Using a Linux Boot CD to Recover Files

This guide is intended to help someone who has just experienced a Windows crash. The easiest way to recover files off a broken Windows installation is by using a bootable LiveCD, and this guide explains how to do that. We will be working with a Linux Distro known as Knoppix. If your windows breaks for whatever reason, and you need to get some important files, a Linux boot disk is the easiest option.

First thing you need to do is obtain a Linux LiveCD. Here is an NZ mirror for the latest Knoppix LiveCDs: ftp://debian.co.nz/Knoppix/

• Downloading and burning the Knoppix LiveCD
• Changing first boot device to CDROM in your BIOS
• Booting into Knoppix
• Copying Files - Samba (Via Network)
• Copying Files - Backing up onto a USB HDD or Flash Drive

Download the most current Knoppix ISO from ftp://debian.co.nz/Knoppix/. An ISO is a disk image. What we need to do now is transfer this image onto a CD so we can boot it. To do this, there are a number of tools available. I’ve always used Nero. However, for this purpose we can use a very simple and easy to use tool known as ISO Recorder. I will not explain how to use this tool, as it is pretty self explanatory and there is a guide available on the ISO Recorder site should you need it.

Burn the disk image at a relatively low speed (16x) to prevent burn errors.

This step involves getting into your system BIOS, and changing the order of boot devices to make the CDROM the first boot device. If this is not done, the system will just continue booting XP or whatever OS you have, effectively bypassing the Boot CD.

Here’s how:

1. Reboot your computer, press the button required to get into the BIOS when the message is displayed (most commonly the DEL Key, but can be other keys).
2. You should now be greeted with a blue screen. Look around, and find the “Boot Devices” option and make your CD-ROM the first boot device.
3. Find the “Save Changes and Reboot” option, and use it.

Note: Different BIOSes have different ways of setting the boot device order. If you don’t know which option(s) to change, seek help at GP H&T. However, feel free to have a look around. If you feel that you changed something you shouldn’t have, find the “Exit Without Saving Changes” option and use it.

This is the easiest step. Just slap the disk in the Drive, and boot.

Once knoppix begins booting, you will be presented with a boot prompt that looks something like this:

Here, you can enter several options. A comprehensive list of boot options is available on the Knoppix Wiki

My favourite ones include:

• toram - This boot option copies the entire CD to your RAM, and runs it from there. Particularly useful if the size of your RAM is larger than that of the LiveCD. After booting, you can eject the CD, and use your CD / DVD writer to burn backups from within Knoppix. This wouldn’t be possible if you didn’t use the toram option. The CD / DVD drive becomes “Locked”, and will not eject until you give the order to shut down or reboot.
• memtest - Runs Memtest86. Useful because you don’t have to download and burn another memtest CD.

If you don’t want to use any of these switches, just press enter, and the boot will continue.

Note: This step is optional, and can be skipped if you do not plan to backup over your network or need access to the internet.

Setting this up is fairly easy:
1. Open a terminal, by clicking on the black screen (Konsole) icon in the bottom left hand side of your screen.
2. Type “netcardconfig”, press enter, and then enter the appropriate information.

And now, you must set up “Samba”, so this computer can “Talk” with other computers on the network. This is for file sharing.
1. Click on the little penguin in the bottom left hand corner of your screen
2. Point to Services and select Start Samba Server. Follow the instructions. If wish, you can share all the HDDs in the current machine and make them writable.

And thats it! You are ready to begin copying files to another computer. Go to your other computer, and in My Network Places, click on View Workgroup Computers, and then double click on the Knoppix PC, enter the password you specified earlier, and start copying.

Knoppix is very good with USB support. All you have to do is plug in your device, and it will automatically be “mounted” (and displayed) on your desktop. Right click on the drive, select “Change read/write Mode”, and start copying all your files over.