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Using the disk utilities in ubuntu 11.04, i had encrypted a partition with a passphrase. Each time i used to click on the partition to mount, it used to ask me the passphrase and get mounted. All was fine, until i installed the 12.04. After the installation, this encrypted partition, disappeared from the menu.

fdisk -l /dev/sda

Shows the encrypted partition in the list

/dev/sda7       298953648   488392064    94719208+   7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

I tried the following commands to mount it. But they all gave following errors

$ sudo cryptsetup luksDump /dev/sda7

Device /dev/sda7 is not a valid LUKS device.


$ ecryptfs-unwrap-passphrase /dev/sda7
Passphrase:     # i entered the correct passphrase here...

Error: Unwrapping passphrase failed [-5]
Info: Check the system log for more information from libecryptfs


$ grep ecryptfs /var/log/syslog

Oct 31 22:43:51 benny ecryptfs-unwrap-passphrase: Error attempting to open [/dev/sda7] for reading
Nov  1 01:28:02 benny ecryptfs-unwrap-passphrase: Error attempting to open [/dev/sda7] for reading
Nov  1 01:29:06 benny ecryptfs-unwrap-passphrase: Error attempting to open [/dev/sda7] for reading

I don't understand why I am getting the "Device /dev/sda7 is not a valid LUKS device." Could it be due to some corruption in partition table? Is there any way to recover this encrypted partition? Thanks indiajoe

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From your question it looks like you are using EncryptFS for something like an encrypted /Home partition and can not open it.

ecryptfs-unwrap-passphrase /dev/sda7 Passphrase: # i entered the correct passphrase here...

Because your partition is not using LUKS, it will not show as a LUKS partition for the use of luksDump. Instead, EncryptFS is a stacked filesystem that uses metadata headers much like LUKS does but with a major drawback, it only uses one password. Recovering that password may not be much hope as covered in their FAQ: http://ecryptfs.sourceforge.net/ecryptfs-faq.html#lostkey

I would keep trying your last couple of passwords and if you manage to open the partition, migrate the data to LUKS, a much more versatile encryption system.

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  • Thanks for the reply. The passphrase i entered to encryptfs is correct. I haven't changed the passphrase. If it is not LUKS, how will i find which tool i should use to decrypt. (i used disk utilities in ubuntu 11.04 to encrypt). PS: Partition was not my /home directory. It was just a separate partition with data.
    – indiajoe
    Nov 6, 2012 at 11:50

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