what is best linux software to use to recover WinXP files?
 

Trying to recover WinXP files from a inaccessible drive. I've tried Knoppix v6.7, but don't seem to be able to transfer (burn) two 2 gb files I want to recover to a DVD. Which of the linux software does the best job of transferring files from an inaccessible (with Winxp)drive to a DVD.

Thanks,

John

Is there some kind of corruption on the Windows XP volume, or is Windows just unable to start for some reason? If you just need to boot into a live environment to copy undamaged files off of a drive, then any live distribution will be able to do that.

The 2 GB file problem is probably due to the filesystem mount options used. What specific error did you get?

First, thanks for the quick reply.

Yes, I have a corrupted file on my Winxp which does not allow me to get past the welcome page (I'm asked for a password even to login to Administrator). Tried to do a "repair" from the installation disk and it doesn't work, get same situation where I'm asked for a password. I've read that this is due to a corrupted file in Sys32 (cannot remember which one now). So thought I would try and transfer all my important files from my C drive to DVD and then do a clean install of Windows.

Knoppix (installed on a thumb drive) mounts all my drives on my computer and I can copy between them, but cannot get a good burn to a DVD (even though the blank dvd is recognized in Knoppix. Today, I thought I had it as the DVD completed, but ejected automatically (I assumed after the burn completed) and I got this crazy message that told me to manually eject the disc, even though it had ejected itself.

On the bottom of the DVD I could tell the DVD has burned to end (and I also had followed the burn process), but I could not get the burner nor a DVD Rom drive to recognize it. I did get a file log of the total progress of the burn if that would be helpful in figuring out what went wrong.

That's why I thought I might try another Linux system.

John

Puppy linux is the easiest I have ever used for this. When you boot from a live cd it will have the disk and particians in the lower left hand corner, just click on it and it will be ready for whatever you want to do.