Sorry technomage,
Unlike you I am not technical. When you said to try using a 4K block setting 
my first response was, "DUHHHHHHHHH. Whatever that means!" Then I looked down 
and saw your example <?>. So I opened a terminal up and:
~~~
root@bmike1:/home/bmike1# e2fsck -b 32768 /dev/sda6
e2fsck 1.34-WIP (21-May-2003)
e2fsck: Invalid argument while trying to open /dev/sda6

The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2
filesystem.  If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2
filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock
is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:
    e2fsck -b 8193 <device>

root@bmike1:/home/bmike1# e2fsck -b 32768 /dev/sda6
~~~
Because it didn't work I figured that was not what you wanted so I await 
further instructions.
:)~MIKE~(:

On Monday 04 August 2003 06:55 am, technomage wrote:
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>
> hmmm,
> I had this very same problem.
> might I suggest you use another block number (say for a 4K block setting).
> it worked for me
>
> e2fsck -b 32768 <device>
>
>
>
> Mage
>