My PC crashed, how do I get my stuff off the HD ??

It seems we can't agree on what I should do. We have people who say use linux, people who say don't use linux, and people who say put it in the freezer.

Please, tell me like a 5 year old, what do I do? Do I try linux or not? If I should, which version?

 

no74
you are useing XP right?
if not whats your OS?
Lets start there

 

I am using xp.

 

Is this from an older Distribution? What Distro?

Yes. Some Distributions will only see the Linux partitions while others are more advanced and designed for the dual boot uses of most users.

True, they are all based on the same idea. However, some Distributions have been specialized to meet different needs. For example, VideoLinux is designed just for working with Video files. That doesn't mean it will not do other things. It just includes programs not found in your normal release.

Some Linux distributions will not "see" Windows partitions at all while others are fully able to read and write to NTSF and FAT32. Windows will not "see" a Linux partition! If Linux is installed on a slave drive, the drive will not even be seen. So, they are NOT similar all across the board.

SuSE 9 is almost 3 years old now. I don't know when you tried it, but if it was recently, there is no wonder you had problems with drivers. Driver support lags behind in every operating system. Look at the problems people had with XP when it was first released! The same things are going to happen when Vista is released. Some older/newer hardware isn't going to work. At least with Linux, you have the options of creating your own drivers!

Finding a Linux Distribution is easy. Finding the one that's best for you can be the hard part. http://distrowatch.com/

I recommended Knoppix http://www.knoppix.org/ as it's easy to use and has some of the better features for data recovery and system repairs. It has transparent write access for NTFS partitions and automatic hardware detection. Also, due to on-the-fly decompression, the CD can have up to 2 GB of executable software installed on it. (over 8 GB on the DVD "Maxi" edition).

Did you "really" get the hang of Windows when you started with it? Have you tried any of the newer distributions? Driver problems have been a "bug-a-boo" for most operating systems. The thing of Linux is the support that is offered. If you have a problem, all you need to do is post to a forum and you'll have answers. Linux support forums and mailing lists put Windows to shame.

DirectX for Linux is missing as Microsoft will not release it. OpenGL is what most Linux distributions use. Linux isn't really designed for gaming. However, it is getting better in this area.

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While I'm not a "die-hard" Linux uesr, it should be looked at for what it is. It's a operating system that is free and still in development. It has it's good features and it's bad.

 

Lol you're not a hardcore Linux user, but have an image to say so in your signiature, you are the very first person I've seen who has!

 

I dual boot between Windows XP and Linux. The reason I like Linux is because I've tried several releases of the new Vista, in Beta, that are coming out and don't like them. Vista is very resource hungry. Most people will have to upgrade their computers with between $250 and $500 (as a minimum) worth of hardware (or buy and new computer) just to get it to run. This is in addition to the cost of Vista (of course if you buy a new system it will cover this cost). I, for one, don't have the money to update my hardware all the time. So I started to look for alternatives.

As for the signature, I just use it to show my early support of Linux. I'm still learning. Other members of AfterDawn also use the picture (one that comes to mind is janrocks).

So, I don't really consider myself a "die-hard" or hardcore Linux user. In fact, I'm writing this in Windows.

 

Fair enough. I used to dual boot XP Pro and Suse (I think 9 though maybe 10) but since it didn't support my modem I had limited use for it.

 

Why not try another distribution?

 

dolphin2
caseda or what ever is a DX emluation thing for Lunix more ro less.

 

I take it you mean Cedega?

There are two popular programs for Linux that try to run Windows games and applications. There are also emulators but it is best to stay away from them as they will slow things down.

One is Cedega (pay, $15 for 3 months or $55 a year. Note: you are actually buying the program and are able to get free updates during that time. After the subscription period, you must renew or stick with the version that you have (without any more updates)).

The other program is WINE. It is free under the GNU.

Both programs will run some Windows games and apps. Both will have time lags to support the latest and greatest game.

Hope this helps answer your question.

 

dolphin2
didnt wine become Cedega?
or is wine thier freeware version?

when I ahve enough parts to build my own extra comp I'll use it to test linux *L*

 

guys, how do i get my shit of this HD? tell me what to do, i DO NOT know what to do. i would like all my shit back. you know?

 

@ZIppyDSM

Wine is still in development. So did it become Cedega? Perhaps someone took the open source code of wine and turned it into Cedega. I can't answer that. And no, wine isn't a free version of Cedega. They are two seperate things.

Why wait for that, why not try dual booting?
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@no74

You've been given several different ways to try and get your information back. Try them. There is no method that is going to work with a 100% result. Try the different suggestions and see if any of them will work for you.

And please stop the cussing. That will only get you in trouble.

 

Maybe tone down your post and we can try suggesting other things... We've already given you several options but it's up to you to try them, we can't remotely work with your drive!

 

what do you mean tone down my post?

i've been listening, so far i've heard....

home-bodge repair job, but i don't have an identical drive.

stick it in the freezer, which i'm not going to do.

put it in a external enclosure, which most likely won't work.

repalce the CD/DVD with the old HD, which i tried, the pc won't boot, it beeps when the drive is connected.

then you guys started going on about linux, and i completely lost you guys.

i don't understand linux talk, how do i try with linux?

what version do i use?

tell me like a 5 year old, step by step.

please.

 

Download a Live free version of Linux from the net (yes there are some legal free ones) and put it on a CD. Live versions are ones specifically made to run from one CD without needing installation on your hard disk to run. Then you can try and see if your drive is recognised in that operating system. If your system doesn't get past the BIOS screen though (just beeps and doesn't output any video) with the drive connected, then you will have to either bodge it, put it in an external enclosure or have it recovered, for the simple reason that it'll need to be off when you boot up and then turned on later - YOU MUST NEVER HOT-PLUG AN INTERNAL HARD DISK DRIVE (Attaching it when the PC is on) or you could cause serious problems for the rest of your system, fire being one of the more extreme cases. An external disk enclosure allows you to turn your disk on once an OS has been loaded, or at any time you choose. Try that step with both XP and Linux before pronouncing the disk dead and either repairing it yourself or having it recovered. If you don't want to repair yourself and can't afford recovery (it's expensive, typically $300 or more) then you'll have to live without the data I'm afraid.

 

thanks sammorris, your help is appreciated.

i'll try it out and see what happens.

 

Yeah keep us posted!

 

Go here:http://www.knoppix.org/

Follow the link to the Downloads.

Chose one that is close to you.

Download the file.

It will be large (close to 700 MB) and in ISO format.

Use your software burning program to burn the ISO to a CD.

Leave the CD in the burner when completed and reboot.

During boot, you should see something to the effect of "Press any key to boot from CD..." Don't wait long or it will disappear. Just press a key and it will boot into Linux.

 

...and it's THAT simple!