Where is my hard drive?

**inspired1** · 08-25-2005, 11:54 PM

Hello,
I am so new to this its crazy (so please be patient), I dont know what most of the posts here are talking about. I see problems that are similar to mine, but then the linux language that is used gets me confused.
This is my problem, my XP Media Center is acting crazy, and another website refferd me to Knoppix so that I can get data off of my computer but I dont know how.
I have a Trash Can, 2 Cd rom, Diskette, 2 Hard Disk Partitions, and skyrix on my desktop.
When i click on the HD's I dont recignize anything.

Also I have an external HD is there any steps to show me how to get my data on there in windows terms?

Please Help!!! I really searched for some hours, and I just dont get it.

Thank you for your time.

**arkaine23** · 08-26-2005, 02:16 AM

To access your data, right click the hda# partition icons on the desktop and choose "mount". Right-clicking again and choosing "actions > change read/write mode" would allow you to write data to them if they are not formatted NTFS. As for getting your usb hard drive recognized and available, someone else will have to chime in there. I have no experience with exernal hdd's other than usb sticks which knoppix auto-recognizes.

**Harry Kuhman** · 08-26-2005, 02:32 AM

Originally Posted by arkaine23

To access your data, right click the hda# partition icons on the desktop and choose "mount". Right-clicking again and choosing "actions > change read/write mode" would allow you to write data to them if they are not formatted NTFS.

I strongly suggest against the above, at least until the original question is resolved and the poster had a bit more comfort with KNoppix and Linux. Knoppix defaults disk mounts to rread-only for just this reason, to help keep the new user from doing any damage while they learn the new system.

The real question is why inspired1 says "When i click on the HD's I dont recignize anything.". You certainly sound like you are doing the right things to open the partitions in read only mode, but what does I dont recignize anything mean? Are you expecting the icons to look exactly the same as they do under windows? Are you even looking at file names? What do you see in the partitions under Knoppix and what do you see in your C partition when you look at it under Windows?

And, since people are talking about how to open a disc partition read/write, never ever do this if you have a NTFS partition or you don't know the partition type.

**inspired1** · 08-26-2005, 05:46 AM

Thank you for the response,

I have found my files finally, I think the kids had my mind in to many diffrent places.

Now im trying to figure out 2 things

1.Can I use my external drive to make a back up of my my files? My drive is NTFS
2.I still cant find my system32 folder..... I'm looking in the right drive now im sure, I'm looking for the one that should be in the WINDOWS folder, does this program move it or something I know that if i can just replace a couple of files my computer will boot up normally.

Any suggestions?

**Harry Kuhman** · 08-26-2005, 05:59 AM

Originally Posted by inspired1

1.Can I use my external drive to make a back up of my my files? My drive is NTFS

AT this time you can not safely write to an NTFS partition with Knoppix. People are working on the problem, but Microsoft is apparently working to keep it from happening. Currently writing to an NTFS partition, even with one of the programs that tries to work around the blocks, risks corrupting the disk.

Originally Posted by inspired1

2.I still cant find my system32 folder..... I'm looking in the right drive now im sure, I'm looking for the one that should be in the WINDOWS folder, does this program move it or something I know that if i can just replace a couple of files my computer will boot up normally.

It should be in the same place it is under windows. This program (Knoppix) does not move it. It doesn't change you hard disk at all. But don't get ideas about replacing just a couple of files with Knoppix on a NTFS partition, you will very likely corrupt the partition. Your best bet is to recover whatever you need from the partitions with Knoppix to another computer or to a medium Knoppix can safely write too, and then reformat and reinstall an OS (Windows or Debian).

**inspired1** · 08-26-2005, 06:09 AM

Ok thanks for the help, the last question I have is can I use my cd/dvd drive to write these files to disk?

**Harry Kuhman** · 08-26-2005, 06:16 AM

Originally Posted by inspired1

Ok thanks for the help, the last question I have is can I use my cd/dvd drive to write these files to disk?

Maybe. You indicate that you have 2 CD icons, so it sounds like you have two drives. If both are writers, or if you can boot from the one that leaves the writer free, then yes. Otherwise, if you have enough memory to hold the entire CD in RAM (and you are using a CD version and not the DVD version), then you can use the toram cheat code to load Knoppix to memory and free up the CD drive.

P.S. If you don't have enough memory an only one optical drive, you can use a smaller distro that you can fit into RAM, like DSL.

**inspired1** · 08-26-2005, 06:35 AM

Ok, if I have more problems I WILL be back, thanks again!!!

**inspired1** · 08-26-2005, 06:49 AM

Mabye there is one more thing, I have figured out how to use this program in english for everything but the right-click options, is there some where you can direct me to get rid of this problem?

**Harry Kuhman** · 08-26-2005, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by inspired1

Mabye there is one more thing, I have figured out how to use this program in english for everything but the right-click options, is there some where you can direct me to get rid of this problem?

What version are you running and what have you figured out? My right click options are in English. As far as I know, if you download any version who's option ends in EN they should be (although there were some other German issues in 4.0.1 DVD so maybe this is a problem there too). If you download and use a German version, then the lang=US cheat code (tricky to type when Knoppix thinks you have a German keyboard) should do the job AFAIK.