3 replies to this topic

[markroberts2009]

I am attempting to make a utility CD to reclaim lost files on a hdd that won't boot and is in need of a rewrite to a USB device. Not everyone can put another HDD into computer or use the hdd as slave, as well as being time consuming not always possible to gain files from ntfs partition even as slave as some os's prevent this.

I am using ntfs4dos I downloaded NTFSBOOT.zip from bootdisk com which contains NTFSWCDD.ISO <- I can add files to this ISO and I would very much like to add a utilty that can load drivers for USB storage devices, post running of the config.sys file.

I am also thinking about putting other neat dos progs onto this cd (ramdrive.

So far I have managed to use devload.exe to load the sys files, but been unable to test them as of yet.

If there is another way of doing this can anyone help?

[was_jaclaz]

So far I have managed to use devload.exe to load the sys files, but been unable to test them as of yet.

If there is another way of doing this can anyone help?

I am not sure to have understood what the problem actually is.

You are looking for an alternative to something (which is the "normal" way to do things) that you haven't tested and thus you don't know whether it works or not?

There are several threads/info related to this, try your way, read them, and if anything does not work, will try and help you troubleshoot the problem.

Here :
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=4260
http://www.boot-land...?...ic=7549&hl=


The "reference" base floppy for USB is this one:
http://johnson.tmfc....dos/usbdrv.html

jaclaz

[markroberts2009]

Thanks for the link and sorry bout the explaination not being clear.

I am attempting to use ntfsdos to retrieve data from a ntfs partition say xp or vista when it fails to load because of bootsector errors that are unresolvable.

I have not tested the drivers because i don't have any CD-RWs so if it doesn't work I cannot re-write the same cd and have to use a new one.

I can show you what i done so far in config.

@echo off
:start
echo This will try and load the Driver support for a USB Device
echo 1. Load USB CD-ROM Support (Works on most usb devices) (Recommended)
echo 2. Load USB CD-ROM Support (Floppy in only port) Allows switching
echo 3. Exit
choice /c:123
if errorlevel 3 goto close
if errorlevel 2 goto USB1
if errorlevel 1 goto USB

:USB1
devload RAMFD.SYS
devload USBASPI1.sys /W
devload usbcd1.sys /D:mscd002
goto end

:USB
devload USBASPI1.sys
devload usbcd1.sys /D:mscd002
goto end

:end
MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd002 /L:S
Please check that the devices installed correctly..
pause
cls
echo The system should now reconise the USB Device

:close
cls

[was_jaclaz]

Still, something is not clear to me, sorry if I seem thicker than I usually appear.

I wouldn't say that there exist ANY "bootsector errors that are unresolvable", but however, for the sake of discussion let's assume that they are.

In other words, either the MBR and/or bootsector is/are recoverable (NTFS volumes/partitions have a copy of the bootsector at the very end of the allocated space, and TESTDISK can usually recreate valid partition entries) or the filesystem will be corrupted, thus NTFSDOS (or NTFS4DOS? ) will be useless.

So you propose to boot from an (USB) CDROM?

That will either be supported by BIOS or not.

In the first case you don't need USB CD-ROM drivers as you can fit the DOS bootdisk + either NTFSDOS or NTFS4DOS in the El-torito floppy emulation image (that can be either 1.44 or 2.88 Mb in size).

In the second you will need an alternate way of booting a "real" floppy, or a ATA/IDE/SATA/SCSI CD (and that would vanify the use of the external USB CD-ROM).

Then, where would you store the supposedly retrieved files?

And in any case you will need to fork a few bucks to buy some CD's/CDRW's, though for "generic" experiments you could use a Virtual Machine, there is nothing as "real" as a "real" machine.

The given links on the other hand provide methods, tested and working, for adding Mass Storage Device (not CD-ROM) drivers to a DOS, which is more logical, you boot from the USB device (Hard Disk or Flash stick) access the "failed" NTFS volume partition on internal hard disk and save to the USB device whatever you can find/recover.

As said, you should try them before "drawing your own path", and you'll have to experiment anyway (read buy several CD's or at least one CDRW).

If you want to boot from a USB CD-ROM, on a BIOS that doesn't support it, you might want to try this (from a floppy):
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=18650

If you want to boot a USB HD or stick, on a BIOS that doesn't support it, you might want to try PLoP bootmanager:
http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html

jaclaz