or
SSD) from the Live USB, but I have never done it, and I cannot seem to
find the magic combination to mount the /dev/sda2 partition that
currently is my working, and almost full, partition. I think I do it,
but then it shows no files, so it isn't going where I want it to.
Please help! I will provide any information that I can get, such as
blkid, mount etc displays. I won't do that right here, this is to
establish a path to get my laptop back on the road.
All help most welcome!
... I am seriously wondering whether to remove the added SSD, the original m2SSD, and try again. This might lead to a total wipe and
re-installation of the OS, the major problem being the loss of all my Thunderbird Local Folders since my last backup. In the perfect world,
the replacement of the other SSD would restore it to the PC, but if it doesn't, I won't be surprised.
It does seem that the main partition is full, and it won't complete a
boot sequence.
I really need some help here, please!
On 03/09/2025 08:57, Davey wrote:
... I am seriously wondering whether to remove the added SSD, the original m2SSD, and try again. This might lead to a total wipe and
re-installation of the OS, the major problem being the loss of all my Thunderbird Local Folders since my last backup. In the perfect world,
the replacement of the other SSD would restore it to the PC, but if it doesn't, I won't be surprised.
It does seem that the main partition is full, and it won't complete a
boot sequence.
I really need some help here, please!
It's really hard to know what actually happened to bring about your
problems in the first place, and how what you have done since to try to
try to remedy matters may have made them worse, or at least more complicated.
It would be easier if you had made image backups of all your disks
before you started. Time taken making a backup is never wasted.
TBH at this stage my course of action would be to get a new drive big
enough to hold everything and do a clean install onto that, and then try
to mount your existing drives one at a time (maybe in some sort of
hot-swap (e.g. USB) external housing so they're not present at boot time
and UEFI can't mistake one drive for another (they SHOULD have different GUIDs, but have they?)) and copy the the data you need onto that clean system.
It should be easy enough to copy /home from your (partly-)working
system(s) onto the new drive. Linux is pretty good at letting you
transplant a /home from one system to another, and so long as you have installed all the applications you need onto the new one everything
should Just Work(TM).
Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote:
On 03/09/2025 08:57, Davey wrote:
... I am seriously wondering whether to remove the added SSD, the original m2SSD, and try again. This might lead to a total wipe and re-installation of the OS, the major problem being the loss of
all my Thunderbird Local Folders since my last backup. In the
perfect world, the replacement of the other SSD would restore it
to the PC, but if it doesn't, I won't be surprised.
It does seem that the main partition is full, and it won't
complete a boot sequence.
I really need some help here, please!
It's really hard to know what actually happened to bring about your problems in the first place, and how what you have done since to
try to try to remedy matters may have made them worse, or at least
more complicated.
My guess is that there are two bootable drives (one M.2 and one SATA)
and he is booting from the backup not the primary drive. And
possibly it's using the boot partition on one and the rootfs on
another, or some mixup like that.
It would be easier if you had made image backups of all your disks
before you started. Time taken making a backup is never wasted.
TBH at this stage my course of action would be to get a new drive
big enough to hold everything and do a clean install onto that, and
then try to mount your existing drives one at a time (maybe in some
sort of hot-swap (e.g. USB) external housing so they're not present
at boot time and UEFI can't mistake one drive for another (they
SHOULD have different GUIDs, but have they?)) and copy the the data
you need onto that clean system.
Sensible. I'd suggest that if you take full-disc image backup, it's
never connected to the machine at boot time. Then there is never any confusion over which drive you've booted from.
The same goes when you do a fresh install - if there is only one drive present in the machine, you can't get any pieces installed to the
wrong drive.
It should be easy enough to copy /home from your (partly-)working system(s) onto the new drive. Linux is pretty good at letting you transplant a /home from one system to another, and so long as you
have installed all the applications you need onto the new one
everything should Just Work(TM).
For Thunderbird, make sure you copy the ~/.thunderbird folder,
and if it's Ubuntu and you're on the snap, also
~/snap/thunderbird/common
Theo
I have been given the name of a local guy who specialises in data
recovery, so presumably he knows a thing or two about this. I will call
him tomorrow and see what help he can be. I do not trust myself to go
deeper into uncharted waters at this point.
For now, I will leave the laptop unpowered. It spent most of
yesterday sitting there with a blinking cursor, but nothing else
happened.
Thank you both for the advice, I will report (any) progress.
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
I have been given the name of a local guy who specialises in data
recovery, so presumably he knows a thing or two about this. I will
call him tomorrow and see what help he can be. I do not trust
myself to go deeper into uncharted waters at this point.
For now, I will leave the laptop unpowered. It spent most of
yesterday sitting there with a blinking cursor, but nothing else
happened.
Thank you both for the advice, I will report (any) progress.
I'd guess the data is all still there, it's just not booting. So
it's just repair needed, rather than data recovery per se.
I'd invest in a new M.2 SSD and a couple of M.2 and SATA to USB
adapters. Remove the M.2 and SATA drive from the laptop and put them
in adapters. Install the blank new M.2 SSD into the laptop.
Boot from an installer and do a fresh install to your new M.2.
Once everything is installed, plug in your old drives and copy things
over.
It is likely possible to repair your existing install via booting a
recovery USB stick, but a new drive avoids the risk of losing
anything on your existing drives. It would also be possible to boot
from a USB stick and copy anything important to the USB.
Of course, if there is anything particularly valuable then there's no
harm in calling in someone more experienced to do it for you.
Theo
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
I have been given the name of a local guy who specialises in data=20
recovery, so presumably he knows a thing or two about this. I will
call him tomorrow and see what help he can be. I do not trust
myself to go deeper into uncharted waters at this point.
For now, I will leave the laptop unpowered. It spent most of
yesterday sitting there with a blinking cursor, but nothing else
happened.
=20
Thank you both for the advice, I will report (any) progress. =20
I'd guess the data is all still there, it's just not booting. So
it's just repair needed, rather than data recovery per se.
=20
I'd invest in a new M.2 SSD and a couple of M.2 and SATA to USB
adapters. Remove the M.2 and SATA drive from the laptop and put them
in adapters. Install the blank new M.2 SSD into the laptop.
=20
Boot from an installer and do a fresh install to your new M.2.
Once everything is installed, plug in your old drives and copy things
over.
=20
It is likely possible to repair your existing install via booting a
recovery USB stick, but a new drive avoids the risk of losing
anything on your existing drives. It would also be possible to boot
from a USB stick and copy anything important to the USB.
=20
Of course, if there is anything particularly valuable then there's no
harm in calling in someone more experienced to do it for you.
=20
Theo
Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote:
On 03/09/2025 08:57, Davey wrote:
... I am seriously wondering whether to remove the added SSD, the original >> > m2SSD, and try again. This might lead to a total wipe and
re-installation of the OS, the major problem being the loss of all my
Thunderbird Local Folders since my last backup. In the perfect world,
the replacement of the other SSD would restore it to the PC, but if it
doesn't, I won't be surprised.
It does seem that the main partition is full, and it won't complete a
boot sequence.
I really need some help here, please!
It's really hard to know what actually happened to bring about your
problems in the first place, and how what you have done since to try to
try to remedy matters may have made them worse, or at least more
complicated.
My guess is that there are two bootable drives (one M.2 and one SATA) and he is booting from the backup not the primary drive. And possibly it's using the boot partition on one and the rootfs on another, or some mixup like
that.
It would be easier if you had made image backups of all your disks
before you started. Time taken making a backup is never wasted.
TBH at this stage my course of action would be to get a new drive big
enough to hold everything and do a clean install onto that, and then try
to mount your existing drives one at a time (maybe in some sort of
hot-swap (e.g. USB) external housing so they're not present at boot time
and UEFI can't mistake one drive for another (they SHOULD have different
GUIDs, but have they?)) and copy the the data you need onto that clean
system.
Sensible. I'd suggest that if you take full-disc image backup, it's never connected to the machine at boot time. Then there is never any confusion over which drive you've booted from.
The same goes when you do a fresh install - if there is only one drive present in the machine, you can't get any pieces installed to the wrong drive.
It should be easy enough to copy /home from your (partly-)working
system(s) onto the new drive. Linux is pretty good at letting you
transplant a /home from one system to another, and so long as you have
installed all the applications you need onto the new one everything
should Just Work(TM).
For Thunderbird, make sure you copy the ~/.thunderbird folder,
and if it's Ubuntu and you're on the snap, also ~/snap/thunderbird/common
On 03 Sep 2025 17:21:51 +0100 (BST)
Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:
Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote:
On 03/09/2025 08:57, Davey wrote:
... I am seriously wondering whether to remove the added SSD, the
original m2SSD, and try again. This might lead to a total wipe and
re-installation of the OS, the major problem being the loss of
all my Thunderbird Local Folders since my last backup. In the
perfect world, the replacement of the other SSD would restore it
to the PC, but if it doesn't, I won't be surprised.
It does seem that the main partition is full, and it won't
complete a boot sequence.
I really need some help here, please!
It's really hard to know what actually happened to bring about your
problems in the first place, and how what you have done since to
try to try to remedy matters may have made them worse, or at least
more complicated.
My guess is that there are two bootable drives (one M.2 and one SATA)
and he is booting from the backup not the primary drive. And
possibly it's using the boot partition on one and the rootfs on
another, or some mixup like that.
I agree with that, it matches GParted and Disks views.
Unfortunately, one never knows when something is the beginning of aIt would be easier if you had made image backups of all your disks
before you started. Time taken making a backup is never wasted.
problem. A week ago, it was all working smoothly, including access to
the 'lost' partition. The only known problem was the 'wrong' m2SSD'
name, and which partition it was booting from. Then it wouldn't boot.
Sounds sensible. I need to look at large SSDs. I have never heard ofTBH at this stage my course of action would be to get a new drive
big enough to hold everything and do a clean install onto that, and
then try to mount your existing drives one at a time (maybe in some
sort of hot-swap (e.g. USB) external housing so they're not present
at boot time and UEFI can't mistake one drive for another (they
SHOULD have different GUIDs, but have they?)) and copy the the data
you need onto that clean system.
Sensible. I'd suggest that if you take full-disc image backup, it's
never connected to the machine at boot time. Then there is never any
confusion over which drive you've booted from.
USB housings for SSDs, but then, I have had no reason to.
The same goes when you do a fresh install - if there is only one drive
present in the machine, you can't get any pieces installed to the
wrong drive.
That was how it was originally set up. The extra SSD (m2SSD) was added
later, and it all worked fine for a couple of years. Everything started
to go wrong when I had to upgrade from Ubuntu 18.04 and went to 22.04.
There have been various problems since then, culminating in the present uselessness.
It should be easy enough to copy /home from your (partly-)working
system(s) onto the new drive. Linux is pretty good at letting you
transplant a /home from one system to another, and so long as you
have installed all the applications you need onto the new one
everything should Just Work(TM).
For Thunderbird, make sure you copy the ~/.thunderbird folder,
and if it's Ubuntu and you're on the snap, also
~/snap/thunderbird/common
Theo
I have been given the name of a local guy who specialises in data
recovery, so presumably he knows a thing or two about this. I will call
him tomorrow and see what help he can be. I do not trust myself to go
deeper into uncharted waters at this point.
For now, I will leave the laptop unpowered. It spent most of
yesterday sitting there with a blinking cursor, but nothing else
happened.
Thank you both for the advice, I will report (any) progress.
How did you upgrade? By a fresh install, or via the command line?
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
I have been given the name of a local guy who specialises in data=20
recovery, so presumably he knows a thing or two about this. I will
call him tomorrow and see what help he can be. I do not trust
myself to go deeper into uncharted waters at this point.
For now, I will leave the laptop unpowered. It spent most of
yesterday sitting there with a blinking cursor, but nothing else
happened.
=20
Thank you both for the advice, I will report (any) progress. =20
I'd guess the data is all still there, it's just not booting. So
it's just repair needed, rather than data recovery per se.
=20
I'd invest in a new M.2 SSD and a couple of M.2 and SATA to USB
adapters. Remove the M.2 and SATA drive from the laptop and put them
in adapters. Install the blank new M.2 SSD into the laptop.
=20
Boot from an installer and do a fresh install to your new M.2.
Once everything is installed, plug in your old drives and copy things
over.
=20
It is likely possible to repair your existing install via booting a
recovery USB stick, but a new drive avoids the risk of losing
anything on your existing drives. It would also be possible to boot
from a USB stick and copy anything important to the USB.
=20
Of course, if there is anything particularly valuable then there's no
harm in calling in someone more experienced to do it for you.
=20
Theo
I am not familiar with all this, but I have identified the following: https://cpc.farnell.com/kingston/snv3s-2000g/ssd-nv3-m-2-2280-pcie4-0- nvme/dp/CS37703?st=pcie%20to%20pci
for the new SSD.
Then a choice:
For the SATA-USB adapter, possibly, at £9.78: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb3s2sat3cb/lead-sata-to-usb-with- uasp/dp/CS34473?st=ssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
or at £28.48: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb312sat3/adapter-usb3-1-10gb-s-sata- ssd/dp/CS30219?st=ssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
I do not see why there is such a price difference, unless one gets what
one pays for.
Looking for an M2-USB adapter, I found, for £42.38: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/m2-usb-c-nvme-sata/enclosure-usb-c-to-m-2-nvme-sata/dp/CS35447?st=m2%20to%20usb%20adapters
which looks as though it would do both jobs (not at the same time, of course).
On 04/09/2025 11:35, Davey wrote:=20
I am not familiar with all this, but I have identified the
following: https://cpc.farnell.com/kingston/snv3s-2000g/ssd-nv3-m-2-2280-pcie4-0- nvme/dp/CS37703?st=3Dpcie%20to%20pci for the new SSD.
Then a choice:
For the SATA-USB adapter, possibly, at =C2=A39.78: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb3s2sat3cb/lead-sata-to-usb-with-=20 uasp/dp/CS34473?st=3Dssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
or at =C2=A328.48: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb312sat3/adapter-usb3-1-10gb-s-sata-=
m-2-nvme-sata/dp/CS35447?st=3Dm2%20to%20usb%20adaptersssd/dp/CS30219?st=3Dssd%20to%20usb%20adapters=20
I do not see why there is such a price difference, unless one gets
what one pays for. =20
It's probably that the more expensive adaptor works with 3.5" drives,=20
and they have different power requirements. The page you linked to
does say that a power adaptor is included.
=20
2.5" drives (whether SSD or spinning rust) need only 5V.
=20
Looking for an M2-USB adapter, I found, for =C2=A342.38: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/m2-usb-c-nvme-sata/enclosure-usb-c-to-=
-pcie-nvme-sata-ssd-tool-free-10gbps-speeds-plug-and-play-awhich looks as though it would do both jobs (not at the same time,=20
of course). =20
Both jobs? It'll house your M.2 NVMe drive (and would work with an
M.2 SATA drive) but won't work with a 2.5" SATA drive. Different
interface.
=20
Nice that it comes with both USB-A and USB-C cables ... but I'm
guessing you only need the former?
=20
It looks a little expensive, too. Have a look at:
=20
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/sabrent-ec-snve-usb32-type-c-enclosure-m2=
=20
or for that matter:
=20
https://business.currys.co.uk/catalogue/computing/P219238P
=20
which is perhaps an older version of the one you found?
=20
Meanwhile, how am I supposed to mount the PC's partitions when booting
from a Live USB? I read various descriptions, but whatever I try does
not seem to work. I know that it might not work anyway, as the system
is borked, but I would love to know what I should be doing to make this happen. If it still doesn't, then I will know that I have tried the
correct procedure, but it has failed.
'Disks' identifies the partitions. but won't let me mount them. (that
sounds rude!).
On 04/09/2025 11:35, Davey wrote:
Meanwhile, how am I supposed to mount the PC's partitions when
booting from a Live USB? I read various descriptions, but whatever
I try does not seem to work. I know that it might not work anyway,
as the system is borked, but I would love to know what I should be
doing to make this happen. If it still doesn't, then I will know
that I have tried the correct procedure, but it has failed.
'Disks' identifies the partitions. but won't let me mount them.
(that sounds rude!).
Oops! Almost overlooked this bit.
First: It's usually obvious if the disk is recognized as having a
meaningful filesystem.
I use Debian rather than Ubuntu, but when I boot from a live USB on a
PC that has an installed Linux system then IIRC there's a desktop
icon you can just click on to mount that system's partitions.
Second: You don't want to do that.
Take the existing drives out of the system. Put the new big drive in.
Boot from USB and install onto the new drive. Then boot from the new
drive and connect the old drives (one at a time is probably best)
using the USB adaptors.
On 04/09/2025 11:35, Davey wrote:=20
I am not familiar with all this, but I have identified the
following: https://cpc.farnell.com/kingston/snv3s-2000g/ssd-nv3-m-2-2280-pcie4-0- nvme/dp/CS37703?st=3Dpcie%20to%20pci for the new SSD.
Then a choice:
For the SATA-USB adapter, possibly, at =C2=A39.78: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb3s2sat3cb/lead-sata-to-usb-with-=20 uasp/dp/CS34473?st=3Dssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
or at =C2=A328.48: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb312sat3/adapter-usb3-1-10gb-s-sata-=
m-2-nvme-sata/dp/CS35447?st=3Dm2%20to%20usb%20adaptersssd/dp/CS30219?st=3Dssd%20to%20usb%20adapters=20
I do not see why there is such a price difference, unless one gets
what one pays for. =20
It's probably that the more expensive adaptor works with 3.5" drives,=20
and they have different power requirements. The page you linked to
does say that a power adaptor is included.
=20
2.5" drives (whether SSD or spinning rust) need only 5V.
=20
Looking for an M2-USB adapter, I found, for =C2=A342.38: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/m2-usb-c-nvme-sata/enclosure-usb-c-to-=
-pcie-nvme-sata-ssd-tool-free-10gbps-speeds-plug-and-play-awhich looks as though it would do both jobs (not at the same time,=20
of course). =20
Both jobs? It'll house your M.2 NVMe drive (and would work with an
M.2 SATA drive) but won't work with a 2.5" SATA drive. Different
interface.
=20
Nice that it comes with both USB-A and USB-C cables ... but I'm
guessing you only need the former?
=20
It looks a little expensive, too. Have a look at:
=20
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/sabrent-ec-snve-usb32-type-c-enclosure-m2=
=20
or for that matter:
=20
https://business.currys.co.uk/catalogue/computing/P219238P
=20
which is perhaps an older version of the one you found?
=20
On 04/09/2025 11:35, Davey wrote:=20
I am not familiar with all this, but I have identified the
following: https://cpc.farnell.com/kingston/snv3s-2000g/ssd-nv3-m-2-2280-pcie4-0- nvme/dp/CS37703?st=3Dpcie%20to%20pci for the new SSD.
Then a choice:
For the SATA-USB adapter, possibly, at =C2=A39.78: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb3s2sat3cb/lead-sata-to-usb-with-=20 uasp/dp/CS34473?st=3Dssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
or at =C2=A328.48: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb312sat3/adapter-usb3-1-10gb-s-sata-=
m-2-nvme-sata/dp/CS35447?st=3Dm2%20to%20usb%20adaptersssd/dp/CS30219?st=3Dssd%20to%20usb%20adapters=20
I do not see why there is such a price difference, unless one gets
what one pays for. =20
It's probably that the more expensive adaptor works with 3.5" drives,=20
and they have different power requirements. The page you linked to
does say that a power adaptor is included.
=20
2.5" drives (whether SSD or spinning rust) need only 5V.
=20
Looking for an M2-USB adapter, I found, for =C2=A342.38: https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/m2-usb-c-nvme-sata/enclosure-usb-c-to-=
-pcie-nvme-sata-ssd-tool-free-10gbps-speeds-plug-and-play-awhich looks as though it would do both jobs (not at the same time,=20
of course). =20
Both jobs? It'll house your M.2 NVMe drive (and would work with an
M.2 SATA drive) but won't work with a 2.5" SATA drive. Different
interface.
=20
Nice that it comes with both USB-A and USB-C cables ... but I'm
guessing you only need the former?
=20
It looks a little expensive, too. Have a look at:
=20
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/sabrent-ec-snve-usb32-type-c-enclosure-m2=
=20
or for that matter:
=20
https://business.currys.co.uk/catalogue/computing/P219238P
=20
which is perhaps an older version of the one you found?
=20
<lRh*hRHlA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>
<1099rhn$18ptm$1@dont-email.me>
<lRh*94HlA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>
<109bq2b$1lg6g$2@dont-email.me> <109ces1$1sb4s$1@dont-email.me>
Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote:
On 04/09/2025 11:35, Davey wrote:
I am not familiar with all this, but I have identified thehttps://cpc.farnell.com/kingston/snv3s-2000g/ssd-nv3-m-2-2280-pcie4-
following:
0-
nvme/dp/CS37703?st=pcie%20to%20pci for the new SSD.https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb3s2sat3cb/lead-sata-to-usb-with-
Then a choice:
For the SATA-USB adapter, possibly, at £9.78:
uasp/dp/CS34473?st=ssd%20to%20usb%20adaptershttps://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb312sat3/adapter-usb3-1-10gb-s-sa
or at £28.48:
ta-
ssd/dp/CS30219?st=ssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
I do not see why there is such a price difference, unless one gets
what one pays for.
It's probably that the more expensive adaptor works with 3.5"
drives, and they have different power requirements. The page you
linked to does say that a power adaptor is included. 2.5" drives
(whether SSD or spinning rust) need only 5V.
Looking for an M2-USB adapter, I found, for £42.38:https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/m2-usb-c-nvme-sata/enclosure-usb-c-
to-m-2-nvme-sata/dp/CS35447?st=m2%20to%20usb%20adapters
which looks as though it would do both jobs (not at the same time,
of course).
Both jobs? It'll house your M.2 NVMe drive (and would work with an
M.2 SATA drive) but won't work with a 2.5" SATA drive. Different
interface.
Nice that it comes with both USB-A and USB-C cables ... but I'm
guessing you only need the former?
It looks a little expensive, too. Have a look at:
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/sabrent-ec-snve-usb32-type-c-enclosu
re-m2-pcie-nvme-sata-ssd-tool-free-10gbps-speeds-plug-and-play-a or
for that matter:
https://business.currys.co.uk/catalogue/computing/P219238P which
is perhaps an older version of the one you found?
OK, this is where I am. I am rapidly thinking that the easiest
solution will be to remove the m2 SSD, which I believe still has the
video files on it. Even if they are lost, they are mostly stored
elsewhere. Then I would re-install the OS as a clean install onto the original SATA 1TB SSD, knowing that I would lose anything on there.
Maybe not. The only major loss would be the Local Folders saved since
the last Backup. Since my e-mail is via gmail. all messages are still available the server, and so the missing Local Folders could be
restored, with some work. I have always backed up any altered
documents every night.
Parts of my reasoning are that:
1. The manufacturer does not offer now a direct 1TB or 2TB SATA SSD.
Buying one from a different source would just add another possible
layer of confusion, as if there were not enough already. It offers
those sizes in HDD, but that would compromise speed. For a replacement
SSD, it offers either 500GB (£59) or 4TB (£324).
2. One thought is to buy the 500GB SSD, use that for the new install,
grab the 'lost' data, save it elsewhere, and finally return the 1TB
SSD and start again. But would a 500GB drive be big enough? Or
possibly, for this job only, either the 1TB HDD, (£48), or the
2TB HDD (£71). But then they would sit on the shelf.
3. The whole process of trying to mount the old SSDs and grabbing the
data from them is an unknown to me, I have not managed to mount
such partitions while booted from a Live USB. Essentially, I am
talking about the Devil I know rather than the Devil I don't.
I can't help feeling that this simpler process would ultimately be
more successful, and faster than attempting to grab the old data.
Hmmm. Remember, I am a Stranger in a Strange Land here. Thoughts?
Hello Davey!edited for brevity
I do use both M.2 and sata SSD units and having tried a.m. other brand (Crucial and found it was too painful to use cleaning using fstrim
because of a very poor controller) I switched to a Samsung 990 PRO
M.2 unit of 1TB although I wished I had purchased a larger one say 2
- 4 TB.
I still run fstrim one per day I am keeping an eye on its o.p to see
if I need to change it to 2 times per day at 00:00,12:00 and 40
minutes (my semi-ish quiet time).
OK, this is where I am. I am rapidly thinking that the easiest solution
will be to remove the m2 SSD, which I believe still has the video files
on it. Even if they are lost, they are mostly stored elsewhere.
Then I would re-install the OS as a clean install onto the original
SATA 1TB SSD, knowing that I would lose anything on there. Maybe not.
The only major loss would be the Local Folders saved since the last
Backup. Since my e-mail is via gmail. all messages are still available
the server, and so the missing Local Folders could be restored, with
some work. I have always backed up any altered documents every night.
Parts of my reasoning are that:
1. The manufacturer does not offer now a direct 1TB or 2TB SATA SSD.
Buying one from a different source would just add another possible
layer of confusion, as if there were not enough already. It offers
those sizes in HDD, but that would compromise speed. For a replacement
SSD, it offers either 500GB (£59) or 4TB (£324).
3. The whole process of trying to mount the old SSDs and grabbing the
data from them is an unknown to me, I have not managed to mount
such partitions while booted from a Live USB. Essentially, I am talking
about the Devil I know rather than the Devil I don't.
I can't help feeling that this simpler process would ultimately be more successful, and faster than attempting to grab the old data.
Hmmm. Remember, I am a Stranger in a Strange Land here. Thoughts?
Hello Davey!). =20
=20
08 Sep 25 11:50, Davey wrote to all:
=20
<lRh*hRHlA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>=20
<1099rhn$18ptm$1@dont-email.me>
<lRh*94HlA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>
<109bq2b$1lg6g$2@dont-email.me> <109ces1$1sb4s$1@dont-email.me>
Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote: =20
=20On 04/09/2025 11:35, Davey wrote: =20
I am not familiar with all this, but I have identified thehttps://cpc.farnell.com/kingston/snv3s-2000g/ssd-nv3-m-2-2280-pcie4-
following:
=20
0- =20
nvme/dp/CS37703?st=3Dpcie%20to%20pci for the new SSD.https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb3s2sat3cb/lead-sata-to-usb-with-
Then a choice:
For the SATA-USB adapter, possibly, at =C2=A39.78:
=20
=20
uasp/dp/CS34473?st=3Dssd%20to%20usb%20adaptershttps://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb312sat3/adapter-usb3-1-10gb-s-sa
or at =C2=A328.48:
=20
ta- =20
ssd/dp/CS30219?st=3Dssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
I do not see why there is such a price difference, unless one
gets what one pays for. =20
It's probably that the more expensive adaptor works with 3.5"
drives, and they have different power requirements. The page you
linked to does say that a power adaptor is included. 2.5" drives
(whether SSD or spinning rust) need only 5V. =20
Looking for an M2-USB adapter, I found, for =C2=A342.38:https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/m2-usb-c-nvme-sata/enclosure-usb-c-
=20
to-m-2-nvme-sata/dp/CS35447?st=3Dm2%20to%20usb%20adapters =20
which looks as though it would do both jobs (not at the same
time, of course). =20
Both jobs? It'll house your M.2 NVMe drive (and would work with an
M.2 SATA drive) but won't work with a 2.5" SATA drive. Different
interface.
Nice that it comes with both USB-A and USB-C cables ... but I'm
guessing you only need the former?
It looks a little expensive, too. Have a look at:
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/sabrent-ec-snve-usb32-type-c-enclosu
re-m2-pcie-nvme-sata-ssd-tool-free-10gbps-speeds-plug-and-play-a
or for that matter:
https://business.currys.co.uk/catalogue/computing/P219238P which
is perhaps an older version of the one you found? =20
OK, this is where I am. I am rapidly thinking that the easiest=20
solution will be to remove the m2 SSD, which I believe still has
the video files on it. Even if they are lost, they are mostly
stored elsewhere. Then I would re-install the OS as a clean
install onto the original SATA 1TB SSD, knowing that I would lose
anything on there. Maybe not. The only major loss would be the
Local Folders saved since the last Backup. Since my e-mail is via
gmail. all messages are still available the server, and so the
missing Local Folders could be restored, with some work. I have
always backed up any altered documents every night. =20
Parts of my reasoning are that: =20=20
1. The manufacturer does not offer now a direct 1TB or 2TB SATA
SSD. Buying one from a different source would just add another
possible layer of confusion, as if there were not enough already.
It offers those sizes in HDD, but that would compromise speed. For
a replacement SSD, it offers either 500GB (=C2=A359) or 4TB (=C2=A3324=
=20
2. One thought is to buy the 500GB SSD, use that for the new=20
install, grab the 'lost' data, save it elsewhere, and finally
return the 1TB SSD and start again. But would a 500GB drive be big
enough? Or possibly, for this job only, either the 1TB HDD, (=C2=A348),
or the 2TB HDD (=C2=A371). But then they would sit on the shelf. =20
3. The whole process of trying to mount the old SSDs and grabbing=20
the data from them is an unknown to me, I have not managed to mount
such partitions while booted from a Live USB. Essentially, I am
talking about the Devil I know rather than the Devil I don't. =20
I can't help feeling that this simpler process would ultimately be=20
more successful, and faster than attempting to grab the old data. =20
Hmmm. Remember, I am a Stranger in a Strange Land here. Thoughts? =20=20
I do use both M.2 and sata SSD units and having tried a.m. other brand (Crucial and found it was too painful to use cleaning using fstrim
because of a very poor controller) I switched to a Samsung 990 PRO
M.2 unit of 1TB although I wished I had purchased a larger one say 2
- 4 TB.
=20
I still run fstrim one per day I am keeping an eye on its o.p to see
if I need to change it to 2 times per day at 00:00,12:00 and 40
minutes (my semi-ish quiet time).
=20
My system is on 24/7 running bbs, ftp, web servers as well as other
services such as Mysql/mariadb server and a mainframe gateway /
inteerlink.
=20
On line I still do Cobol development for my O/S ACAS accounting
system with many manual updates heavy in the mix using LibreOffice
writer. There are around a dozen of these, many over 100 A4 pages.
=20
This I hope will reduce within the next month or two - there again I
have been saying that kind of thing for some years :(
=20
Still at 78, I do need something to keep me occupied as flying has
gotten way too expensive in the UK at 250 pounds per hour for 60 year
old Pipers and Cessnas singles - twins are out of question being on a
pension :)
=20
It is cheaper to rent time in a B737-8 sim than use one of these well
over priced a/c's and I do not have to pay extra for an instructor /
2nd pilot.
=20
Vincent
=20
=20
=20
<109mcdb$74et$1@dont-email.me> <1757344306@f1.n250.z2.fidonet.ftn>
"Vincent Coen" <VBCoen@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello Davey!
08 Sep 25 11:50, Davey wrote to all:
<lRh*hRHlA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk><109ces1$1sb4s$1@dont-email.me>
<1099rhn$18ptm$1@dont-email.me>
<lRh*94HlA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>
<109bq2b$1lg6g$2@dont-email.me>
Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote:https://cpc.farnell.com/kingston/snv3s-2000g/ssd-nv3-m-2-2280-pcie4-
On 04/09/2025 11:35, Davey wrote:
I am not familiar with all this, but I have identified the
following:
https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb3s2sat3cb/lead-sata-to-usb-with-0-
nvme/dp/CS37703?st=pcie%20to%20pci for the new SSD.
Then a choice:
For the SATA-USB adapter, possibly, at £9.78:
https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb312sat3/adapter-usb3-1-10gb-s-sa
uasp/dp/CS34473?st=ssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
or at £28.48:
drivesta-
ssd/dp/CS30219?st=ssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
I do not see why there is such a price difference, unless one
gets what one pays for.
It's probably that the more expensive adaptor works with 3.5"
drives, and they have different power requirements. The page you
linked to does say that a power adaptor is included. 2.5"
https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/m2-usb-c-nvme-sata/enclosure-usb-c-(whether SSD or spinning rust) need only 5V.
Looking for an M2-USB adapter, I found, for £42.38:
anto-m-2-nvme-sata/dp/CS35447?st=m2%20to%20usb%20adapters
which looks as though it would do both jobs (not at the same
time, of course).
Both jobs? It'll house your M.2 NVMe drive (and would work with
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/sabrent-ec-snve-usb32-type-c-enclosuM.2 SATA drive) but won't work with a 2.5" SATA drive. Different
interface.
Nice that it comes with both USB-A and USB-C cables ... but I'm
guessing you only need the former?
It looks a little expensive, too. Have a look at:
whichre-m2-pcie-nvme-sata-ssd-tool-free-10gbps-speeds-plug-and-play-a
or for that matter:
https://business.currys.co.uk/catalogue/computing/P219238P
Foris perhaps an older version of the one you found?
OK, this is where I am. I am rapidly thinking that the easiest
solution will be to remove the m2 SSD, which I believe still has
the video files on it. Even if they are lost, they are mostly
stored elsewhere. Then I would re-install the OS as a clean
install onto the original SATA 1TB SSD, knowing that I would lose
anything on there. Maybe not. The only major loss would be the
Local Folders saved since the last Backup. Since my e-mail is via
gmail. all messages are still available the server, and so the
missing Local Folders could be restored, with some work. I have
always backed up any altered documents every night.
Parts of my reasoning are that:
1. The manufacturer does not offer now a direct 1TB or 2TB SATA
SSD. Buying one from a different source would just add another
possible layer of confusion, as if there were not enough already.
It offers those sizes in HDD, but that would compromise speed.
a replacement SSD, it offers either 500GB (£59) or 4TB (£324).big
2. One thought is to buy the 500GB SSD, use that for the new
install, grab the 'lost' data, save it elsewhere, and finally
return the 1TB SSD and start again. But would a 500GB drive be
enough? Or possibly, for this job only, either the 1TB HDD,(£48),
or the 2TB HDD (£71). But then they would sit on the shelf.mount
3. The whole process of trying to mount the old SSDs and grabbing
the data from them is an unknown to me, I have not managed to
such partitions while booted from a Live USB. Essentially, I ambe
talking about the Devil I know rather than the Devil I don't.
I can't help feeling that this simpler process would ultimately
more successful, and faster than attempting to grab the old data.I do use both M.2 and sata SSD units and having tried a.m. other
Hmmm. Remember, I am a Stranger in a Strange Land here. Thoughts?
brand (Crucial and found it was too painful to use cleaning using
fstrim because of a very poor controller) I switched to a Samsung
990 PRO M.2 unit of 1TB although I wished I had purchased a larger
one say 2 - 4 TB. I still run fstrim one per day I am keeping an
eye on its o.p to see if I need to change it to 2 times per day at
00:00,12:00 and 40 minutes (my semi-ish quiet time). My system is
on 24/7 running bbs, ftp, web servers as well as other services
such as Mysql/mariadb server and a mainframe gateway / inteerlink.
On line I still do Cobol development for my O/S ACAS accounting
system with many manual updates heavy in the mix using LibreOffice
writer. There are around a dozen of these, many over 100 A4 pages.
This I hope will reduce within the next month or two - there again I
have been saying that kind of thing for some years :(
Still at 78, I do need something to keep me occupied as flying has
gotten way too expensive in the UK at 250 pounds per hour for 60
year old Pipers and Cessnas singles - twins are out of question
being on a pension :) It is cheaper to rent time in a B737-8 sim
than use one of these well over priced a/c's and I do not have to
pay extra for an instructor / 2nd pilot. Vincent
I tried fstrim yesterday on my desktop, which has 2 SSDs, and it
tried, but failed to do anything. I'll get back to it later. First
things first.
Further thinking (yes, I know!) has made we wonder.
Even if I do manage to mount the old partitions on the laptop with a
new primary SSD, I would not be able to transfer any application
setups. Only files. The only files that I have not backed up already
are the TB Local Folders since the last backup.
Since to me this remote mounting is a New World to me, and attempts so
far have proved unsuccessful, I am still inclined to: Remove the
secondary drive m2 SSD, re-install Ubuntu from scratch onto the old
primary, and then re-install the m2. Who knows, some of the old
applications might survive this; maybe TB Local Folders might.
Do I have this correct, or not?
Hello Davey!=A3324).
=20
09 Sep 25 09:04, Davey wrote to all:
=20
<109mcdb$74et$1@dont-email.me> <1757344306@f1.n250.z2.fidonet.ftn> "Vincent Coen" <VBCoen@gmail.com> wrote: =20=20
Hello Davey!
08 Sep 25 11:50, Davey wrote to all:
=20
<lRh*hRHlA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk><109ces1$1sb4s$1@dont-email.me> =20
<1099rhn$18ptm$1@dont-email.me>
<lRh*94HlA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>
<109bq2b$1lg6g$2@dont-email.me> =20
Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote: =20=20
https://cpc.farnell.com/kingston/snv3s-2000g/ssd-nv3-m-2-2280-pcie4-On 04/09/2025 11:35, Davey wrote: =20
I am not familiar with all this, but I have identified the=20
following:
=20
=20
https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb3s2sat3cb/lead-sata-to-usb-with-0- =20
nvme/dp/CS37703?st=3Dpcie%20to%20pci for the new SSD.=20
Then a choice:
For the SATA-USB adapter, possibly, at =C2=A39.78:
=20
=20
https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb312sat3/adapter-usb3-1-10gb-s-sa=20
uasp/dp/CS34473?st=3Dssd%20to%20usb%20adapters=20
or at =C2=A328.48:
=20
=20
drives =20ta- =20
ssd/dp/CS30219?st=3Dssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
I do not see why there is such a price difference, unless
one gets what one pays for. =20
It's probably that the more expensive adaptor works with 3.5"
drives, and they have different power requirements. The page
you linked to does say that a power adaptor is included.
2.5" =20
https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/m2-usb-c-nvme-sata/enclosure-usb-c-(whether SSD or spinning rust) need only 5V. =20
Looking for an M2-USB adapter, I found, for =C2=A342.38:=20
=20
=20
an =20to-m-2-nvme-sata/dp/CS35447?st=3Dm2%20to%20usb%20adapters =20
which looks as though it would do both jobs (not at the same
time, of course). =20
Both jobs? It'll house your M.2 NVMe drive (and would work
with =20
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/sabrent-ec-snve-usb32-type-c-enclosuM.2 SATA drive) but won't work with a 2.5" SATA drive.
Different interface.
Nice that it comes with both USB-A and USB-C cables ... but
I'm guessing you only need the former?
It looks a little expensive, too. Have a look at:
=20
=20
which =20re-m2-pcie-nvme-sata-ssd-tool-free-10gbps-speeds-plug-and-play-a
or for that matter:
https://business.currys.co.uk/catalogue/computing/P219238P =20
=20is perhaps an older version of the one you found? =20
OK, this is where I am. I am rapidly thinking that the easiest=20
solution will be to remove the m2 SSD, which I believe still
has the video files on it. Even if they are lost, they are
mostly stored elsewhere. Then I would re-install the OS as a
clean install onto the original SATA 1TB SSD, knowing that I
would lose anything on there. Maybe not. The only major loss
would be the Local Folders saved since the last Backup. Since
my e-mail is via gmail. all messages are still available the
server, and so the missing Local Folders could be restored,
with some work. I have always backed up any altered documents
every night. =20
Parts of my reasoning are that: =20=20
1. The manufacturer does not offer now a direct 1TB or 2TB SATAFor =20
SSD. Buying one from a different source would just add another
possible layer of confusion, as if there were not enough
already. It offers those sizes in HDD, but that would
compromise speed. =20
a replacement SSD, it offers either 500GB (=C2=A359) or 4TB (=C2=
=20=20=20
2. One thought is to buy the 500GB SSD, use that for the newbig =20
install, grab the 'lost' data, save it elsewhere, and finally
return the 1TB SSD and start again. But would a 500GB drive be
=20
enough? Or possibly, for this job only, either the 1TB HDD, =20(=C2=A348), =20
or the 2TB HDD (=C2=A371). But then they would sit on the shelf. =
=20=20
3. The whole process of trying to mount the old SSDs andmount =20
grabbing the data from them is an unknown to me, I have not
managed to =20
such partitions while booted from a Live USB. Essentially, I am=20
talking about the Devil I know rather than the Devil I don't. =20
I can't help feeling that this simpler process wouldbe =20
ultimately =20
more successful, and faster than attempting to grab the old=20
data. =20
Hmmm. Remember, I am a Stranger in a Strange Land here.I do use both M.2 and sata SSD units and having tried a.m. other
Thoughts? =20
brand (Crucial and found it was too painful to use cleaning using
fstrim because of a very poor controller) I switched to a Samsung
990 PRO M.2 unit of 1TB although I wished I had purchased a larger
one say 2 - 4 TB. I still run fstrim one per day I am keeping an
eye on its o.p to see if I need to change it to 2 times per day at
00:00,12:00 and 40 minutes (my semi-ish quiet time). My system is
on 24/7 running bbs, ftp, web servers as well as other services
such as Mysql/mariadb server and a mainframe gateway / inteerlink.
On line I still do Cobol development for my O/S ACAS accounting
system with many manual updates heavy in the mix using LibreOffice
writer. There are around a dozen of these, many over 100 A4 pages.
This I hope will reduce within the next month or two - there
again I have been saying that kind of thing for some years :(
Still at 78, I do need something to keep me occupied as flying has
gotten way too expensive in the UK at 250 pounds per hour for 60
year old Pipers and Cessnas singles - twins are out of question
being on a pension :) It is cheaper to rent time in a B737-8 sim
than use one of these well over priced a/c's and I do not have to
pay extra for an instructor / 2nd pilot. Vincent =20
I tried fstrim yesterday on my desktop, which has 2 SSDs, and it=20
tried, but failed to do anything. I'll get back to it later. First
things first. =20
Further thinking (yes, I know!) has made we wonder.=20
Even if I do manage to mount the old partitions on the laptop with
a new primary SSD, I would not be able to transfer any application
setups. Only files. The only files that I have not backed up
already are the TB Local Folders since the last backup.
Since to me this remote mounting is a New World to me, and
attempts so far have proved unsuccessful, I am still inclined to:
Remove the secondary drive m2 SSD, re-install Ubuntu from scratch
onto the old primary, and then re-install the m2. Who knows, some
of the old applications might survive this; maybe TB Local Folders
might. Do I have this correct, or not? =20
Using Fstrim has to be via sudo e.g., sudo fstrim -av and here I get :
=20
sudo fstrim -av
[sudo] password for mbse:
/home: 5.4 GiB (5775577088 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p4
/: 950.7 MiB (996900864 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p2
=20
Note that every time you reboot or restart running fstrim will
produce size around the total capacity and this is normal but say a
few minutes after rerunning it will give a more sensible number e.g.,
=20
sudo fstrim -av
/home: 319.8 MiB (335319040 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p4
/: 0 B (0 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p2
=20
I you try running fstrim before shutting down for a drive swap but
leave the system running for say 30 minutes before shutting down for
a swap out and no, it just gives some time for the controller to
clear out lost clusters etc.
=20
I am assuming here that your laptop has minimal extra drive capacity
/ Sata connections ? so what to do, if you have data files on the
boot drive then removing the 2nd drive (assuming it is not needed
when booting) and using new drive in place before copying over all
such data having partitioning / format the new drive first (as root /
sudo) AND knowing that you have fdisk or similar to do so. Also
install rsync as it is quicker than using cp as multi copies are run
at same time.
=20
Firstly install Linux on new drive as as m.2 slot one with no other
drive present and install if not already fstrim, rsync & fdisk and
any other packages you might need. Reboot and run update service then shutdown, reinstall old drive as slot two and do the above processes,
i.e., copying over and folders from slot 2 to boot drive / partition
as needed.
=20
Reboot - to confirm it still works.
=20
Remove m.2 slot 2, replacing with old 2nd drive and boot up.
Now depending size of slot 1 and your needs copy over any folders
from slot 2 to boot drive to any / all partitions you have created
when first installing ---- Bye the bye, set up the partitions
MANUALLY if possible creating any extra partitions AND formatting
them (EXT 4 etc and create labels for them) as well as the one for
booting the system - personally I use a max size of 50 GB for the
boot partitions and I do have more than one on a drive so I can test
a new version and/or install an other distro if I wish to experiment
creating 40 - 50 GB partitions for them as a guess but but not below
20 GB, but you might want to use a different size depending on total capacity and your needs.
=20
=20
Another option to moving m.2 units about is to get a adaptor that
will take a m.2 drive that can be mounted as a usb drive and no never
looked but assume they are around at a reasonable price. This option,
will be slower in operation as USB is less than 5% speed of a M.2
drive. [ Here an m.2 runs at 6,000 Mb persec and USB 4-500 Mb if you
are lucky - yes they actually operate well below specification speeds.
=20
Look you cannot go wrong PROVIDING you NEVER overwrite the original
drives and only use them to copy FROM. OK, you might make mistakes
and have to redo it all but it is only time and your original data is
safe BUT, BUT only do this process when you are wide awake :(
=20
=20
=20
Vincent
=20
=20
=20
<109on27$rnou$1@dont-email.me> <1757416788@f1.n250.z2.fidonet.ftn>
"Vincent Coen" <VBCoen@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello Davey!
09 Sep 25 09:04, Davey wrote to all:
<109mcdb$74et$1@dont-email.me><1757344306@f1.n250.z2.fidonet.ftn>
"Vincent Coen" <VBCoen@gmail.com> wrote:https://cpc.farnell.com/kingston/snv3s-2000g/ssd-nv3-m-2-2280-pcie4-
Hello Davey!
08 Sep 25 11:50, Davey wrote to all:
<lRh*hRHlA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk><109ces1$1sb4s$1@dont-email.me>
<1099rhn$18ptm$1@dont-email.me>
<lRh*94HlA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>
<109bq2b$1lg6g$2@dont-email.me>
Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote:
On 04/09/2025 11:35, Davey wrote:
I am not familiar with all this, but I have identified the
following:
https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb3s2sat3cb/lead-sata-to-usb-with-
0-
nvme/dp/CS37703?st=pcie%20to%20pci for the new SSD.
Then a choice:
For the SATA-USB adapter, possibly, at £9.78:
https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb312sat3/adapter-usb3-1-10gb-s-sa
uasp/dp/CS34473?st=ssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
or at £28.48:
3.5"
ta-
ssd/dp/CS30219?st=ssd%20to%20usb%20adapters
I do not see why there is such a price difference, unless
one gets what one pays for.
It's probably that the more expensive adaptor works with
https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/m2-usb-c-nvme-sata/enclosure-usb-c-drivesdrives, and they have different power requirements. The page
you linked to does say that a power adaptor is included.
2.5"
(whether SSD or spinning rust) need only 5V.
Looking for an M2-USB adapter, I found, for £42.38:
same
to-m-2-nvme-sata/dp/CS35447?st=m2%20to%20usb%20adapters
which looks as though it would do both jobs (not at the
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/sabrent-ec-snve-usb32-type-c-enclosuantime, of course).
Both jobs? It'll house your M.2 NVMe drive (and would work
with
M.2 SATA drive) but won't work with a 2.5" SATA drive.
Different interface.
Nice that it comes with both USB-A and USB-C cables ... but
I'm guessing you only need the former?
It looks a little expensive, too. Have a look at:
re-m2-pcie-nvme-sata-ssd-tool-free-10gbps-speeds-plug-and-play-a
easiestor for that matter:
https://business.currys.co.uk/catalogue/computing/P219238P
which
is perhaps an older version of the one you found?
OK, this is where I am. I am rapidly thinking that the
SATAsolution will be to remove the m2 SSD, which I believe still
has the video files on it. Even if they are lost, they are
mostly stored elsewhere. Then I would re-install the OS as a
clean install onto the original SATA 1TB SSD, knowing that I
would lose anything on there. Maybe not. The only major loss
would be the Local Folders saved since the last Backup. Since
my e-mail is via gmail. all messages are still available the
server, and so the missing Local Folders could be restored,
with some work. I have always backed up any altered documents
every night.
Parts of my reasoning are that:
1. The manufacturer does not offer now a direct 1TB or 2TB
anotherSSD. Buying one from a different source would just add
(£324).possible layer of confusion, as if there were not enoughFor
already. It offers those sizes in HDD, but that would
compromise speed.
a replacement SSD, it offers either 500GB (£59) or 4TB
be
2. One thought is to buy the 500GB SSD, use that for the new
install, grab the 'lost' data, save it elsewhere, and finally
return the 1TB SSD and start again. But would a 500GB drive
ambig
enough? Or possibly, for this job only, either the 1TB HDD,(£48),
or the 2TB HDD (£71). But then they would sit on the shelf.
3. The whole process of trying to mount the old SSDs andmount
grabbing the data from them is an unknown to me, I have not
managed to
such partitions while booted from a Live USB. Essentially, I
othertalking about the Devil I know rather than the Devil I don't.
I can't help feeling that this simpler process wouldbe
ultimately
more successful, and faster than attempting to grab the oldI do use both M.2 and sata SSD units and having tried a.m.
data.
Hmmm. Remember, I am a Stranger in a Strange Land here.
Thoughts?
usingbrand (Crucial and found it was too painful to use cleaning
Samsungfstrim because of a very poor controller) I switched to a
larger990 PRO M.2 unit of 1TB although I wished I had purchased a
anone say 2 - 4 TB. I still run fstrim one per day I am keeping
ateye on its o.p to see if I need to change it to 2 times per day
is00:00,12:00 and 40 minutes (my semi-ish quiet time). My system
inteerlink.on 24/7 running bbs, ftp, web servers as well as other services
such as Mysql/mariadb server and a mainframe gateway /
LibreOfficeOn line I still do Cobol development for my O/S ACAS accounting
system with many manual updates heavy in the mix using
pages.writer. There are around a dozen of these, many over 100 A4
has
This I hope will reduce within the next month or two - there
again I have been saying that kind of thing for some years :(
Still at 78, I do need something to keep me occupied as flying
simgotten way too expensive in the UK at 250 pounds per hour for 60
year old Pipers and Cessnas singles - twins are out of question
being on a pension :) It is cheaper to rent time in a B737-8
tothan use one of these well over priced a/c's and I do not have
Firstpay extra for an instructor / 2nd pilot. Vincent
I tried fstrim yesterday on my desktop, which has 2 SSDs, and it
tried, but failed to do anything. I'll get back to it later.
things first.with
Further thinking (yes, I know!) has made we wonder.
Even if I do manage to mount the old partitions on the laptop
a new primary SSD, I would not be able to transfer anyapplication
setups. Only files. The only files that I have not backed upFolders
already are the TB Local Folders since the last backup.
Since to me this remote mounting is a New World to me, and
attempts so far have proved unsuccessful, I am still inclined to:
Remove the secondary drive m2 SSD, re-install Ubuntu from scratch
onto the old primary, and then re-install the m2. Who knows, some
of the old applications might survive this; maybe TB Local
might. Do I have this correct, or not?
Using Fstrim has to be via sudo e.g., sudo fstrim -av and here I get
: sudo fstrim -av [sudo] password for mbse: /home: 5.4 GiB
(5775577088 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p4 /: 950.7 MiB (996900864
bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p2 Note that every time you reboot or
restart running fstrim will produce size around the total capacity
and this is normal but say a few minutes after rerunning it will
give a more sensible number e.g.,
sudo fstrim -av
/home: 319.8 MiB (335319040 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p4
/: 0 B (0 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p2
I you try running fstrim before shutting down for a drive swap but
leave the system running for say 30 minutes before shutting down for
a swap out and no, it just gives some time for the controller to
clear out lost clusters etc.
I am assuming here that your laptop has minimal extra drive capacity
/ Sata connections ? so what to do, if you have data files on the
boot drive then removing the 2nd drive (assuming it is not needed
when booting) and using new drive in place before copying over all
such data having partitioning / format the new drive first (as root
/ sudo) AND knowing that you have fdisk or similar to do so. Also
install rsync as it is quicker than using cp as multi copies are run
at same time.
Firstly install Linux on new drive as as m.2 slot one with no other
drive present and install if not already fstrim, rsync & fdisk and
any other packages you might need. Reboot and run update service
then shutdown, reinstall old drive as slot two and do the above
processes, i.e., copying over and folders from slot 2 to boot drive
/ partition as needed. Reboot - to confirm it still works. Remove
m.2 slot 2, replacing with old 2nd drive and boot up. Now depending
size of slot 1 and your needs copy over any folders from slot 2 to
boot drive to any / all partitions you have created when first
installing ---- Bye the bye, set up the partitions MANUALLY if
possible creating any extra partitions AND formatting them (EXT 4
etc and create labels for them) as well as the one for booting the
system - personally I use a max size of 50 GB for the boot
partitions and I do have more than one on a drive so I can test a
new version and/or install an other distro if I wish to experiment
creating 40 - 50 GB partitions for them as a guess but but not below
20 GB, but you might want to use a different size depending on
total capacity and your needs. Another option to moving m.2 units
about is to get a adaptor that will take a m.2 drive that can be
mounted as a usb drive and no never looked but assume they are
around at a reasonable price. This option, will be slower in
operation as USB is less than 5% speed of a M.2 drive. [ Here an m.2
runs at 6,000 Mb persec and USB 4-500 Mb if you are lucky - yes they
actually operate well below specification speeds. Look you cannot
go wrong PROVIDING you NEVER overwrite the original drives and only
use them to copy FROM. OK, you might make mistakes and have to redo
it all but it is only time and your original data is safe BUT, BUT
only do this process when you are wide awake :( Vincent
Vince,
I know and appreciate your sincerity, but the last paragraph reeks of
"What can possibly go wrong?" to me!
Unless you can GUARANTEE full success, I am headed in the "Use what's
there" direction. And it's the cheapest.
Cheers
--
Davey.
=20
Using Fstrim has to be via sudo e.g., sudo fstrim -av and here I
get : sudo fstrim -av [sudo] password for mbse: /home: 5.4 GiB
(5775577088 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p4 /: 950.7 MiB
(996900864 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p2 Note that every time
you reboot or restart running fstrim will produce size around the
total capacity and this is normal but say a few minutes after
rerunning it will give a more sensible number e.g.,
sudo fstrim -av
/home: 319.8 MiB (335319040 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p4
/: 0 B (0 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p2
I you try running fstrim before shutting down for a drive swap but
leave the system running for say 30 minutes before shutting down
for a swap out and no, it just gives some time for the controller
to clear out lost clusters etc.
I am assuming here that your laptop has minimal extra drive
capacity / Sata connections ? so what to do, if you have data
files on the boot drive then removing the 2nd drive (assuming it
is not needed when booting) and using new drive in place before
copying over all such data having partitioning / format the new
drive first (as root / sudo) AND knowing that you have fdisk or
similar to do so. Also install rsync as it is quicker than using
cp as multi copies are run at same time.
Firstly install Linux on new drive as as m.2 slot one with no
other drive present and install if not already fstrim, rsync &
fdisk and any other packages you might need. Reboot and run
update service then shutdown, reinstall old drive as slot two and
do the above processes, i.e., copying over and folders from slot
2 to boot drive / partition as needed. Reboot - to confirm it
still works. Remove m.2 slot 2, replacing with old 2nd drive and
boot up. Now depending size of slot 1 and your needs copy over
any folders from slot 2 to boot drive to any / all partitions you
have created when first installing ---- Bye the bye, set up the
partitions MANUALLY if possible creating any extra partitions AND
formatting them (EXT 4 etc and create labels for them) as well as
the one for booting the system - personally I use a max size of
50 GB for the boot partitions and I do have more than one on a
drive so I can test a new version and/or install an other distro
if I wish to experiment creating 40 - 50 GB partitions for them
as a guess but but not below 20 GB, but you might want to use a
different size depending on total capacity and your needs.
Another option to moving m.2 units about is to get a adaptor that
will take a m.2 drive that can be mounted as a usb drive and no
never looked but assume they are around at a reasonable price.
This option, will be slower in operation as USB is less than 5%
speed of a M.2 drive. [ Here an m.2 runs at 6,000 Mb persec and
USB 4-500 Mb if you are lucky - yes they actually operate well
below specification speeds. Look you cannot go wrong PROVIDING
you NEVER overwrite the original drives and only use them to copy
FROM. OK, you might make mistakes and have to redo it all but it
is only time and your original data is safe BUT, BUT only do this
process when you are wide awake :( Vincent =20
Vince, =20=20
I know and appreciate your sincerity, but the last paragraph reeks=20
of "What can possibly go wrong?" to me! =20
Unless you can GUARANTEE full success, I am headed in the "Use=20
what's there" direction. And it's the cheapest. =20
Cheers=20
--
Davey. =20
Here the trick is to only open these systems you are copying FROM as
Read Only - the entire partition.=08 via MOUNT i.e., sudo mount -r ....
=20
=20
=20
Vincent
=20
=20
Using Fstrim has to be via sudo e.g., sudo fstrim -av and here I get :
sudo fstrim -av
[sudo] password for mbse:
/home: 5.4 GiB (5775577088 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p4
/: 950.7 MiB (996900864 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p2
Note that every time you reboot or restart running fstrim will
produce size around the total capacity and this is normal but say a
few minutes after rerunning it will give a more sensible number e.g.,
sudo fstrim -av
/home: 319.8 MiB (335319040 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p4
/: 0 B (0 bytes) trimmed on /dev/nvme0n1p2
I you try running fstrim before shutting down for a drive swap but
leave the system running for say 30 minutes before shutting down for
a swap out and no, it just gives some time for the controller to
clear out lost clusters etc.
The more I think about it, the more I am coming down on the restart
plan, with no new items involved:
Remove the M2SSD, wipe the primary drive (SATA SSD) and install a
clean setup of ver. 22.04. Install required applications. When all is operating as it should, then re-install the M2SSD.
The only files that I will lose are the TB Local Folders since the
last backup, and they can be recreated, thanks to gmail keeping all
messages.
I appreciate what you say, and ma grateful for the thoughts, but TO ME
my way has more advantages than disadvantages, and is simpler to
implement.
I have not heard of fstrim, now that I know about it, I will look at
it and implement it.
On 08/09/2025 17:28, Davey wrote:
I have not heard of fstrim, now that I know about it, I will look at
it and implement it.
Trimming SSDs used to be talked about a lot, when SSDs were new and exciting, and many times the cost per MB of HDDs. Now, not so much.
The issue is that each block of storage on an SSD can only reliably
be written a finite number of times - generally of the order of
several thousand. This is where the "Terabytes Written" lifetimes
quoted for SSDs comes from. The controller of an SSD tries to
minimize this "wear" by writing new data to the least-used available
block ... but to do this it has to know which blocks are "available".
The more blocks that are available the more effective the
wear-levelling strategy employed by the SSD controller can be. If a
disk is only part-full, or if the disk uses "over-provisioning"
(keeping some blocks in reserve and advertising itself as a smaller
disk than it could be) there is often no problem. As a disk fills up
it is more likely to be a problem.
The position is slightly complicated by the fact that SSD blocks are
larger than disk sectors (for hardware reasons) so many sectors share
the same block, and that SSD blocks can only be written in their
entirety -- several sectors must be written at once. The problem of
finding "available" blocks becomes harder as the disk comes to
contain more and more blocks that are only partly used, so the
controller uses a "garbage collection" technique to collect up data
from part-used blocks and move them to a new block, making the blocks
that data came from available for future writes.
When a file is edited (say) the OS may write the new version in the
same place on disk (the same actual disk sectors) or may write the
whole changed file out somewhere else (different software works in
different ways). In the former case the SSD controller has to remap
the sectors onto different blocks and allocate new clean blocks for
the new data, but it then knows that the old blocks that used to be
mapped to those sectors are available for reuse. In the latter case
the controller knows that the OS has told it to use some new sectors,
but doesn't know that the OS now considers the old sectors to be
unused, so it continues to regard them as "unavailable".
On early SSDs this was a problem. Then the TRIM command was added to
the ATA interface, enabling an OS (more accurately a filesystem, in
the Linux world) to tell the SSD controller that it is no longer
using a particular sector. This enables the controller's wear
levelling to run more efficiently, and so prolongs the life of the
SSD.
Ideally, you'd like the filesystem to tell the SSD that a sector is
unused as soon as it becomes so - e.g. when a file is rewritten to a different location and the old one deleted ... or on any file
deletion or truncation. Unfortunately it seems that some
old/cheap/shitty SSDs can't cope with TRIM commands occurring in the
middle of a lot of file i/o and these SSDs may suffer errors or slow
down if the filesystem issues its own TRIM commands (I've never seen
it happen, but the Internet can't be wrong[Citation needed]) so it's
not done by default.
You can enable automatic filesystem TRIM commands by adding the
parameter "discard" to the mount command for your SSD ... e.g. in /etc/fstab. This works for Ext3, Ext4 and some others ...
Note that a TRIM command is just a simple command that says "Treat
Sectors x-y as unused". It's housekeeping information for the
controller and doesn't actually write to the SSD (though the
controller will probably return blank data if anyone tries to read an
unused sector, whatever is actually in the Flash memory).
The fstrim commandline tool is an alternative to enabling TRIM in the filesystem driver. When you run fstrim the program analyses the
filesystem and works out which sectors of the disk are actually in
use. It then uses the TRIM command to tell the SSD about ALL the
others (most of which it knows about anyway). The filesystem driver
may be clever enough (Ext4 apparently is) not to allow unnecessary
TRIM commands to be sent when fstrim is run multiple times between
boots, but will start afresh after a reboot.
At the end of the day, though, it's not a big deal. All reputable
SSDs are designed with the assumption that TRIM commands may not be
used at all; they have sufficiently good wear-levelling and
sufficient over-provisioning that they will work well enough without
TRIM. That's not to say that TRIM won't help, just that life can go
on without it.
The position is slightly complicated by the fact that SSD blocks are
larger than disk sectors (for hardware reasons) so many sectors share
the same block, and that SSD blocks can only be written in their
entirety -- several sectors must be written at once.
The problem of finding "available" blocks becomes harder as the disk
comes to contain more and more blocks that are only partly used, so
the controller uses a "garbage collection" technique to collect up
data from part-used blocks and move them to a new block, making the
blocks that data came from available for future writes.
A little more complicated than that. ...
On 17/09/2025 08:43, Richard Kettlewell wrote:
A little more complicated than that. ...
Yes, I know, but I was trying to keep things simple. Maybe too
simple, so thanks for your addition.
So, as one who knew nothing of trimming before this conversation
started, I am now as confused as ever as to what is the best strategy
to employ.
Should I set up a regular fstrim event, and if so, how frequently? Once
per week, once per month, or after a heavy data writing session?
On 17/09/2025 11:05, Davey wrote:
So, as one who knew nothing of trimming before this conversation
started, I am now as confused as ever as to what is the best
strategy to employ.
That's partly because it's really difficult to give an unambiguously
correct answer. One size doesn't fit all.
Should I set up a regular fstrim event, and if so, how frequently?
Once per week, once per month, or after a heavy data writing
session?
Hard to say as we don't know the make/model of your SSD, how old it
is, nor how full it is.
Modern SSDs are designed to work without TRIM ... nevertheless using
TRIM may be beneficial, and can help reduce SSD wear.
The benefit you'll get from TRIM is more if your SSD is close to
full. This is because as the SSD fills up there are fewer empty pages
to which the controller can write new data and so more work for
garbage collection to do. Better-quality SSDs (newer designs, more
reputable brands) have cleverer software that works better without
TRIM, but that can also make better use of information from TRIM.
I would say that the "best" thing to do is to let the filesystem
handle TRIM on-the-fly and forget about scheduled calls to fstrim.
That's what I'm doing and nothing has bitten me yet ... but I may
just be lucky. The SSD I use the most is a PNY device a year or so
old so I expect it to be reasonably current and performant.
Older and cheaper SSDs are reported to experience problems when doing
TRIM on the fly, and if you have one of those then you would be
better advised to use fstrim instead. Don't ask me which SSDs fall
into this category because I can't give you a list.
The time that fstrim will be most beneficial is not after writing
data to the SSD, it's after erasing data from the SSD ... so if you
delete a lot of files, or if you edit a lot of files (so that a new
version is created and the old one is deleted), there will be a lot
of sectors to TRIM. Just writing new data to the disk doesn't create
unused sectors, so TRIM won't help.
The general advice I see from people advocating the schedules use of
fstrim is to do it once a week, unless you have reason to believe
that you need to do it more often. I know that doesn't help much.
fstrim doesn't take very long, and doesn't add to SSD wear, so
there's no harm in running more often, it just won't add benefit.
One thing I would add: If you decide to turn on on-the-fly TRIMming
(by adding "discard" to /etc/fstab) it's worth running fstrim once
first, to bring the SSD up to date with what's actually in use in the
flash memory, and what isn't. It should stay current by itself after
that.
Does any of this help?
On Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:14:56 +0100
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
The more I think about it, the more I am coming down on the restart
plan, with no new items involved:
Remove the M2SSD, wipe the primary drive (SATA SSD) and install a
clean setup of ver. 22.04. Install required applications. When all
is operating as it should, then re-install the M2SSD.
The only files that I will lose are the TB Local Folders since the
last backup, and they can be recreated, thanks to gmail keeping all messages.
I appreciate what you say, and ma grateful for the thoughts, but TOMy plan is now being carried out. The M2SSD is out, a new Ubuntu
ME my way has more advantages than disadvantages, and is simpler to implement.
22.04 OS has been installed on the wiped primary drive.
Tomorrow will involve, amongst other applications installation,
copying FF and TB profiles from backups. Some other applications are
already installed. It's nice being able to read and write from/to the
primary drive again.
At some future time, I will re-install the M2SSD. But not yet.
Sorry, Vince, but that's the way it is.
<109pmku$145pu$1@dont-email.me>
<1757451772@f1.n250.z2.fidonet.ftn>
<109qcdh$19eei$1@dont-email.me> <109usdr$2ocfs$1@dont-email.me>
On Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:12:43 +0100
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
On Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:14:56 +0100
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
restart
The more I think about it, the more I am coming down on the
plan, with no new items involved:all
Remove the M2SSD, wipe the primary drive (SATA SSD) and install a
clean setup of ver. 22.04. Install required applications. When all
is operating as it should, then re-install the M2SSD.
The only files that I will lose are the TB Local Folders since the
last backup, and they can be recreated, thanks to gmail keeping
messages.TO
I appreciate what you say, and ma grateful for the thoughts, but
ME my way has more advantages than disadvantages, and is simplerto
implement.My plan is now being carried out. The M2SSD is out, a new Ubuntu
22.04 OS has been installed on the wiped primary drive.
Tomorrow will involve, amongst other applications installation,
copying FF and TB profiles from backups. Some other applications are
already installed. It's nice being able to read and write from/to
the primary drive again. At some future time, I will re-install the
M2SSD. But not yet.
Sorry, Vince, but that's the way it is.
After a lot more Real Life getting in the way, I managed to return to
the laptop today. I replaced the 2nd drive, and so far, it looks good.
I have even managed to rename it as M2SSD. There is still a lot more
to do to bring the machine back up to its previous level, but the path
looks clear.
But. It sits in my study, from where I have a good view of the patio
and any visiting cats, plus the wildlife in the garden. The desktop is deeper in the house, and not where I want to spend my computing time.
But I have got used to the monitor, which is much much bigger than the laptop's. So do I finish off the laptop's resurrection, and continue
on while squinting at a smallish screen, or re-arrange my study so
that the desktop takes the place of the laptop? Hmmm. Much thinking to
be done.
Hello Davey!
21 Sep 25 16:10, Davey wrote to all:
<109pmku$145pu$1@dont-email.me>
<1757451772@f1.n250.z2.fidonet.ftn>
<109qcdh$19eei$1@dont-email.me> <109usdr$2ocfs$1@dont-email.me>
On Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:12:43 +0100
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
On Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:14:56 +0100
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
restart
The more I think about it, the more I am coming down on the
plan, with no new items involved:all
Remove the M2SSD, wipe the primary drive (SATA SSD) and install
a clean setup of ver. 22.04. Install required applications.
When all is operating as it should, then re-install the M2SSD.
The only files that I will lose are the TB Local Folders since
the last backup, and they can be recreated, thanks to gmail
keeping
messages.TO
I appreciate what you say, and ma grateful for the thoughts,
but
ME my way has more advantages than disadvantages, and isto
simpler
implement.My plan is now being carried out. The M2SSD is out, a new Ubuntu
22.04 OS has been installed on the wiped primary drive.
Tomorrow will involve, amongst other applications installation,
copying FF and TB profiles from backups. Some other applications
are already installed. It's nice being able to read and write
from/to the primary drive again. At some future time, I will
re-install the M2SSD. But not yet.
Sorry, Vince, but that's the way it is.
After a lot more Real Life getting in the way, I managed to return
to the laptop today. I replaced the 2nd drive, and so far, it
looks good. I have even managed to rename it as M2SSD. There is
still a lot more to do to bring the machine back up to its
previous level, but the path looks clear.
But. It sits in my study, from where I have a good view of the
patio and any visiting cats, plus the wildlife in the garden. The
desktop is deeper in the house, and not where I want to spend my
computing time. But I have got used to the monitor, which is much
much bigger than the laptop's. So do I finish off the laptop's resurrection, and continue on while squinting at a smallish
screen, or re-arrange my study so that the desktop takes the place
of the laptop? Hmmm. Much thinking to be done.
OR - plus the laptop into the monitor via the rear (usually)
connector, plug in a wireless Kbrd and mouse and look to your hearts contentment.
Vincent
| Sysop: | Luis Silva |
|---|---|
| Location: | Lisbon |
| Users: | 764 |
| Nodes: | 10 (0 / 10) |
| Uptime: | 29:59:19 |
| Calls: | 546 |
| Calls today: | 1 |
| Files: | 46,973 |
| Messages: | 13,611 |