Other Help Topics :: Using DSL for emergency data recovery of XP files



Hi folks...I'm not a Linux person, so forgive me...but I came across this site and am downloading a copy of DSL for use in an absolute worst case scenario.  There is nothing wrong with my system now, but DSL seemed like a great program to have in case of emergencies.

Assuming I can't get XP to boot with the DOS boot disks, and can't find any way to reach or repair my C: drive with Windows, I was hoping to be able to use this live CD to boot the computer up and copy EVERYTHING from the primary partition to to CDRW's before doing a reformat.

What I'm looking for is a "Data recovery for absolute Idiots" guide that I can print out and keep with the Damn Small Linux CD in a safe location.

Is there a guide for absolute newbies on using the live CD to recover XP files and programs?  

I'm talking REAL baby steps here...start to finish for people who have ZERO skills with Linux (no knowledge of commands), but may need to use this program as a last resort to recover their data.

I'm on a dialup, and from what I understand, it is near impossible to dial up with DSL at this point...so I won't be able to get online and ask for advice.  This is why I need an extremely simple step-by-step (Type X, Enter, Type Y, Enter, Type Z, Enter, etc.) guide to walk through the entire recovery process.

If you could just point me in the right direction for a guide and/or backup program compatible with DSL, I would greatly appreciate it! (So would a few hundred newbies browing this forum over the next few months!:)
DSL is not typically considered a " rescue " distro, or utility ,
although more than one "save-the-day" story can be found here..

Point being is that there are more favorable linux distros and
bootable liveCD's that are geared towards rescuing..

Search google for "System Rescue " or "Ultimate Boot CD" ,
which are both designed for use in situations that you are indicating.

DSL does not have true NTFS capability, like these other examples.

DSL is geared for a desktop environment, and using it for
" rescuing " without being somewhat familiar with the layout
and tools available could prove frustrating to "newcomers" ..

Being limited to a 50MB bootable distro, many of the tools in DSL
are command line, rather than gui or point-n-click tools, to keep
their file size down..

In the scenario you describe, with users having ZERO skills in linux,
my thoughts would be to look into a more dedicated solution ..

As far as YOU learning howto "save-the-day" with your DSL CD,
stick around..  Lots to learn here, and good people to help..

73
ke4nt
Do we have any MyDSL applications for data recovery and/or general computer recovery?

~Me
Oh well, I think DSL will be good to have anyway.  I have an old Pentium 100 laptop that would probably run nicely with it.  I only need it for typing basic documents and saving them to floppy, and I'm sure DSL can handle that ;)

If I learn how to use the disk to recover anything on my main computer, it will just be a bonus.  In the meantime, I'll be looking for some specific programs that can be used to recover/repair/backup a bad XP partition.  If you folks have any recommendations, please post them here.

Thanks for the replies.
http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php

Great list of liveCD distros. That's where I found DSL (I think...) :) It's big and very descriptive :)

~Me
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