In the lap time, I got the very same behaviour with another pata drive, i.e. errors with 2 x86-64 14.04.1 PCs (one dektop and one laptop) and no error with my old i386 12.04.4 laptop. A strange fortune circumstance I notice just at the moment of writing is that the 2 drives were genuine from old PackardBell computers. Sep 9 11:46:50 nux kernel: [422242.805648] usb 5-1: new high-speed USB device number 14 using xhci_hcd Sep 9 11:46:50 nux kernel: [422242.940165] usb 5-1: New USB device found, idVendor=04cf, idProduct=8818 Sep 9 11:46:50 nux kernel: [422242.940174] usb 5-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0 Sep 9 11:46:50 nux kernel: [422242.940180] usb 5-1: Product: USB Mass Storage Device Sep 9 11:46:50 nux kernel: [422242.940184] usb 5-1: Manufacturer: Myson Century, Inc. Sep 9 11:46:50 nux kernel: [422242.942743] usb-storage 5-1:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected Sep 9 11:46:50 nux kernel: [422242.943033] scsi29 : usb-storage 5-1:1.0 Sep 9 11:46:51 nux kernel: [422243.946537] scsi 29:0:0:0: Direct-Access ST312002 2A 3.04 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0 CCS Sep 9 11:46:51 nux kernel: [422243.947425] sd 29:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg7 type 0 Sep 9 11:46:51 nux kernel: [422243.947571] sd 29:0:0:0: [sdk] 234441648 512-byte logical blocks: (120 GB/111 GiB) Sep 9 11:46:51 nux kernel: [422243.947734] sd 29:0:0:0: [sdk] Write Protect is off Sep 9 11:46:51 nux kernel: [422243.947740] sd 29:0:0:0: [sdk] Mode Sense: 00 14 00 00 Sep 9 11:46:51 nux kernel: [422243.947895] sd 29:0:0:0: [sdk] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA Sep 9 11:46:51 nux kernel: [422243.972855] sdk: unknown partition table Sep 9 11:46:51 nux kernel: [422243.973712] sd 29:0:0:0: [sdk] Attached SCSI disk Sep 9 11:47:45 nux kernel: [422298.195272] end_request: critical target error, dev sdk, sector 0 Sep 9 11:47:45 nux kernel: [422298.464477] end_request: critical target error, dev sdk, sector 0 I don't know what parted would say, as at the moment the "guilty" drives are shreded, no partitions at all, not even an empty table if even possible. Although: sudo parted -l Model: ATA MAXTOR STM316021 (scsi) Disque /dev/sda : 160GB Taille des secteurs (logiques/physiques): 512B/512B Table de partitions : msdos Numéro Début Fin Taille Type Système de fichiers Fanions 1 1049kB 160GB 160GB primary ext4 démarrage Modèle: ATA SAMSUNG HD321KJ (scsi) Disque /dev/sdb : 320GB Taille des secteurs (logiques/physiques): 512B/512B Table de partitions : msdos Numéro Début Fin Taille Type Système de fichiers Fanions 1 1049kB 320GB 320GB primary ext4 Modèle: ATA Hitachi HDS72101 (scsi) Disque /dev/sdc : 1000GB Taille des secteurs (logiques/physiques): 512B/4096B Table de partitions : msdos Numéro Début Fin Taille Type Système de fichiers Fanions 1 1049kB 4000MB 3999MB primary linux-swap(v1) 2 4000MB 990GB 986GB primary ext4 3 990GB 995GB 5000MB primary ext4 4 995GB 1000GB 5204MB primary ext4 Erreur: Impossible d'ouvrir /dev/sdk - étiquette de disque non reconnue. Avertissement: Erreur de synchronisation/fermeture /dev/sdk: Erreur d'entrée/sortie sur l'hôte cible Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? r parted: élément incorrect: r Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? r parted: élément incorrect: r Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? r parted: élément incorrect: r Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? r parted: élément incorrect: r Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? r parted: élément incorrect: r Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? R parted: élément incorrect: R Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? R parted: élément incorrect: R Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? R parted: élément incorrect: R Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? R parted: élément incorrect: R Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? i parted: élément incorrect: i Réessayer/Retry/Ignorer/Ignore? ^C When I get some free time, I will attach the pata directly in the desktop (I mean no with the external usb adapter). BTW, I don't get the error with other pata drives and the usb adaptor. Plus: same error with a 3rd pata drive