Reading linux file system from Windows

Jonny69

Jonny69

Jonny69

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So is this possible? I'd like to be able to browse my linux partitions from Windows if possible.
 
http://www.fs-driver.org/index.html
It provides Windows NT4.0/2000/XP with full access to Linux Ext2 volumes (read access and write access). This may be useful if you have installed both Windows and Linux as a dual boot environment on your computer.

The "Ext2 Installable File System for Windows" software is freeware.
Click to expand...
Does the Ext2 driver access Ext3 volumes, too?
The Ext3 file system is the Ext2 file system which has been extended by journaling. Ext3 is backward-compatible to Ext2 - an Ext3 volume can be mounted and used as an Ext2 volume. Just as older Linux Kernels which do not know the Ext3 file system can mount Ext3 volumes (as Ext2 volumes), the Ext2 file system driver ext2fs.sys for Windows incorporated in this software package can do it without any problems, too. Of course you do not take advantage of the journaling of the Ext3 file system if you mount it as an Ext2 file system.

Journaling keeps the file system of a volume consistent, even though the volume has not been cleanly dismounted in the past (for instance because the computer has crashed): There is no need for running e2fsck (the "chkdsk" of the Ext2/Ext3 file system on Linux).
Click to expand...
I've used it for ages, never had any problems :)
 
Holy thread revival!!!

Trying to use Ext2 IFS on my Vista ultimate PC, and can indeed see the drive and it's partitions and have assigned them a letter.

BUT, when I come to double-click the drive, it tells me that the drive isn't formatted and asks if I wish to do so (obviously not!!)

The FAQ states:

I have installed the Ext2 IFS software and was able to create a drive letter for a desired volume of Linux. But when I try to access that volume I get an error message "The disk in drive X: is not formatted. Do you want to format it now?" (Of course I don't want to!) Or the content of the volume appears, but when I attempt to write something I get an error message "Access denied".

The ext2fs.sys driver did not mount that volume for some reason, or it mounted it read-only.
Please run the mountdiag diagnosis tool, which you can download here: mountdiag.exe (updated, 07-19-2008).
Please run it at the command prompt and give it the letter of the drive you want to examine, for example:
mountdiag G:
The tool will give you a hint on how to resolve the problem. (Note: The mountdiag tool reads data only; it does not attempt to modify anything.)
Click to expand...

Which I guess is exactly my problem, but doesn't go about telling me how to rectify it!

Any thoughts?
 
oo hang on, what tool?

I've used Ext2 IFS to assign a drive to the partitions and that's it. Can see them appear in "My Computer", but if I double click I get told it's not formatted, if I right click and go to properties I just get told it's a drive but the FileSystem is unknown, I believe it should say something like "Ext2" (where it would say FAT, FAT32, NTFS, etc)
 
~J~ said:
oo hang on, what tool?
Click to expand...

~J~ said:
Please run the mountdiag diagnosis tool, which you can download here: mountdiag.exe (updated, 07-19-2008).
Please run it at the command prompt and give it the letter of the drive you want to examine, for example:
mountdiag G:
The tool will give you a hint on how to resolve the problem. (Note: The mountdiag tool reads data only; it does not attempt to modify anything.)
Click to expand...

Did you even read their FAQ before posting it?
 
Ahh sorry, yeah I've run the MountDiag, but all it does is tell me the drive isn't mounted (which confirms what's said on the FAQ).
 
ok, is there another way?

Have got Knoppix Live CD, booted from that, but can't see the 2nd drive and/or it's partitions.

Is there some way of me mounting this drive in Knoppix so I can at least see something?
 
Sorry, I'm gonna appear a twonk here, but haven't a clue what LVM is?

Just literally got Knoppix Live CD, attached my HDD that I need to access into my already running PC, booted the Live CD and that's it.

I can see the HDD that's already in the drive for my Vista boot, but can't see the HDD (or it's partitions) for the 2nd drive I've attached.
 
I had to use XFS file system on a buffalo NAS drive and just installed a driver and it enabled me to access the drive very simply, what file system are using?
 
That's exactly what I'm trying to do.

Did have a Synology 108j as a NAS backup, but failed on me last week. Done a few tests and the Synology forums say the OS has become corrupt but the only way to reinstall the OS is to wipe the drive which obviously I don't want.

Have managed to take the drive out and attach it in Vista, and sure enough can see the drive and it's partitions (133Mb System, 133Mb Swap and 252Gb Data) (all shown as blue primary partitions), but of course can't access them via Windows.

Have downloaded a utility called "Explore2Fs" which allows me to assign the partitions to a drive letter (see above), but still can't access them.

I 'think' it's Ext2 (I say 'think' as my Linux knowledge you could write on a pin head).
 
Are both drives on the same controller? If so, have you tried manually mounting the device in knoppix to find out if you get an error? What does e2fsck say when you run it?
 
Again, forgive my ignorance:

Got one 500Gb attached via SATA which is the main Vista drive.
Got a 250Gb attached via a different SATA cable which is the drive I want to investigate

When I run Knoppix, I can see the 500Gb drive (I guess that's a primary master or something), can see the CD (where Knoppix is) that's it.

Don't know what command line parameters to give e2fsck I'm afraid.
 
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