Large extremely important NTFS files...

Recently, my laptop crashed and now all that shows up is the BSOD saying "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME'

I have large amounts of data, about 30 gigs which I need to extract from the laptop.

I've decided to use Knoppix to extract the data, but sadly, I'm a uber n00b in Knoppix.

I've been hearing horror stories about how Captive-ntfs can screw the whole HD up?

If that being the case, I need to know of a way to copy all that data (30 gigs of NTFS files), into a new HD using Knoppix. Without any loss of data.

I apologize if this question sounds repetitive in the forums but I am at a desperate state and rushing for time. The data in the HD is extremely important and I cannot risk doing something wrong.

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Originally Posted by gurdian

Recently, my laptop crashed and now all that shows up is the BSOD saying "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME'

I have large amounts of data, about 30 gigs which I need to extract from the laptop.

I've decided to use Knoppix to extract the data, but sadly, I'm a uber n00b in Knoppix.

I've been hearing horror stories about how Captive-ntfs can screw the whole HD up?

If that being the case, I need to know of a way to copy all that data (30 gigs of NTFS files), into a new HD using Knoppix. Without any loss of data.

I apologize if this question sounds repetitive in the forums but I am at a desperate state and rushing for time. The data in the HD is extremely important and I cannot risk doing something wrong.

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Just how large are the individual files themselves?

Knoppix should be able to read the NTFS file just fine with no risk, as long as the data is still there (not Knoppix's fault if Windows already destroyed the data). Where you can put that data depends somewhat on what other places you have to store the data (if another disk on the same computer it should not be an NTFS partition). If you have a local network you might transfer it to another computer with FTP or by getting networking going between Knoppix and the other box (file system on the other box is not an issue here). If the individual files are 650 megs or under in size I can show you how to write them to CD, even if you have only one CD drive (as long as it's a writeable drive). Oh, we should also ask how much memory you have on this system (it might allow you to use the totam option and make things even simplier).

The data is about 1 gig in size with others more or less the same. I intend to put the data into a seperate hard disk connected to the PC.

If i understand correctly, that HD mustn't be NTFS yes? it should be fat32 then?

So lemme see if i get this right,

I can connect the laptop ntfs drive (via usb casing), boot up knoppix 3.6., Copy the large gigabyte contents from the laptop ntfs drive onto a seperate fat32 drive, without any loss or corruption of data correct? (Assuming XP didn't eat up the files in the first place)

As long as you mount your NTFS read-only (which is the default in Knoppix when you just boot and click on the hard disk icon), no data can be destroyed by Knoppix.

So if I where you, I would simply boot from the Knoppix CD and check whether your data is still accessible from within Knoppix. If it is not, you might want to consider a specialized data rescue software or service.
If it still is, then let's think about how to save it to another location.

Again: as long as you mount your NTFS read-only there is no risk.

Greetings,
probono

i've booted into knoppix before and the drive looks absolutely fine...

so can i start backing it up then?

lemme confirm again, use only fa32 drives yes? no ntfs?

what if i burned them into cd's?

does knoppix 3.6 have burning software?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gurdian

.....lemme confirm again, use only fa32 drives yes? no ntfs?

what if i burned them into cd's?

does knoppix 3.6 have burning software?

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Knoppix has burning software.

Unfortunately, unless you have enough RAM memory to use the toram option and copy the entire Knoppix CD into memory, then you can't take the CD out of the drive, so you would need two drives, and either the second would have to be the CD writer, or you would have to use some tool (like Smart Boot Manager) to let you boot the Knoppix CD from the second drive.

There's also the issue of file size, since writing the files to a CD would either require you to split files (again needing some place you could write the temporary parts - not the ntfs volume) or limt you to the size of the media. If the file size is not an issue I can give you a little trick - get the Linux distro Damn Small Linux - it fits in 50 meg and it also can write CD's. Burn some images as the first session of a multi-session disk and leave the fisk open for future sessions. Then you can boot into Damn Small Linux, and use the CD writing software there to write to the remaining 650 megs of the CD. The resulting CD is no longer bootable, but has up to 650 megs of recovered files on it.

Gee, I'm wondering if DSL has a toram option also - it should need a lot less ram than Knoppix and would let you write up to 700 megs on fresh CD's that way..

Can you network that computer to another system that could hold the recovered files? I would think that might be the best way. I would just do binary file transfers via FTP to another system.

Don't worry!

I got 2 seperate drives, a dvd drive and a dvd-writer (btw i have 512 megs)

furthermore, all of the files can be burned into the cd's without splitting them

gonna try and burn the ntfs files into cd's now...wish me luck

btw, i CAN read the cd's in xp right? (stupid question i know)

DSL does have a toram option.

The drive doesn't have to be FAT, it just can't be ntfs because of the lack of stable drivers.

When you have the Fat drive connected, first click on the icon. Then right-click the icon -> actions -> change read/write
Otherwise you won't be able to write the files to the fat drive.

As for the cds, there is a standard format, abbre. to ISO that almost all cds are burnt in (with exception to udf for packet writing)
So yes you can read the cds.

Good luck.

Well gentlemen, as I'm typing this, Knoppix 3.6 is running on my system now and i'm using my dvd-writer to burn my data.

Sadly, my burning is crawling at a speed of 1.1MB/s :( , must be the fact that it's reading from the USB drive which has my laptop HD and burning onto the DVD?

Is it possible to copy about 20 gigs of data onto the Knoppix "desktop"? (really sorry if i don't know the correct term). After all I only have 512 megs of ram...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gurdian

.....Is it possible to copy about 20 gigs of data onto the Knoppix "desktop"? (really sorry if i don't know the correct term). After all I only have 512 megs of ram...

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Well, that's the bottom line, isn't it? Just where would that 20 gigs go? Certainly not into 512 meg of RAM (a lot of that is already being used too). And the USB bottleneck would still exist.

USB drives can be the pits for speed (even USB2 drives tend to be much slower than the USB2 spec would allow for). Transfers via network would likely be your best bet speed-wise, but since you never answer questions in that area it seems you don't have another computer you could network with, or you just don't want to try that. At least you seem to be getting the files back.