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Author Topic: PC failure  (Read 1415 times)

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Shackeng

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PC failure
« on: 26 October 2019, 16:19:45 »

Pursuant to trying Linux, before trying it, I attempted to replace last months backup on my external backup drive. As the Ashampoo backup was still chuntering away and going nowhere after 12 hours, I re-booted the computer, or tried to. The PC failed to re-boot and indicated boot failure.
 Long story short, after many attempts using various methods including my original rescue disc, Win 7 and Win 10 installation files, etc. etc. We decided that the drive needs re-formatting and then re-install programs.
Those of you still engaged will have noticed the flaw in this plan, yep, I lose all my data.
So, using a Linux disc, I have been able to locate all the files on the PC and transfer them to a 1TB drive, and, after much googling, have actually managed to transfer my Email programme, Thunderbird, with all its data and address books to a laptop where it is running OK
However, I am still unable to establish, or convert, which are the Linux files containing my Softmaker/Textmaker text files, or my Firefox Bookmarks. I can find individual .docx files, but have no idea how to transfer these into Textmaker now running on my laptop. I am unable to reformat the PC until sure that I have all my data.
Unfortunately my go to Linux guy is undergoing treatment for cancer and is unable to help at present. 
Any helpful suggestions from you IT whizz kids would be gratefully received.  :y
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dave the builder

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Re: PC failure
« Reply #1 on: 26 October 2019, 17:02:00 »

Just slap another hard drive in it, re-install windows, then read and transfer files from the old drive over to the new install.
the old drive could be failing  :-\
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Shackeng

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Re: PC failure
« Reply #2 on: 26 October 2019, 18:53:12 »

Just slap another hard drive in it, re-install windows, then read and transfer files from the old drive over to the new install.
the old drive could be failing  :-\

Thks Dave, but having already transferred everything to the laptop using Linux, the data files are ‘unavailable’ or corrupted, so I would expect the same would happen to them if I transfer them to another hard drive.  :y
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Jimbob

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Re: PC failure
« Reply #3 on: 27 October 2019, 09:05:40 »

Your firefox bookmarks will be in here, you will need to amend to suit your system, but should give you enough to go on  :
C:\Users\yourprofile\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\x0fkkdv2.default-1325393341669
file you need is places.sqlite

That is an editable (with the right software) database, normally you'd export from it within firefox to get your bookmarks, whether you can just overwrite a new installation with the old file, I dont know, but worth a try.

Kevin Wood

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Re: PC failure
« Reply #4 on: 27 October 2019, 09:39:05 »

In Linux the above file will appear in /home/<username>/.mozilla/firefox/x0fkkdv2.default-1325393341669

The x0fkkdv2.default-1325393341669 bit is random so every profile will be different.
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Shackeng

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Re: PC failure
« Reply #5 on: 27 October 2019, 09:49:02 »

Thanks Jimbob & Kevin, I'llhave a go after the match.  :y :y :y
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TheBoy

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Re: PC failure
« Reply #6 on: 27 October 2019, 10:06:06 »

Sorry, late to party, but sounds solved :)


However, a lesson is to be learned, and I should have stated in the previous thread.  Disk cloning tools are utter shite. Universally.  In a perfect world, they can work, but that's often not the case. Sector backups do work better, but take too long to be useful.

So lesson is, write a quick script to copy valuable files (My Docs and /ProgramData etc in Windows, and /home/<username> in Linux (or /export/home/<username> in most real Unix) and /etc, plus anything else you'd be upset to lose.

Current Debian still uses ext filesystem IIRC, which isn't great for corruption, but generally easier to fix than (the very rare, admittedly) fatal NTFS corruption.  But you still want a good backup regime.  Pure cloud syncing generally isn't enough, as you sync corruption.
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Terbs

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Re: PC failure
« Reply #7 on: 27 October 2019, 12:21:07 »

I do have to disagree with you, TB...I am using as cloned drive, which was cloned using Macrium Reflect. I have cloned many drives in the past and had no problems whatsoever. There are six drives in or connected to my computer and three are cloned, two done ages ago, this one about a month now. Just cheap Seagate, Toshiba, and WD drives. :)
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TheBoy

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Re: PC failure
« Reply #8 on: 27 October 2019, 14:11:12 »

I do have to disagree with you, TB...I am using as cloned drive, which was cloned using Macrium Reflect. I have cloned many drives in the past and had no problems whatsoever. There are six drives in or connected to my computer and three are cloned, two done ages ago, this one about a month now. Just cheap Seagate, Toshiba, and WD drives. :)
They (non sector by sector) work to the point that assumes everything is 100%, and that there is zero corruption in the journal, or on the filesystem. More than once have I had do go over a drive using a hex editor due to filesystem/journal corruption.  In fact only last month was I going over a shared storage filesystem at some dingy PoP site with trust HxD, because we had a bucket load of vital virtual machines on said filesystem that none of the hypervisors would mount ;D

Cloning drives really is a very poor way to backup your files. The only real purpose of drive cloning is when swapping your boot drive...   ...and TBH, at that point, with either Windows or Linux, a rebuild makes much more sense :)
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