Using SystemRescueCd to recover partition data
Got Your Back
If your Linux or Windows system won’t boot, or if you’re worried that the hard disk is on its last legs, the first thing you need to do is rescue the partition data and copy it to a safe location.
Everyone has experienced the dreaded “file not found” and “missing operating system” messages. And, you’ve probably seen the error messages GRUB spits out, including: “Read Error,” “Hard Disk Error,” and even “No such partition.” Plenty of problems can happen at boot time. And, of course, the practical result of all these problems is that you can’t get to your data.
So, what happens when you can’t recover a partition that contains valuable data? You either need to repair the disk or make a copy of the failed partition and get it to a remote system so that you can then mount it and obtain the data you need. Usually, this means finding a way to copy the partition, then transfer it across the network to a system that has the ability to mount the partition and obtain the data.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.