Where are the files?

[gbjeppm]

Ok PC Gurus.

I have an XP machine that won't boot, I can get it to the Recovery console, but cannot copy files off the machine due to XP security, and I need the outlook PST file from the C drive, all of the remaining data is on the D partition.

I am happy to reinstall on the C drive, once I have got hold of the PST file.

I then decided to borrow a USB Hard Drive reader, so put the hard drive in, and can see all of the files on the D partition, but nothing at all in the C partition.

Any ideas please would be appreciated.

 

[WLeg]

Can you see the partition at all ?

 

[columb]

You need to see partition first.
I would try to use LiveLinux and see what's on drive.
Mount READ-ONLY!

Also, you can try to use (best in my opinion) recovery tool from Ontrac.

You are looking for Hiren's boot cd.

Cheers
Chris

 

[gbjeppm]

No I can't see the partition from the USB hard drive reader, although I can in XP recovery console

 

[Inkyskin]

Just to be sure - was the hardrive partitioned? It may be that since the drive is hooked up to a new system, it wont be displayed as C, but the next logical letter (Possibly in this case D)...

 

[gbjeppm]

No drive was defo partitioned, and I am assuming as being displayed through a USB reader, the USB device will only show as one drive letter.

 

[columb]

Use something else-like linux.
You can mount partition c: by typing command:

mount /dev/?d?1 /mnt/

now:
/dev/hda if that is first IDE drive
/dev/sda if that is first SAS/SATA/SCSI drive
/dev/hdb if that is 2nd IDE drive
/dev/sdb if that is 2nd SAS/SATA/SCSI drive

so, let say it is 1st SATA drive:

mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/ <-- C partition would be first
ls -l /mnt/

and tell me what you can see!

Cheers
Chris

 

[gbjeppm]

OK solved, silly assumption was that machine only had one hard drive, it had 2. (it is not mine by the way)
Doh!!! wasted hours, thanks for all input

 

[Dragon]

Use something else-like linux.
You can mount partition c: by typing command:

mount /dev/?d?1 /mnt/

now:
/dev/hda if that is first IDE drive
/dev/sda if that is first SAS/SATA/SCSI drive
/dev/hdb if that is 2nd IDE drive
/dev/sdb if that is 2nd SAS/SATA/SCSI drive

so, let say it is 1st SATA drive:

mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/ <-- C partition would be first
ls -l /mnt/

and tell me what you can see!

Cheers
Chris

We know you an expert in Linux, how do you expect someone who had been using MS Win for so long to command prompt type those lines. Won't a GUI Linux be simpler?

 

[columb]

We know you an expert in Linux, how do you expect someone who had been using MS Win for so long to command prompt type those lines. Won't a GUI Linux be simpler?

No. Possibly he will have to FORCE mount of a partition and indicate what filesystem was there.
It is serious sytuation and GUI will not help!

Cheers
Chris

btw. I'm using GUI as well But there are times when you can't use GUI.