OS Corrupted, How do I retrieve the files?

Karnee

Karnee

Karnee

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23 Aug 2011
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Hi guys,

I've been given my aunts laptop to fix. The OS is corrupted and the system isn't detecting it upon boot. All she really wants is the files on the laptop. Are there any ways to get those off?

I have a 64GB memory stick. I was thinking if I install Windows OS on that and then change the boot preference to that, I might be able to access the files on the Hard Drive.

What do you guys think?
 
if you have a PC or a HDD enclosure you can take out the drive and connect as a second drive on the PC or a external hard drive and see if you can access the drive and browse the file structure.

EDIT: when the laptop boots does it give you any errors or anything as it maybe a issue with the HDD itself if you get a message like "no boot media detected" if its a corrupt OS you usually get a error like it cant find a file or it will not get past a certain point
 
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^ a pain to do, but probably the easiest. I've used knoppix live cd/dvd in the past to do just this.

Then you can look at reinstalling/repairing the os after.
 
if the hard drive isnt faulty or has any bad sectors, you can just install windows on top of the existing install and once installed go to computer > C:\ > windows.old and retrieve all the information from that folder.

run a chkdsk on the hdd first, or run a hdd test on the hdd via the laptop bios if it has that capability, most DELL, HP laptops do these days
 
divebod said:
^ a pain to do, but probably the easiest. I've used knoppix live cd/dvd in the past to do just this.

Then you can look at re-installing/repairing the os after.
Click to expand...

A pain to do? It's incredibly easy and saves tearing into a laptop to pull the disk and whack it in another machine.

I also wouldn't risk installing another OS on the disk until you have your data safe. That's just plain asking for trouble.
 
implosiveturnip said:
Use a linux live usb and copy the files to another HDD/USB device.

download mint or ubuntu or something like that and "burn" it to a usb using something like rufus or universal usb installer.

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

https://rufus.akeo.ie/
Click to expand...

So I installed ubuntu onto my memory stick and change the boot order to that. The option I chose was the to try ubuntu instead of installing it. One thing I've noticed is that I can't access or pick up the laptops harddrive. I think all I'm seeing is on the memory stick.

Is there any way I can change that?
 
it maybe a issue with the drive if the drive has died.

can you hear the drive powering up or spinning, does it appear in the bios at all?
 
ED209 said:
it maybe a issue with the drive if the drive has died.

can you hear the drive powering up or spinning, does it appear in the bios at all?
Click to expand...

The drive does appear. The issue is that in the bios it acts as if there isn't any OS installed on it.

Woden said:
When you boot with Linux, do you have any thing like sda in /dev?
Click to expand...

I do. I ran the sudo fdisk -l and it picked up the HDD and the Memory stick.

The HDD is meant to be in dev/sdb2. I try to open the file, but it says that it is a block file? Not sure what that is.
 
Block file is a device. Sdb2 being the the second partition on the hatred drive.

You need to mount sdb1 and sdb2 and you will be able to copy any files you need. I would guess either 1 or 2 is a recovery partition.

Also it might be worth (after copying the files) to boot with a windows cd and run "fdisk /mbr" and see if it boots.
 
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Woden said:
Block file is a device. Sdb2 being the the second partition on the hatred drive.

You need to mount sdb1 and sdb2 and you will be able to copy any files you need. I would guess either 1 or 2 is a recovery partition.

Also it might be worth (after copying the files) to boot with a windows cd and run "fdisk /mbr" and see if it boots.
Click to expand...

How do I mount them? I tried the ubuntu guide to mounting a new hdd, but it didn't work.

sudo lshw -C disk

Didn't show me anything.

EDIT: So I am confused.

I've just figured out how to mount drives and it looks like the HDD is already mounted, but I can't find any sign of it. Here's the output.

Code: 
it@it:/$ sudo mkdir /media/newhd_2
it@it:/$ sudo mount /dev/sdb /media/newhd_2/
mount: /dev/sdb already mounted or /media/newhd_2/ busy

Just to confirm this is the drive used a disk checker command.

Code: 
it@it:/$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sdb: 640.1 GB, 640135028736 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77825 cylinders, total 1250263728 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xe4e9f526

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb2      1217568768  1250263039    16347136   17  Hidden HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sda: 31.2 GB, 31161974784 bytes
256 heads, 3 sectors/track, 79249 cylinders, total 60863232 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc3072e18

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *          96    60863231    30431568    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
 
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One last post before I wipe the laptop.

I've just used Gpart to load up the HDD partitions. The Windows Recovery Drive appears, but the main drive partition is listed as unallocated.

So far this appears to match up with what I've been seeing. Unless you guys have any suggestions I will install the OS again.
 
I would connect the HDD as a second drive to a PC and run some data recovery software on it to see if you can get anything back off before putting windows on there otherwise you may reduce the chance of getting anything off it at all
 
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