open source/free data recovery software

[th3b0d0mr3ap3r]

Hi everyone, hope u r having a good time, I wonder if u guys know about a software for data recovery, i have a damaged hd with winXP installed, if its possible free software (for windowsXP or knoppix 3.6), thanks a lot and stay cool!!

[shah]

Need more info about your damaged hd. Is the partition deleted or just file, is it just won't boot, is the hard disk dead (not recognize by bios) or just a corrupted files...etc.
You could try use Ultimate Boot Cd for this purpose for people unfamiliar with linux.
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

If your partition is lost, look for Tesdisk utility which also comes with knoppix. or Active@ Partition Recovery.

If you want to recover files, try PC Inspector uitilities:
http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/UK/welcome.htm

If you just can't boot, look for MBRTool or use your XP cd to recover by booting using xp cd and choose recovery console, run this command:
fixmbr and fixboot.

This two aren't free but you can try it:
There is also a new hard disk utility that claim that can make dead hd alive by replacing firmware. I tried with one of my dead maxtor , and it's working, not replacing the firmware but repairing bad sector. The firmware thing isn't free. You could try the demo, which scan and repair bad sector but it will destroy files on it.
http://www.salvationdata.com/
Another utility is hdd regenerator http://www.dposoft.net/. It recover bad sector without destroying files on it.

[th3b0d0mr3ap3r]

I've already run the recovery console from xp cd, run fixmbr and fixboot commands, before that, windows and knoppix couldn't see that hd (configured as slave of course), after running these two commands, the windows installer showed me the disk without format, so i better quit the installation and decided to check the hd with a tool called Stellar Phoenix FAT v9.1 (from windows in another HD) but it's a demo and it only let me see the directories and files, it doesn't allow me the recovery...

I'll check the software tou mentioned in the reply, hope it can help me...
thanks a lot!!

by the way, the hard disk wasn't dead before running fixmbr and fixboot, 'cause it was recognized by the BIOS, so we can discard that option, I guess it's corrupted.[/b]

[pulsar]

This also might be usefull: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...1736&view=next