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Use Puppy Linux Live CD to Recover Your Data

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#1
Ferrari

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UPDATED April 20, 2012

Use Puppy Linux Live CD to Recover Your Data:

===================
***Required Hardware***
CD Burner (CDRW) Drive,
Blank CD,
Extra Storage Device (USB Flash Drive, External Hard Drive)

===================

1. Save these files to your Desktop/Burn Your Live CD:
  • Download Latest Puppy Linux ISO (i.e.: lupu-528.iso)
    Download BurnCDCC ISO Burning Software

    There are instructions on how to boot from flash drive with puppy here; http://www.pendrivel...e-from-windows/

  • Open BurnCDCC with Windows Explorer
  • Extract All files to a location you can remember
  • Double Click Posted Image BurnCDCC
  • Click Browse Posted Image and navigate to the Puppy Linux ISO file you just downloaded
  • Open/Double Click that file
    IMPORTANT: Adjust the speed bar to CD: 4x DVD: 1x
  • Click Start Posted Image
  • Your CD Burner Tray will open automatically
  • Insert a blank CD and close the tray
  • Click OK
Puppy Linux Live CD will now be created
2. Set your boot priority in the BIOS to CD-ROM first, Hard Drive Second
  • Start the computer/press the power button
  • Immediately start tapping the appropriate key to enter the BIOS, aka "Setup"
    (Usually shown during the "Dell" screen, or "Gateway" Screen)
  • Once in the BIOS, under Advanced BIOS Options change boot priority to:
    CD-ROM 1st, Hard Drive 2nd
  • Open your ROM drive and insert the disk
  • Press F10 to save and exit
  • Agree with "Y" to continue
  • Your computer will restart and boot from the Puppy Linux Live CD

    Posted Image

3. Recover Your Data
  • Once Puppy Linux has loaded, it is actually running in your computer's Memory (RAM). You will see a fully functioning Graphical User Interface similar to what you normally call "your computer". Internet access may or may not be available depending on your machine, so it is recommended you print these instructions before beginning. Also, double clicking is not needed in Puppy. To expand, or open folders/icons, just click once. Puppy is very light on resources, so you will quickly notice it is much speedier than you are used to. This is normal. Ready? Let's get started.

    3a. Mount Drives
  • Click the Mount Icon located at the top left of your desktop. Posted Image
  • A Window will open. By default, the "drive" tab will be forward/highlighted. Click on Mount for your hard drive.
  • Assuming you only have one hard drive and/or partition, there may be only one selection to mount.
  • USB Flash Drives usually automatically mount upon boot, but click the "usbdrv" tab and make sure it is mounted.
  • If using an external hard drive for the data recovery, do this under the "drive" tab. Mount it now.
3b. Transfer Files.
  • At the bottom left of your desktop a list of all hard drives/partitions, USB Drives, and Optical Drives are listed with a familiar looking hard drive icon.
  • Open your old hard drive i.e. sda1
  • Next, open your USB Flash Drive or External Drive. i.e. sdc or sdb1
  • If you open the wrong drive, simply X out at the top right corner of the window that opens. (Just like in Windows)
  • From your old hard drive, drag and drop whatever files/folders you wish to transfer to your USB Drive's Window.
For The Novice: The common path to your pictures, music, video, and documents folders is: Documents and Settings >> All Users (or each idividual name of each user. CHECK All Names!) >> Documents >> You will now see My Music, My Pictures, and My Videos.

Remember to only click once! No double clicking! Once you drag and drop your first folder, you will notice a small menu will appear giving you the option to move or copy. Choose COPY each time you drag and drop.

YOU ARE DONE!!! Simply click Menu >> Mouse Over Shutdown >> Reboot/Turn Off Computer. Be sure to plug your USB Drive into another working windows machine to verify all data is there and transferred without corruption. Congratulations!



Posted Image

If you're doing this to recover from a virus or malware infection, (or even if you're not), DO NOT copy executable files (.exe, .scr. etc...) if any of these files are infected you could be copying the corruption over to any new device/computer. just copy documents, pictures, music, or videos.

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#2
qwirky

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excellent guide! this worked perfectly. i just have to ask this though: am i supposed to change back the boot sequence back to its original order (i.e. 1. Diskette Drive and last one CD drive)?
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#3
Ferrari

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Wow, I was soo busy and gone for a while... no you can leave the boot order like that or change it back. Ideally for convienance you should leave the boot order at CD ROM first and Hard Drive second. If you want to put hard drive first that is just fine, but if you ever need to boot from a cd again, you'll have to go back in and change it.

Leaving the CD ROM first has very little to no impact on slowing down your computers boot time. Maybe a 1/2 second to less than that even.
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#4
rubber7

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Great Post!!! :)
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#5
zorba the geek

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Excellent guide!
Read it yesterday,downloaded it,burned the disc,dident sleep all night :) ,booted up with linux this morning and saved 6years worth of photos/videos! This worked perfectly,it was easy and extremly fast :)

Thanks
charlie

:)
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#6
dsenette

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as a note of caution, if you're doing this to recovery from a virus or malware infection, (or even if you're not), DO NOT copy executable files (.exe, .scr. etc...) if any of these files are infected you could be copying the corruption over to any new device/computer. just copy documents, pictures, music, or videos.
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#7
zorba the geek

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as a note of caution, if you're doing this to recovery from a virus or malware infection, (or even if you're not), DO NOT copy executable files (.exe, .scr. etc...) if any of these files are infected you could be copying the corruption over to any new device/computer. just copy documents, pictures, music, or videos.



Great advise,I think Ferrari could incorperate it into his guide! :)
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#8
Ash12345

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I did this and successfully managed to recover a file which was 7GB in size. However it took almost 24 hours to copy the file to my external USB2 hard drive. Any ideas why it took so long? I have a folder full of pictures which is 70GB in size which I need to recover so if anyone knows why and how to speed up the transfer from Linux Puppy I would be most grateful.
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#9
Troy

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Er, you need a faster computer? There could be any number of reasons why it is slow.

Is it slow when you are running Windows? Or only on the Puppy Linux boot disc?

Either way, just be happy it's getting recovered without $$$ charges! :D
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#10
Ehsanit

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Great guide. Would it be possible to include a note about using a second USB flash/thumb disk for Puppy in place of a CD. Aside from saving the price of a CD, this is especially useful for netbooks which don't have an optical drive. Unfortunately it only works if the computer is new enough to have a boot from USB option.
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#11
heartboard

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I followed instruction to the letter and made my copy of disc. Disc works perfect as I tested it. Went to put in bad machine I am trying to get data from and it does not boot and screen says "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: Windows\system32\config\system. Any ideas????? Thanks for any assistance.
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#12
Troy

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Hi heartboard,

You will need to double check step 2 in the first post. It sounds like your computer is not booting off the disc you have newly created.

Cheers
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#13
rshaffer61

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I took the liberty to add the warning supplied by Dsenette to the end of the tutorial.
If anyone thinks it should be moved to the beginning let me know and I will do that for everyone.
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#14
JD74

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Than you! I will try this over the weekend. I just have one qiestion about the Puppy Linux CD. When I start pulling my files off the drive, can I burn them to a CD ROM and when the disc fills up insert another one, an so on? OR do I need an external hardrive with lots of storgae space to dump on all at once.

Thanks for your time!
Jason
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#15
rshaffer61

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Puppy runs in memory so you can burn as many disks as you need to.
You cannot copy installed programs as they need to be installed fresh from the installation disk. What you are trying to achieve with Puppy is simply back up your data files.
  • Office Documents
  • Internet bookmarks and email
  • Music
  • Movies Videos
  • Pictures


Make sure to read the last warning on the tutorial because you don't want to copy anything over that may be infected if your issue is caused by malware. :)
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