Ext3 is a journaled file system and maintains a journal file to prevent instances of metadata corruption due to unexpected power outage. Due to its wide testing base and relative simplicity, the file system is considered to be safer than its counterparts. But it is not completely immune to crashes. At times, when using a Ext3 formatted drive, you might receive errors suggesting that system doesn't find any journal on the file system. As a solution, you might be compelled to reinstall the system.