[Ed] (Solved) Halp! My network drive broke

MetalPig · 4th December 2008, 03:49 AM

I have a network drive from LaCie. It stopped working, so now we don't have access to over 200 GB of data. The music, movies and CD images are replaceable, but unforunately the disk is also the only place where our pictures reside. (Yes, I'm in IT and yes, I know about backups. Lesson learned.)

Unfortunately, sending the thing to LaCie for repairs isn't an option, since formatting the disk is part of the repair procedure.

So I dismantled the thing and put the SATA drive into my PC. The good news is, the drive seems to be working. The bad thing: Windows XP can't read it without help.
I tried a tool called Ltools which lets Windows read Linux drives, and it told me the disk has nine partitions, two of which it could actually read. Unfortunately, the huge partition that contains my data isn't one of those two. When trying to connect to that partition the tool said that the magic number is incorrect. I don't know what that means.
Next tool: Acronis Disk Director. That told me that the partition has no file system, and the partition type is 83, Linux Native. It couldn't read it either.

That's where I run out of ideas.
Will installing Linux (which I know nothing about) help? Is there another way of recovering my data?

jsiv · 4th December 2008, 03:58 AM

I'm guessing that the network drive probably runs Linux and Samba for sharing over the network. I wouldn't trust most Windows tools when it comes to messing with a filesystem.

I would suggest that you download one of the Linux distributions that have a so-called "Live CD." It will allow you to boot into a Linux desktop and hopefully mount the drive without installing anything on the machine. Then you could transfer the data over to an NTFS (the Windows file system. I think the support is fairly mature in Linux now) partition or maybe over the network to a share on another Windows computer.

Someone else might have a better recommendation for a Live CD, but I believe Ubuntu has one and that it is configured to automatically mount any drives on your machine.

MetalPig · 4th December 2008, 08:12 AM

Oh, that would be nice. I wasn't aware such live CDs exist. I will definitely try that, thanks!

(Meanwhile, other suggestions are still welcome

)

MetalPig · 4th December 2008, 09:26 AM

Oh my non-existent god! As I write, all our stuff is being copied to the brand new external harddisk.
Thanks so much sjiv!

(And wow Linux has changed since I last looked at (and ran away from) it about 10 years ago.)

CORed · 16th December 2008, 12:29 PM

There are Windows file system drivers for ext2 or ext3 filesystems. I don't particularly trust them for writing (especially ext3 filesystems, because none I've used update the journal) but they are fine for reading.

richardm · 17th December 2008, 01:25 AM

Yeah, I used a Ubuntu Live Disk to save data off a couple of hard drives this year. It was ideal for the job

4th December 2008, 03:49 AM	#1
MetalPig Master Poster Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Juicing the piglet since 1989 Posts: 2,003	(Solved) Halp! My network drive broke I have a network drive from LaCie. It stopped working, so now we don't have access to over 200 GB of data. The music, movies and CD images are replaceable, but unforunately the disk is also the only place where our pictures reside. (Yes, I'm in IT and yes, I know about backups. Lesson learned.) Unfortunately, sending the thing to LaCie for repairs isn't an option, since formatting the disk is part of the repair procedure. So I dismantled the thing and put the SATA drive into my PC. The good news is, the drive seems to be working. The bad thing: Windows XP can't read it without help. I tried a tool called Ltools which lets Windows read Linux drives, and it told me the disk has nine partitions, two of which it could actually read. Unfortunately, the huge partition that contains my data isn't one of those two. When trying to connect to that partition the tool said that the magic number is incorrect. I don't know what that means. Next tool: Acronis Disk Director. That told me that the partition has no file system, and the partition type is 83, Linux Native. It couldn't read it either. That's where I run out of ideas. Will installing Linux (which I know nothing about) help? Is there another way of recovering my data?
	__________________ When I met you my eyes hurt That is how beautiful you are

4th December 2008, 03:58 AM	#2
jsiv King of Svalbard Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bortenfor alle blåner Posts: 4,492	I'm guessing that the network drive probably runs Linux and Samba for sharing over the network. I wouldn't trust most Windows tools when it comes to messing with a filesystem. I would suggest that you download one of the Linux distributions that have a so-called "Live CD." It will allow you to boot into a Linux desktop and hopefully mount the drive without installing anything on the machine. Then you could transfer the data over to an NTFS (the Windows file system. I think the support is fairly mature in Linux now) partition or maybe over the network to a share on another Windows computer. Someone else might have a better recommendation for a Live CD, but I believe Ubuntu has one and that it is configured to automatically mount any drives on your machine.
	__________________ Panama er landet eg drøymer om!

4th December 2008, 08:12 AM	#3
MetalPig Master Poster Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Juicing the piglet since 1989 Posts: 2,003	Oh, that would be nice. I wasn't aware such live CDs exist. I will definitely try that, thanks! (Meanwhile, other suggestions are still welcome )
	__________________ When I met you my eyes hurt That is how beautiful you are

4th December 2008, 09:26 AM	#4
MetalPig Master Poster Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Juicing the piglet since 1989 Posts: 2,003	Oh my non-existent god! As I write, all our stuff is being copied to the brand new external harddisk. Thanks so much sjiv! (And wow Linux has changed since I last looked at (and ran away from) it about 10 years ago.)
	__________________ When I met you my eyes hurt That is how beautiful you are

16th December 2008, 12:29 PM	#5
CORed Illuminator Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 4,293	There are Windows file system drivers for ext2 or ext3 filesystems. I don't particularly trust them for writing (especially ext3 filesystems, because none I've used update the journal) but they are fine for reading.
CORed Illuminator Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 4,293

17th December 2008, 01:25 AM	#6
richardm Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 9,270	Yeah, I used a Ubuntu Live Disk to save data off a couple of hard drives this year. It was ideal for the job
richardm Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 9,270	__________________ Rimmer: Look at her! Magnificent woman! Very prim, very proper, almost austere. Some people took her for cold, thought she was aloof. Not a bit of it. She just despised fools. Quite tragic, really, because otherwise I think we'd have got on famously.