Recover HDD data - knoppix is loaded but not seeing hdd

**sumann** · 07-07-2007, 05:21 PM

Hello.
I am trying to recover my files from my hdd which crashed.
I will wait for a response before posting too much unnecessary info about my system, etc.

I've got knoppix loaded and can see my external (the one I was going to transfer files to) and it is showing up as both the hda1 and sda1 (exact same properties). However, my hard drive is not showing up on the desktop at all.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

**sumann** · 07-07-2007, 05:45 PM

Actually, I am just that dumb and those 2 are both my external and my hdd...

The hda1 (my hdd) cannot mount due to an ntfs inconsistency error.
sda1 is fine and I can see all files.

Error message is:
Could not mount device.
$MFTMirr does not match $MFT (record 2).
Failed to mount '/dev/hda1/': I/O error.
NTFS is inconsistent. Run chkdsk /f on Windows then reboot it twice.
etc...

SO, that is how I ended up here in the 1st place. When trying to repair my hdd I ran into several problems and decided I have been working on troubleshooting this for too long and just want to get my files and start from scratch.
But when trying to run chkdsk /r from the command prompt it went to about 70% and then restarted and kept getting stuck in a loop at 50%.

Anyway, so bottom line, I just want to recover my files. Can chkdsk /f be run from inside knoppix? Or is it telling me I need to do it from back out on the c: prompt because if that is the case then I can't do that. I was hoping knoppix would be able to help.

Anyone, please?

**Harry Kuhman** · 07-07-2007, 05:55 PM

I have not seen reports of this problem before. What happens when you boot Knoppix without the external drive attached? What type drives are they and what interfaces are being used? That is, is the internal drive IDE or SATA or something else? Is the external drive connected by USB, Firewire, SATA, or something else?

I have seen many cases where Windows corrupts a drive so bad that Knoppix can't recover it, but that still doesn't explain the external drive showing up twice.

**sumann** · 07-07-2007, 06:14 PM

I haven't tried to boot it without the external yet.

I think what is happening is because the hdd is not mounting, they both come up 'looking' like they are alike (as in when I go into konsole both have all the same file properties) when they are not. It's just the hdd will not mount.

Anyway, the external is a maxtor connected by a usb/firewire (usb on laptop, firewire on maxtor). The damaged hdd is a 2 yr old HP w/ media center, I am not positive on IDE or SATA (sorry for the ingonorance)?

I have a feeling it is so bad that there is no recovery but would like to give this a shot.

The next idea was to run out and get a usb 2.0 to IDE and try to recover through my desktop?

**Harry Kuhman** · 07-07-2007, 06:30 PM

Never mind my previous post, I started writing it before you posted your update. Like you I also have a couple of NTFS drives that windows has mucked up so bad that Knoppix can't read. In some cases Knoppic can indeed read files from a NTFS drive that Windows will not read. And if the partition table gets mucked up, Knoppix has tools to recover it. But in the case of a actual corrupt NTFS partition, I do not have a fix to offer.

**Ashy_1** · 07-07-2007, 10:57 PM

Hi, I'm having similar problems with my external HDD

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27632

Any ideas on how to resolve this problem?

**cbagger01** · 07-08-2007, 06:12 AM

Originally Posted by sumann

Actually, I am just that dumb and those 2 are both my external and my hdd...

The hda1 (my hdd) cannot mount due to an ntfs inconsistency error.
sda1 is fine and I can see all files.

Error message is:
Could not mount device.
$MFTMirr does not match $MFT (record 2).
Failed to mount '/dev/hda1/': I/O error.
NTFS is inconsistent. Run chkdsk /f on Windows then reboot it twice.
etc...

SO, that is how I ended up here in the 1st place. When trying to repair my hdd I ran into several problems and decided I have been working on troubleshooting this for too long and just want to get my files and start from scratch.
But when trying to run chkdsk /r from the command prompt it went to about 70% and then restarted and kept getting stuck in a loop at 50%.

Anyway, so bottom line, I just want to recover my files. Can chkdsk /f be run from inside knoppix? Or is it telling me I need to do it from back out on the c: prompt because if that is the case then I can't do that. I was hoping knoppix would be able to help.

Anyone, please?

A couple options:

1) You could type in

Code:

sudo su

in a terminal window to become the "root" or superuser and then try to use the ntfsfix command to try and fix your NTFS partition from within KNOPPIX:

http://man.linux-ntfs.org/ntfsfix.8.html

2) You could try the old fashioned read-only ntfs driver. It is more tolerant of NTFS errors.

Open a terminal window and type:

Code:

sudo su
mkdir /mnt/hda1   (or substitute whatever is your partition name instead of hda1)
mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1
konqueror

and then navigate to the /mnt/hda1 folder from within konqueror, the graphical file manager that is similar to Windows Explorer.

Good Luck.

**hat_monkey** · 07-09-2007, 06:56 AM

have encountered fully functioning windows HDDs which knopix 5.1.1 fails to locate or see or put on the desktop. think it was in conjunction with a password locked bios if my memory is correct. usb drives were accessible as normal with knoppix on that computer.

**sumann** · 07-09-2007, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by hat_monkey

have encountered fully functioning windows HDDs which knopix 5.1.1 fails to locate or see or put on the desktop. think it was in conjunction with a password locked bios if my memory is correct. usb drives were accessible as normal with knoppix on that computer.

Yeah there is something going on with my access because I can't do anything from C: - EVERYTHING I TRY comes up as 'access denied'.

Any idea how to fix this password locked bios problem? This is my laptop, not a shared laptop - so I don't understand.