Thread: grub rescue> please help me access my files on external (failing?) drive. thx.

hi there,

i'm total newbie in desperate need of assistance, hope read , me out.

have hp laptop , had ubuntu on 3 years.

hard drive started fail while ago (i had ubuntu 10 on until 1 week ago) , went black...

took laptop repair shop, told me disc, bought new disc, installed on laptop , reinstalled new ubuntu 11.
far good. have working os, internet connection , can in fact type message.

thing is: files on old drive, doesn't load/boot/start/read anymore.

have tested on friends's pc, tried few hd disgnostic tools, send same message: "fail"

tried mount old drive (with precious files in it) on laptop external drive (usb) hoping ubuntu 11 read external usb key: gets read system, shows no files @ all. shows error message saying drive can not mounted, "sdb1" thing. sorry i'm dumb when comes tech language.

tried boot on start-up got grub rescue> thing , nothing else,
sad, blinking cursor

recover files,i have tried testdisk couldn't understand how use it, , photorec, recovered bits , pieces of files, no name. of them parts of them complete.

problem is: have access files, use them work, couldn't back-up , have real important deadline meet... need files.

there way solve grub issue , have drive load/mount again external usb?

thank in advance , sorry non-technical explanation. hope it's understandable.

not high-tech hope come simple "baby-steps" instructions

cheers

gianluca

i forget option boot , in direction of trying mount seperate, maybe external drive.

if possible, recommend make not writable or accessing in read-only manner, minimize data loss. of all, don't plug windows machine (!) totally healthy ext3/4 formatted drive going treated empty drive...

give shot, i've rescued external badly failing hard drive friend, windows didn't want hear about... so, appropriate external hdd case friend/co-worker , mount way. if can saved, can under linux (it reads drive long willing respond).

if mounting way under linux (ubuntu or other) gives same read errors, maybe drive "toast" ... sure hope not case ...

ps. make happy , don't give drive repair out anyone, not know "kernel" is, have had bad experiences these - "technical professionals", think "operating system" means windows (only windows)...

Forum The Ubuntu Forum Community Ubuntu Official Flavours Support Installation & Upgrades [ubuntu] grub rescue> please help me access my files on external (failing?) drive. thx.

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