> Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2006 14:32:16 -0600 > From: florin at iucha.net (Florin Iucha) > Subject: Re: [tclug-list] Boot Partition Oops > To: tclug-list at mn-linux.org > Message-ID: <20061124203216.GI20036 at iucha.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > On Fri, Nov 24, 2006 at 01:05:59PM -0600, Carl Zeilon wrote: >> I have a 80gb hard drive partitioned in NTFS that I use for data >> backup. Just one large partition, no OS. Through a comedy of errors >> (not so funny at the moment) fdisk /mbr was run on the drive from a W98 >> diskette. Now XP can't read it & wants to format. Knoppix does not see >> the drive either. How do I get my data back? This doesn't seem like it >> would be too difficult. I just can't make another booboo at this point. > > 0. "fdisk /mbr" cleans the Master Boot Record, not the partition > table. Something else messed it up. > > 1. Get a bigger disk and dump the image of this sick puppy onto it to > prevent further damage: > > dd if=/dev/$whatever bs=1M | gzip > disk_img.dd.gz > > If you don't have another disk that you can plug/unplug around, use > netcat: > > On a spare computer: > > netcat -p 12345 -l > disk_img.dd.gz > > On computer with bad disk: > > dd if=/dev/$whatever bs=1M | gzip | netcat -p 12345 -h $other_one > > I haven't done this in a while so you might want to test first by > sending a known file then comparing it on the receiving end. > > 2. Go get a cup of coffee. From Starbucks. It will be a while. > > 3. What does "fdisk -l /dev/$whatever" say under Knoppix? > > florin > Thanks Florin, I thought the same thing about the fdisk & the partition table but the "proof" of destruction was right before my eyes. However, for whatever reason, the hard drive did in fact pick that moment in time to self destruct. I was able to retrieve every bit of data (20gb) after spending 5 1/2 hours watching the drive soak in a bucket of ice water & kicking it whenever the data stopped transferring. What a great Thanksgiving vacation! :-) Cheers to all, Carl