How to retrieve data on harddrive from command line?

[Jimw]

With Windows 95 and 98 is Windows crashed, I could go to a dos command
line to retrieve data from the HD. In XP that's not possible because
it's not a fat32 partition. I understand there is some sort of
software on the install CD for this, or else is there something that
can be downloaded? I have a friend who had XP completely fail and it
will not reinstall. She is going to trash the computer and just wants
the personal data from it. I6t appears to me like the HD may have
errors, but thats just a guess of sorts. I intend to bring this
computer home after her data is saved on flash sticks, or another HD.
Maybe I can replace the HD and have a spare computer, but for now the
main thing is getting the data saved,

Thanks

Jim

 

[Robert Wolfe]

With Windows 95 and 98 is Windows crashed, I could go to a dos command
line to retrieve data from the HD. In XP that's not possible because
it's not a fat32 partition. I understand there is some sort of
software on the install CD for this, or else is there something that
can be downloaded? I have a friend who had XP completely fail and it
will not reinstall. She is going to trash the computer and just wants
the personal data from it. I6t appears to me like the HD may have
errors, but thats just a guess of sorts. I intend to bring this
computer home after her data is saved on flash sticks, or another HD.
Maybe I can replace the HD and have a spare computer, but for now the
main thing is getting the data saved,

Thanks

Jim

You could always use a livecd distro of Linux (such as Ubuntu, etc) to
copy the data you need to keep over to another drive as those support
reading (and these days, writing) to NTFS partitions. I've done this
with clients in the past without any problems.

 

[sgopus]

One suggestion is to remove the hd and install it in another pc as a
secondary hd see if it can be read, sometimes you can retreive the data
easily this way, as when an hd is failing, it may not boot, but can be read
as a secondary drive.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

With Windows 95 and 98 is Windows crashed, I could go to a dos command
line to retrieve data from the HD. In XP that's not possible because
it's not a fat32 partition. I understand there is some sort of
software on the install CD for this, or else is there something that
can be downloaded? I have a friend who had XP completely fail and it
will not reinstall. She is going to trash the computer and just wants
the personal data from it. I6t appears to me like the HD may have
errors, but thats just a guess of sorts. I intend to bring this
computer home after her data is saved on flash sticks, or another HD.
Maybe I can replace the HD and have a spare computer, but for now the
main thing is getting the data saved,

Thanks

Jim

An alternative to installing the disk as a slave disk in some other machine
is to boot the PC with a Bart PE boot CD, which you have to manufacture
yourself.

You might ask your friend why she doesn't get her data off her backup
medium. If she doesn't believe in backups then she should read a few of the
sob stories we see in this forum every week. Data loss is not something that
happens to other people only . . .

 

[Richard in Va.]

Hello Jim, I second the suggestion by sgopus...

However if you have difficulties putting the HD in another PC, you might
consider getting a IDE/SATA to USB adapter such as...
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2329300&CatId=3770
others to choose from...
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=3770

Then you can hook the drive to any USB port to salvage the personal files in
question.

If you decide to go this route, you might also consider a drive cooling fan
such as this one...
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=39596&CatId=495
again, here's more to choose from...
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=495

With this, you can keep the drive cool while offloading the files using any
PC with USB ports. Once done, repartition and format the drive and keep it
as an external USB drive.

Just a suggestion.

Richard in VA.
++++++++++++

 

[Twayne]

An alternative to installing the disk as a slave disk in some other
machine is to boot the PC with a Bart PE boot CD, which you have to
manufacture yourself.

You might ask your friend why she doesn't get her data off her backup
medium. If she doesn't believe in backups then she should read a few
of the sob stories we see in this forum every week. Data loss is not
something that happens to other people only . . .

Well ... she may have one of her own shortly. Good thing she has a
concerned friend.

 

[Jimw]

Well ... she may have one of her own shortly. Good thing she has a
concerned friend.

Thanks for everyone that offerred help, all good suggestions. I'm
curious if those cables to convert a HD to a USB port will read any
format? For example, I got a laptop that I can take there which has
Win98 on it, and has USB ports. OF course 98 is installed on a FAT32
drive.

Jim

 

[Mick Murphy]

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html

Download the above Knoppix Live CD ISO file.

http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

Download the Vista Burning software from the above link.

After installing above ISO burning software, right-click on Knoppix ISO
file, make an Image disk.

Knoppix does not install on your PC; just uses your PC's resources, RAM,
Graphics, etc.

Plug in a Flash Drive/Memory Stick, boot with the Live CD, and you should be
able to read your Hard Drive.
Change the Flash Drive Properties from read only.
Copy your Data over to FD

 

[Mick Murphy]

Sorry Jim, typo.
Get the XP Burning software for your particular Service Pack, not Vista one!

 

[Patrick Keenan]

With Windows 95 and 98 is Windows crashed, I could go to a dos command
line to retrieve data from the HD. In XP that's not possible because

Sure it is.

it's not a fat32 partition.

So you boot from something that understands NTFS. This is not a problem.

I understand there is some sort of
software on the install CD for this,

Yes, it's the Recovery Console. It has limitations as to what it can
access.

or else is there something that
can be downloaded? I have a friend who had XP completely fail and it
will not reinstall. She is going to trash the computer and just wants
the personal data from it. I6t appears to me like the HD may have
errors, but thats just a guess of sorts.

It's probably a good guess, but that also raises questions about the
recoverability of the data.

I intend to bring this
computer home after her data is saved on flash sticks, or another HD.

Use another hard disk, as noted below.

Maybe I can replace the HD and have a spare computer, but for now the
main thing is getting the data saved,

Thanks

Jim

The best plan is to attach that drive to another XP system using a USB2
adapter cable or external case. Simply copy the data off to the host
drive. This can be *quick* to do, and the adapters are under $30. If
you do run into disk errors, though, recoverabilty can be questionable.
The system crashed for a reason.

HTH
-pk

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Thanks for everyone that offerred help, all good suggestions. I'm
curious if those cables to convert a HD to a USB port will read any
format?

Disk Format is not relevant to the connector cable. It IS relevant to the
host OS.

For example, I got a laptop that I can take there which has
Win98 on it, and has USB ports. OF course 98 is installed on a FAT32
drive.

Win9x does not understand NTFS. You would need 3rd party software to
persuade it to do so.

As well, your Win9x laptop will have USB1 ports, and these are *extremely
slow* compared to USB2 ports. Take the drive out, attach it to an XP
system.

HTH
-pk

 

[Richard in Va.]

Hello Jim,

The USB adaptor (cable/connector/power supply) does not determine which
files systems it can read, i.e. FAT/FAT32/NTSF. The operating system on the
host PC is what determines compatibility.

You mentioned the friends PC is XP and your laptop is Windows 98. Windows
XP defaults to the NTFS file system and Windows 98 used the FAT32 file
system.

Your asking a good question... and no, the Win98 laptop will not read/right
to a HD formatted using the NTFS file system. Another dilemma is that your
older laptop will likely have USB version 1.0 or version 1.1 which is MUCH
slower that USB version 2.0, especially for your situation... reading from a
hard drive.

A few things for your consideration...

Find another friend with a "newer" laptop, preferably with Windows XP (or
vista) installed. The OS will be compatible with the file system on the
hard drive in question. The newer laptop will also most likely have the
newer version 2.0 USB ports (faster).

Use the "newer" laptop and the USB adaptor cable to salvage the files from
your friends HD and copy to the "newer" laptop. Be sure to set the little
jumper on the HD to "master" as per the instructions that come with the USB
adaptor cable. If there is only one HD in your friends PC, the jumper will
be set on "master" "single" or "cable select". Confirm this and change to
"master" as needed.

If this works well for you, you'll still have one problem.... when she buys
a new PC, you'll still have to transfer her files to her new PC so she can
have them back.

With this in mind, I suggest that she go ahead and buy her new PC. You as a
helpful friend buy the USB adapter cable thing for approx $20 (and a fan for
$5). When she gets the new PC, it will probably have (1) SATA drive
installed. SATA is yet another horse of another color. SATA drives use a
newer connector/cable configuration that is not compatible with the IDE/PATA
drive she likely has in the broke down PC.

So use the USB adaptor cable to transfer her files from the old HD to the
new PC and your done. Repartition and reformat the old hard drive to use as
an external USB drive for personal files and backup and stuff.

Hope this helps!

Richard in Va.
+++++++++++

 

[Rick Merrill]

With Windows 95 and 98 is Windows crashed, I could go to a dos command
line to retrieve data from the HD. In XP that's not possible because
it's not a fat32 partition.

I use DOS commands to access NTFS (=not FAT32) all the time. Why do you
say it is not possible?

I understand there is some sort of
software on the install CD for this, or else is there something that
can be downloaded? I have a friend who had XP completely fail and it
will not reinstall. She is going to trash the computer and just wants
the personal data from it.

No backups, huh?

I6t appears to me like the HD may have
errors, but thats just a guess of sorts.

Extremely likely actually. All moving devices die eventually.

 

[Tim Slattery]

I use DOS commands to access NTFS (=not FAT32) all the time. Why do you
say it is not possible?

Not really. You're accessing the file system from the command console
in XP, which is a 32-bit environment. If you actually booted to DOS,
you wouldn't be able to see the partitions.

This might be of use: http://nu2.nu/pebuilder/

 

[Steve Hayes]

Not really. You're accessing the file system from the command console
in XP, which is a 32-bit environment. If you actually booted to DOS,
you wouldn't be able to see the partitions.

Doesn't DOS (the most recent version) have a limit of 2 Gig partitions?

So it won't see any partition bigger than that anyway.

 

[John John - MVP]

Doesn't DOS (the most recent version) have a limit of 2 Gig partitions?

That is a FAT16 limitation.

So it won't see any partition bigger than that anyway.

The Windows 98 DOS version supports FAT32 and doesn't have a 2GB size limit.

John