mbr and partitions in trouble...critical data involved

If the data is critical do you not have a backup? Then you can just wipe the thing clean and start again.

The liveCD for ubuntu will allow you to reinstall grub etc and will give you a bootable system. If Ubuntu is no longer installed then you will need to use the mandriva CD to do similar

Here is the grub2 guide
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2

And the grub one if you are using hardy or intrepid
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GrubHowto

Personally I'd go with the wipe/reinstall/restore data

I need to save the data. I think the mandriva file ststem is corrupt. when i view the boot folder on that partition, there are now music files in there in addition to the usual stuff. maybe i can salvage some of the files. what sections should i look in for my files to copy? just cause it wont boot doesn't mean i cant copy the files i guess. any help is appreciated. copy it all to a new hard drive and start hunting? maybe a command i can run from knoppix terminal as SU to open a file browser with no restrictions as right now I am navigating password protected files from the terminal, because browsing files from the gui leaves me as a regular user. searching around with the cd command is slow and difficult. ( i dont have the mandriva root password) just keeps getting better...

take the backup of your home directory inside /home of your old installation.

after mounting from another os it will be mounted inside /media.

please remember that the new version of ubuntu uses grub 2.0 and the way to edit the menu.lst file is different from old versions.

If it is 'critical' why do you not have any form of backup. What if your drives motor died and the platters no longer spun up, where is your data then?

Us the live CD to backup your data like Ajesh recommends, You can mount them from the places menu in the live cd and get at least read access

I'm really tired of bleating "my data is very important" yet they have no backup, its pathetic

There is a backup of the data. in hard copy. on paper. the purpose of install winxp is to use quickbooks online, and to be able to print. (see my other post about printing). the only reason I wish to save the data is gnu cash is a system my bookkeeper is accustomed to using. This computer has been in use for 5 years. I just started working here a month ago. although I have known the owner for 18 years, and I am a part owner as well. Maybe this is the push we need to move to a windows/quickbooks system anyway. If this computer had been able to print or copy data, we would not be in this situation, but a previous employee was the SU for that system, and the bookkeeper could not even shut the computer down because she did not have the correct permissions. not being able to print, copy, or even turn off the computer made backing up the critical data a little tricky. I have installed ubuntu on many many computers, and normally there is no problem. it is clear to me that when the partition was resized, the data was comprimised. hence music files appearing in the grub folder : ). Thankfully we still do things the old fashined way with a ledger and a traditional (paper) file system in addition to the computer. I am already in the process of extracting my files by hand, to a new location, but this is more of a novelty exercise, because frankly I do not believe gnucash files can be imported into quickbooks online anyway. it will all have to be entered by hand. lord knows we don't need to see music files in our accounting ledger online. what is pathetic is someone who does not know me passing judgement on me, especially when hiding behind a username on a forum. likely a trip out the 11 floor window into the street would be the response parsnipy would receive if he said that to me in my office. Funny how people behave when safely behind a computer screen likely in their mothers basement between levels of world of warcraft. Thank you Ajesh for a usefull tool and some much needed help.

Thanks actionparsnip, that solved my question.

Your suggestion worked. data extracted by hand and inserted into new ubuntu installation (backed up onto cdr format also) thanks

--- On Wed, 3/17/10, actionparsnip <email address hidden> wrote:

From: actionparsnip <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Question #104544]: mbr and partitions in trouble...critical data involved
To: <email address hidden>
Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 11:55 AM

Your question #104544 on Ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/104544

    Status: Open => Answered

actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
No infact I am a NOC manager at 29 years old in my own house, but never
mind

I have seen the usual mantra above too many times and apologise, it just
really grinds my gears literally more than anything on the planet. And I
would say it right to your face just as I have told it to xcustomers and
executives and even family members. It's all the same to me, they get it
sorted and then they thank me later.

If you boot to the live CD you should be able to mount your partitions
and copy the data, if it is not there you can try foremost which will
scan the "empty" parts of the data areas for files and spit them to
where you tell it, hopefully this will produce the files you need
(albeit without the right file names), but the data may be retrievable.

See how you go.

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Great news duder, now get it burned to a CD / DVD and archive that bad boy witha clear label :)

Glad you got the gold.

=D