See those images below, it shows errors like wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock, missing codepage or helper program, or other error.... I just tried to mount it as FAT
mount /dev/sdf /home/ubuntu/sdf -t vfat
You get the error message you are seeing when you specify the wrong fs type to the mount command.
If you created a filesystem on the disk then you should use the same type in the mount command. If you don't know what the fstype is then you can try the auto option
mount -t auto /dev/sdf /mnt
and then you can use df -T to find the type
Filesystem Type 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/sdf vfat 102182 0 102182 0% /mnt
If you didn't create a filesystem, or you don't know what it is then you may be able to identify it using the file command
On the vfat disk above
file -sL /dev/sdf
/dev/sdf: x86 boot sector, mkdosfs boot message display, code offset 0x3c, OEM-ID " mkdosfs", sectors/cluster 4, root entries 512, Media descriptor 0xf8, sectors/FAT 200, heads 16, sectors 204800 (volumes > 32 MB) , serial number 0x75525ae1, unlabeled, FAT (16 bit)
On the same disk after mkfs to ext4
File -sL
/dev/sdf: Linux rev 1.0 ext4 filesystem data, UUID=8d50d025-c6df-4b9e-9e8e-9ed5538062ca (extents) (huge files)
It seems that fsck will also give information about the filesystem type if it recognises it
fsck -N /def/sdf
[/sbin/fsck.vfat (1) -- /dev/sdf] fsck.vfat /dev/sdf
mkfs -t ext4 /dev/sdf
fsck -N /dev/sdf
[/sbin/fsck.ext4 (1) -- /dev/sdf] fsck.ext4 /dev/sdf
If all that fails then chances are you don't have a filesystem on your disk so make one before mounting it with mkfs
$ file /dev/sdfto see iffilecan figure out what filesystem it is. – EEAA Dec 23 '13 at 1:59fdisk -l /dev/sdf? – Lawrence Dec 23 '13 at 2:19