How-to: Recover files from Wubi install with LiveCD

For those of you with Wubi problems, here's how to mount your root.disk, and recover your files using a LiveCD:

1. Boot your computer, enter your BIOS by pressing the key it tells you to press at the first splash screen you come to at startup, put the CD/DVD drive first in the boot sequence, insert your LiveCD, then save the changes, and exit your BIOS.
2. Your computer should now boot from the CD.
3. In the Ubuntu setup program, select the preferred language you use, then select the "Try Ubuntu with No Change To My Computer" option.
4. Once at the Ubuntu desktop, in a Live session, open up Applications->Accessories>Terminal.
5. Now run:

Code:

sudo fdisk -l
sudo mkdir /win
sudo mount /dev/sdxy /win
sudo mkdir /vdisk
sudo mount -o loop /win/ubuntu/disks/root.disk /vdisk

where the "x" and the "y" in "sdxy" is replaced with the correct HDD letter (starting at a of course), and the correct partition number (starting at 1), of the Windows partition your Wubi install is on. The first command will have given you the location.
Once running those commands, open up Places>Computer>Filesystem>vdisk, and you should find the contents of your root.disk in there. Now you can backup your data to external media, and reinstall Ubuntu with Wubi if you like.

You can also try running the

Code:

sudo fsck /win/ubuntu/disks/root.disk

command to fix any filesystem errors that may be interfering with the boot, if that's the problem.

Hope it helps.

 

i am unable to recover my files in ubuntu

sudo fdisk -l
sudo mkdir /win
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /win
sudo mkdir /vdisk
sudo mount -o loop /win/ubuntu/disks/root.disk /vdisk
/win/ubuntu/disks/root.disk no such file or directory found

Addendum:

sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xeb1710f3

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 5 40131 de Dell Utility
/dev/sda2 6 1918 15360000 7 HPFS/NTFS
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda3 * 1918 11924 80373588 7 HPFS/NTFS
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mkdir /win
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /win
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ mk dir /vdisk
bash: mk: command not found
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ mkdir /vdisk
mkdir: cannot create directory `/vdisk': Permission denied
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mkdir /vdisk
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount -o loop /win/ubuntu/disks/root.disk /vdisk
/win/ubuntu/disks/root.disk: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fsck /win/ubuntu/disks/root.disk
fsck 1.41.3 (12-Oct-2008)
e2fsck 1.41.3 (12-Oct-2008)
fsck.ext2: No such file or directory while trying to open /win/ubuntu/disks/root.disk

The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2
filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2
filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock
is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:
e2fsck -b 8193 <device>

 

Hello Swetha.

As you can see by the bolded line, sda1 is not the correct partition to mount. Its a Dell Utility partition. You need to enter the id of the partition you have installed Wubi to. Try sda3, and then if that doesn't work, sda2.

 

Lifesaver

You are a MIRACLE sent from above for posting this, thanks so much. I'm a PC tech and I was cleaning off a flash drive that had been infected with that lil win32elf a-hole, so I was cleaning it out by copying my whole flash drive to my Wubi partition, then running Avast on the files, as well as MBAM and SAS through Wine. Well halfway through copying the stuff back after getting clean, Ubuntu went kapooey. It wouldn't boot back in after a restart, but this right here got me up and running again.

So, thanks so much! My stuff is clean and back on my flash drive. It was all expendable stuff (I use Dropbox for mission-critical stuff) but there was just a sheer amount of stuff that I would've preferred not to re-download all over again. If I could even find them! (portable apps, etc.)

 

Glad you found my tutorial useful.

 

Problem with Dual Boot Ubuntu Wubi

Hello I have a problem which is i installed UBUNTU 12.04 with Wubi, but know It doesn't begin

I get a magenta screen and it stops. I have booted from a USB with Wubi and works fine.

BUT I can't find my old files.

I ve tried your steps but It doesn't find any sda1 only sdb1,sdb2,sdb3.

Could you please help me?

Where are my files?

Also I don't find these files through Windows.

 

Hello Hara...
As mentioned in post #1 in this thread, you need to specify the correct hard drive and partition numbers corresponding to those of your Windows partition which hosts Wubi-installed Ubuntu.
Obviously, in your case, sda1 is not correct.
The easiest way to figure that out is by typing (and pressing Enter after):

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

in your Ubuntu command-line Terminal from your Ubuntu installation CD. This will print a list of the detected hard drives, and the partitions/volumes of each hard drive in your system with the sdxy syntax.
Your Windows partition will likely have an NTFS filesystem, which means it will show up in the fdisk output with "HPFS/NTFS" at the end of the line for that one. Now, let me explain how fdisk numbers
hard drives and partitions:

Hard drives (and these will follow the same order setup in your BIOS) are counted beginning at the letter 'a', then 'b', and 'c', and so forth, in alphabetical order.
Partitions of hard drives are numbered starting at 1, and numbered according to the MBR partition table of the respective hard drive. Normally, the MBR partition
table will contain partition entries corresponding to the same order the partitions exist physically on the hard disk, but it doesn't have to. Sometimes, one may edit the
order with a 3rd party boot management program, which means they can be in any order at any time. It just depends on how you have your system setup. With that
being said, basically fdisk provides a way to tell the way Ubuntu is seeing the system, so you can then figure out how to tell Ubuntu (or the Live version of it, anyway)
to mount your Windows partition, so you can then access it, and get at the files stored inside of your root.disk, which is basically a virtual (i.e. fake) hard drive that is in
reality a file stored on your Windows partition. But because Windows can't access what's inside that file, this requires using Ubuntu's LiveCD to access it when you can't boot
into Wubi-installed Ubuntu.

Now, I'm guessing since, you mentioned "sdb1, sdb2, and sdb3", you have at least 2 hard drives in your system, and possibly multiple NTFS partitions. So, you probably can't use
only the filesystem in your case to easily determine which id is correct for your Windows host partition for your Wubi Ubuntu. So, in your case, I would suggest posting a screenshot
of your Disk Management screen from Windows, to give me an idea of what your system looks like from Windows point of view, in addition to the fdisk command's (mentioned above) output.
I should then be able to surmise correctly, what Ubuntu is calling your Windows partition.

Cheers.

 

Boot your PC, enter your BIOS by squeezing the key it instructs you to squeeze at the first sprinkle screen you come to at startup, put the CD/DVD drive first in the boot grouping, embed your LiveCD, then spare the progressions, and way out your BIOS. Your PC ought to now boot from the CD. In the Ubuntu setup project, select the favored dialect you utilize, then select the "Attempt Ubuntu with No Change To My Computer" alternative. Once at the Ubuntu desktop, in a Live session, open up Applications->Accessories>Terminal.

Run:

% sudo fdisk -l

% sudo mkdir/win

% sudo mount/dev/sdxy/win

% sudo mkdir/vdisk

% sudo mount -o circle/win/ubuntu/circles/root.disk/vdisk

where the "x" and the "y" in "sdxy" is supplanted with the right HDD letter (beginning at an obviously), and the right segment number (beginning at 1), of the Windows parcel your Wubi introduce is on. The primary summon will have given you the area. When running those summons, open up Places>Computer>Filesystem>vdisk, and you ought to discover the substance of your root.disk in there. Presently you can reinforcement your information to outside media, and reinstall Ubuntu with Wubi on the off chance that you like.

You can likewise take a stab at running the sudo fsck/win/ubuntu/circles/root.disk charge to alter any filesystem mistakes that may be meddling with the boot, if that is the issue.

Trust it makes a difference.

Proprietor

alejandro remarked on Sep 3, 2011

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