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Old 07-03-2005, 05:46 AM   #1
duffmckagan
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Data Recovery from Linux.


Does anybody know of a software that will help me get the data back from a damaged HDD, and which works on Linux?

I have searched google until I went mad, to find nothing.

Is there any Utility / Tool / Software that I could run from Linux and scan my Damaged HDD?

I found there are a lot of softwares out there for Windows, but couldn't find anything for Windows.

I don't run Windows, so I am stuck up.

The file Systems in the HDDs are EXT 3 and FAT32
 
Old 07-03-2005, 09:13 AM   #2
bigrigdriver
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http://www.icewalkers.com/Linux/Soft...y-Utility.html
 
Old 07-03-2005, 10:15 AM   #3
duffmckagan
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http://www.data-recovery-software.ne...Recovery.shtml

I have already searched until i went mad on google, to find nothing.

Obviously, this software too was on the list.

I tried to find it out, but i didn't get any software that runs from within Linux, to run the Data Recovery Software.
 
Old 07-03-2005, 09:52 PM   #4
stefan_nicolau
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Recovery of deleted files on ext3 is impossible. This is done to make sure that the filesystem can be recovered after a power loss/kernel freeze/similar problem. Andreas Dilger, an ext3 developper said this:
Quote:
In order to ensure that ext3 can safely resume an unlink after a crash, it actually zeros out the block pointers in the inode, whereas
ext2 just marks these blocks as unused in the block bitmaps and marks the inode as "deleted" and leaves the block pointers alone.

Your only hope is to "grep" for parts of your files that have been deleted and hope for the best.
If you lost power, and corrupted your filesystem, the ext3 journal should get the filesystem back to a consistent state. You could also run fsck to attempt a repair. If your drive is physically damaged, you can't use a program to recover it.
 
Old 07-03-2005, 10:05 PM   #5
duffmckagan
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That was a cool one.

Oh yeah. I almost forgot that EXT3 is journalised and will recover the data back.

But what about EXT2?

I have a little partition on that Hard-disk which is formatted as EXT2.

I don't think it is physically damaged though. I will try on that EXT2 partition. Is there any program that runs from Windows, and can get the Data back from EXT2?

Moreover what about FAT32, if anybody has one? but no Windows on the machine?
Just keen to know whether i can find any program to backup data from these obsolete file systems.


Thanks a lot stefan_nicolau
 
Old 07-03-2005, 10:31 PM   #6
stefan_nicolau
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The ext2 debuging tools allow for recovery of lost files. Look at man debug2fs and
http://e2undel.sourceforge.net/recovery-howto.html

Look at man fsck for file system integrity checking and repair.

Last edited by stefan_nicolau; 07-03-2005 at 10:35 PM.
 
Old 07-03-2005, 10:33 PM   #7
duffmckagan
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OK, I will take a look at that.

Thanks.
 
Old 07-03-2005, 10:40 PM   #8
stefan_nicolau
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What is your problem? Are you trying to recover deleted files, or recover a crashed filesystem?

Quote:
I have a little partition on that Hard-disk which is formatted as EXT2.
How important is the data... ?

Many companies sell ext2 data recovery software (for crashed partitions), a few free programs have been suggested in this thread.

Your best bet is probably fsck, thought you may want to make a partition image before if the data is important

Last edited by stefan_nicolau; 07-03-2005 at 10:42 PM.
 
Old 07-03-2005, 10:47 PM   #9
duffmckagan
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Some of the data was deleted when I was listening to music, and the power went off.

So it is kinda crash.

I am reading that article at the moment.

But i don't think that it will help.

The data is not that critical, but I was trying to go insane about File Recovery from Linux, and not Windows.
 
Old 07-04-2005, 04:01 AM   #10
stefan_nicolau
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Quote:
Some of the data was deleted when I was listening to music,
Interesting... on what filesystem was the lost data?
How much data was lost?
Has the filesystem been mounted or checked since?
 
Old 07-04-2005, 04:11 AM   #11
duffmckagan
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Sorry for the incomplete info.

The file system was EXT2.
When I was listening to music, suddenly power went off, and when I restarted to listen it again, whoof! The folder had disappeared.

I have not written anything on that HD since then, hoping for a recovery.

I hope this clears it.



Thanks.
 
Old 07-04-2005, 04:50 AM   #12
stefan_nicolau
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Quote:
The folder had disappeared.
I take it the filesystem has been mounted...

Quote:
I have not written anything on that HD since then
Has the broken partition been checked with fsck or mounted read-write? (And is this your / partition?) That would lower your chances if you want to try to use some third-party recovery tool.

I there anything under the lost+found directory?

Try using debug2fs to search for deleted files.
 
Old 07-04-2005, 05:29 AM   #13
duffmckagan
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Yes. The file System was mounted.


And no. It wasn't my / partition. As already told, the data is on another Hard Disk.

I tried all of the above mentioned methods.

Thanks, but no use.

I think that I have lost them. I think I should give up.
 
Old 07-04-2005, 02:31 PM   #14
Croaker
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This is a program called Test-disk. I used it to get some files off my hdd after after changing the partitions. I don't know if it will work for you, but you can give it a try.

http://www.cgsecurity.org/index.html?testdisk.html
 
Old 07-04-2005, 02:36 PM   #15
duffmckagan
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Sure.

Thanks.
 
  


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