Backing up files

Kevo

Hey
I'm trying to use Ubuntu live to get some files off a HD with no working OS.
Problem is I can't find the partition which contains the files once I have loaded Ubuntu.
Anyone know how I can find them?
By the way, its an NTFS partition.

niallb

Launch a terminal from the Programs menu.
Type sudo su - to become root.
Type fdisk -l to display the partition table.
Look for a partition listed as HPFS/NTFS.
note the name of it - possibly /dev/hda1.
Type cd /mnt to change directory to /mnt .
Type ls to list its contents.
Type mkdir /mnt/HD to make a directory called /mnt/HD.
Type mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/HD to mount
your partition of Type ntfs called /dev/hda1 on the directory /mnt/HD.
Replace /dev/hda1 with the partition you noted earlier.
hda1 is the first partition on the primary master on IDE systems.
Secondary master is hdb, primary slave hdc and so on.

You can mount another partition using a similar procedure
to copy the files over, or copy them over the network.

You can use the GUI explorer to access windows shares nearby if that's easiest.
scp/sftp ftp rsync and access to nfs shares are all available
from the software on the disk.

Hope that gets you started.
NiallB

Kevo

Ok, the partition I'm trying to access is /dev/sda1
So is this correct?

mount -t ntfs /dev/sda1 /mnt/HD

Also I dont know how to "Replace /dev/sda1 with the partition noted earlier".
I have created the HD folder in mnt but cant go any further.
Could you tell me how the do this
Thanks

Syth

Kevo wrote:

Ok, the partition I'm trying to access is /dev/sda1
So is this correct?

mount -t ntfs /dev/sda1 /mnt/HD

Also I dont know how to "Replace /dev/sda1 with the partition noted earlier".
I have created the HD folder in mnt but cant go any further.
Could you tell me how the do this
Thanks

That should be fine. When niallb said "Replace /dev/hda1 with the partition you noted earlier." he meant change the /dev/hda1 part with the /dev/X thing you noted earlier. You've done that. You replaced "/dev/hda1" with "/dev/sda1" in "mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/HD". You have the correct command there, just press enter.

Kevo

ok, just did that but I have a new problem. When I access the sda1 folder an error message says that I do not have permission to access the partition. Its set to allow owner read and execute only.
Any ideas?
thanks

niallb

Can you not read the files?
You said you needed to get some files off the HD.
The NTFS filesystem by default is read only under linux,
but that shouldn't prevent you copying the files elsewhere.

Are you by any chance trying to access the location /dev/sda1 ? There is no sda1 folder.

Your files should be available in /mnt/HD.
What does the command ls /mnt/HD give you?
Also show us the output of the mount command.

Thanks,
NiallB

Kevo

ok, I'm trying it on a different computer this time. I was just testing it out on my laptop earlier. So hopefully I wont have the same problem.
My new problem is its a FAT32 partition for windows 95. I tried changing the ntfs part of the mount command but it wasnt recognised. Could you rewrite the mount command for a windows 95 fat32 partition?
Thanks

niallb

You were on the right track.
It's not fat32, but vfat

mount -t vfat /dev/sda1 /mnt/HD

NiallB

Kevo

Got it working. Thanks a mil for your help.