Linux, like its big brother UNIX, comes in different flavours (SuSE, NovellSuSE, Red Hat, Debian, Mandrake and Gentoo are among the most common), and sometimes these flavours run into a spot of bother. Our data recovery services extend to the most common Linux operating systems, as well as some homemade versions.
Technical challenges
Data recovery for Linux systems presents unique technical challenges. The biggest challenge is their single hierarchal structure, which starts from the root directory and expands into sub-directories. Linux places partitions under the root directory by mounting them under specific directories. Unless a partition or device is mounted, Linux won’t know that it actually exists.
While this method of operation provides versatile management of logical and physical drives as mount points, it requires a very specific level of expertise when it comes to data recovery. In-depth knowledge and understanding of the EXT2 and EXT3 file systems is essential to effectively access and restore lost data.
Very important
It’s essential that you don’t try to repair a Linux system that starts giving notice. Amateur tampering will almost certainly cause further damage to your drive and dramatically reduce your chances of successful data recovery. Similarly, you should avoid off-the-shelf Linux data recovery applications.
Finally, don’t try rebooting or mounting a Linux file system as the drive reaches the end of its lifespan, as this can compound problems and cause irreversible damage to the hard drive and any data stored on it.
You only have one chance to recover your data, so ensure that you leave it to the professionals who have the skills, knowledge and equipment necessary to do the job.
Linux file system data recovery
Linux file systems and disk configurations are also complicated, but don’t worry if you don’t know how your file system is constructed. It’s our job to determine the underlying problem when we inspect your drive. Our expertise encompasses data recovery from a range of GNU/Linux file systems, including Ext2FS, Ext3, Reiser, IBM JFS (Journaled File System), and XFS.
When your Linux OS starts behaving abnormally (buzzing or clicking sounds) or if your hard drive crashes or RAID fails, you should power down the drive and remove it immediately. Then, contact us for a free collection (Sydney only), evaluation and quote, so we can do what we do best: Linux data recovery.