Repairing Windows with Linux

OK I know Zip about this so I am starting this thread as a learning process

But it has come to my attention that it is possible to use Linux to repair Windows File and Boot problems, I have limited knowledge of what can be done and can't be done so if there is anyone with any knowledge or interesting links on this subject I'd be appreciative of being pointed in the right direction.

alternatively if what I have been told is false I would also be appreciative in being told this, as it will save me time researching

thanks

 

OK just to move on it would seem that this thread has a degree of viability to it and here is a link to an interesting article on the subject

Fixing Windows with Knoppix - OS, Software & Networking by ExtremeTech

 

Plenty of viability on this thread - Knoppix is a pretty good tool.

You have to get your head around it though - Windows does all the clever stuff behind the scenes - Linux doesn't.

For example, boot from the Knoppix CD, see the hard drive icons on your Desktop - you need to mount them, and then to do nasty things to them you have to change to read/write mode. Sensible stuff really, but it doesn't come up often on Windows.

Look up dd_rescue - a great tool for data recovery from hard drives that are failing, but not yet gone. It can copy bit for bit, and skip faulty sectors. It resets the disk controller, something poor old Windows cannot do - just get daft errors like 'Delayed Write Failure'.

 

I have used Knoppix, but I prefer Xubuntu which can also be used as live CD to get a fully functioning X-Windows desktop from a Bootable CD. The drives are mounted, networking and Internet function without extra configuration etc. If I remember right from last time I needed it, it even installed a driver for my printer.

I am no Linux whiz, so I can't say if you could fix Windows. It probably depends on what the windows problem is.

I recently used it to access my hard drive to recover data after the drive wouldn't boot to Windows. The drive was faulty and had to be replaced, but I got 95% of my data off.

If you need to rewrite the boot sector, that also should not be too hard.

If you have problems with corrupted windows files, you could easily use Linux to copy the good version over the bad ones. The problem you would most likely have here is diagnostics. Linux is unlikely to have utilities to tell you what is wrong with your Windows installation.

 

There is also Avira rescue system you can use which is a linux based system

Avira AntiVir Rescue System

 

Yep, no chskdsk, System Restore function etc.

There are Recovery Console ISO's available to fix XP and Vista, and no doubt Win 7 will come soon, so Linux isn't really needed to do the standard maintenance jobs.