Access Files on Non-Windows Partition

[eduede]

Hey guys,

so, I've got a laptop with a Windows partition and an Ubuntu partition. I'm pretty sure I just botched an Ubuntu upgrade.

What I'd like to do is get my documents off of the Ubuntu partition. Is there a way to access that partition from windows (i.e. the window's partition)?

-eamon

 

[Kaktussoft]

win7 can't read those file systems! Boot into linux livecd and copy the files to a FAT32 partition.
Win7 can read that afterwards

 

[Alejandro85]

Googling a little about an easy way for doing that, found that article: 3 Ways to Access Your Linux Partitions From Windows - How-To Geek

Basically, Windows cannot read EXT partitions directly on its own, but there are a few programs/drivers that can make it able to use them normally. Never tried it, though.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Ntfs

win7 can't read those file systems! Boot into linux livecd and copy the files to a FAT32 partition.
Win7 can read that afterwards

Why bother with FAT?
Ubuntu can read/write NTFS data.

The only "problem" I've noticed is that it generally read/writes at about 50% of the speed you'd see in Windows (i.e. on my PC: ~30 MB/s versus ~60 MB/s)

Googling a little about an easy way for doing that, found that article: 3 Ways to Access Your Linux Partitions From Windows - How-To Geek

Basically, Windows cannot read EXT partitions directly on its own, but there are a few programs/drivers that can make it able to use them normally. Never tried it, though.

I have tried a couple, but they were a little bit flaky or demanded payments.

You should be able to access the data using your Ubuntu CD.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Why bother with FAT?
Ubuntu can read/write NTFS data.

The only "problem" I've noticed is that it generally read/writes at about 50% of the speed you'd see in Windows (i.e. on my PC: ~30 MB/s versus ~60 MB/s)

If you do that the ntfs volume is written to WITHOUT updating system restore stuff. All restore points will be invalid. You can't do a system restore afterwards. Unless you delete all restore points and create a new one.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Interesting

If you do that the ntfs volume is written to WITHOUT updating system restore stuff. All restore points will be invalid. You can't do a system restore afterwards. Unless you delete all restore points and create a new one.

I must admit I've never tried doing a System Restore just after writing from Ubuntu.
In any case, I only run System Restore on my OS partition.

All of my data is on other partitions and I image those (so that issue has never come up).

Thanks for that info Kaktussoft.

P.S.
I didn't know that System Restore worked on FAT.

 

[Kaktussoft]

If you do that the ntfs volume is written to WITHOUT updating system restore stuff. All restore points will be invalid. You can't do a system restore afterwards. Unless you delete all restore points and create a new one.

I must admit I've never tried doing a System Restore just after writing from Ubuntu.
In any case, I only run System Restore on my OS partition.

All of my data is on other partitions and I image those (so that issue has never come up).

Thanks for that info Kaktussoft.

P.S.
I didn't know that System Restore worked on FAT.

I told him to write the files to FAT partition instead of NTFS. Only NTFS supports system restore (actually volume shadowing). But only if written to by WIN7/WIN8/VISTA. If linux or some rescuetool writes to it, they become invalid!

 

[lehnerus2000]

Ah, I see

I told him to write the files to FAT partition instead of NTFS. Only NTFS supports system restore (actually volume shadowing). But only if written to by WIN7/WIN8/VISTA. If linux or some rescuetool writes to it, they become invalid!

Thanks for that clarification Kaktussoft.
I thought that was the case.

However since System Restore doesn't work on FAT, why not just create another NTFS partition and disable System Restore, on that partition only?
Ubuntu and W7 can both write to it and you would get the other benefits of NTFS (compared to FAT).

Are you saying that even if you disable System Restore on a NTFS partition and then you write to it using Ubuntu, all of the other System Restore points (on other partitions) become corrupted?

 

[Kaktussoft]

I told him to write the files to FAT partition instead of NTFS. Only NTFS supports system restore (actually volume shadowing). But only if written to by WIN7/WIN8/VISTA. If linux or some rescuetool writes to it, they become invalid!

Thanks for that clarification Kaktussoft.
I thought that was the case.

However since System Restore doesn't work on FAT, why not just create another NTFS partition and disable System Restore, on that partition only?
Ubuntu and W7 can both write to it and you would get the other benefits of NTFS (compared to FAT).

Are you saying that even if you disable System Restore on a NTFS partition and then you write to it using Ubuntu, all of the other System Restore points (on other partitions) become corrupted?

If you write to an NTFS partition not from vista,win7,win8.... that partition's restore points become invalid.

I just wanted to say: Don't use the OS-partition to transfer the files to.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Thanks Kaktussoft

If you write to an NTFS partition not from vista,win7,win8.... that partition's restore points become invalid.

I just wanted to say: Don't use the OS-partition to transfer the files to.

I'm glad we cleared that up.

 

[eduede]

Googling a little about an easy way for doing that, found that article: 3 Ways to Access Your Linux Partitions From Windows - How-To Geek

Basically, Windows cannot read EXT partitions directly on its own, but there are a few programs/drivers that can make it able to use them normally. Never tried it, though.

Just used this advice. Perfect. Thanks!