[SOLVED] Restore files from crashed Windows XP with Fedora 9 Live CD?

[vivenne.lauliet]

Hello,
As I mentioned in the title, I need to know how to restore my files on my crashed Windows XP desktop with the Fedora 9 Live CDi. And after files have been transferred to my Mac (going to do so with USB Flash drive), I want to upgrade the OS to that of Fedora 9.

I got the Fedora 9 Live CD from a store which downloaded it online & burned it on to a CD for me. It actually worked when I got home but: 1. The desktop doesn't show a taskbar. And 2. I can't see the File Manager (which I should on the desktop) in order to locate the files that I'm trying to restore. There are only 4 icons on the desktop:
1. Computer
2. Fedora's Home
3. Install to Hard Drive
4. Trash

I would have used the Windows XP recovery mode as I borrowed that disk from someone to upgrade/install XP on the computer. Unfortunately, that person doesn't have that disk anymore either.

Someone also mentioned here that I could pull that drive out of the PC and temporarily connect it to a controller in another PC to get those files. I'd like to now how I can do this.
Also, can I connect it with some kind of cable to my MacBook Pro to directly transfer the data over?

Can you please be a bit specific? This is my first time doing anything with Linux.

I'm really looking forward to any insight into the matter.
Thank you.

P.S. Is there a place to get this done? I live near Toronto, (Ontario) Canada in Brampton so a store near that would be great but I'm willing to compromise on this.

[L4Linux]

Boot your pc using the Livecd.
Open the file manager (icon computer on desktop) and find the hard disks. The disk that contains windows must appear there. Plug a usb stick or usb hard disk, they should appear on the desktop, and copy your files.

[devils casper]

You have to mount Windows Partitions first. Boot up from Fedora LiveCD. Open Terminal/Konsole ( look for it in Menu ) and type this

su -
fdisk -l

Post output here.

* Its small L in fdisk -l.

[vivenne.lauliet]

You have to mount Windows Partitions first. Boot up from Fedora LiveCD. Open Terminal/Konsole ( look for it in Menu ) and type this

su -
fdisk -l

Post output here.

* Its small L in fdisk -l.

But I read on a website that using FDISK will erase all the data on the hard drive. Is that true? Because I want to copy the files to a USB flash drive before formatting the hard drive.

[vivenne.lauliet]

Boot your pc using the Livecd.
Open the file manager (icon computer on desktop) and find the hard disks. The disk that contains windows must appear there. Plug a usb stick or usb hard disk, they should appear on the desktop, and copy your files.

But there is no file manager icon on the desktop. There are only:
1. Computer
2. Fedora's Home
3. Install to Hard Drive
4. Trash

There isn't even a taskbar. Is there another way to open file manager?

[devils casper]

fdisk -l command will list partition structure of harddisk only. It will not erase anything. Dont worry about it.

[devils casper]

But there is no file manager icon on the desktop. There are only:
1. Computer
2. Fedora's Home
3. Install to Hard Drive
4. Trash

There isn't even a taskbar. Is there another way to open file manager?

Press Alt+F2 and type nautilus. Check if Nautilus windows pops up.

[L4Linux]

That's the icon i meant:
1. Computer

Did you find the hard disks in there?
When you copy your files(and check on the mac to make sure that they were copied ok), you can install Fedora 9 by clicking 3.Install to hard drive.
When you reach the partition screen, delete the windows partition (it is type ntfs or fat32), if you don't windows any more and create 3 partitions:

1. Linux swap 1gb
2. ext3 10gb mount point /
3. ext3 all available space mount point /home

All your videos, music and documents will be stored on /home, so you should give the most space there.

[vivenne.lauliet]

You have to mount Windows Partitions first. Boot up from Fedora LiveCD. Open Terminal/Konsole ( look for it in Menu ) and type this

su -
fdisk -l

Post output here.

* Its small L in fdisk -l.

I typed Terminal in Find & a lot of then showed up. How do
i know which one to open?

[vivenne.lauliet]

That's the icon i meant:
1. Computer

Did you find the hard disks in there?
When you copy your files(and check on the mac to make sure that they were copied ok), you can install Fedora 9 by clicking 3.Install to hard drive.
When you reach the partition screen, delete the windows partition (it is type ntfs or fat32), if you don't windows any more and create 3 partitions:

1. Linux swap 1gb
2. ext3 10gb mount point /
3. ext3 all available space mount point /home

All your videos, music and documents will be stored on /home, so you should give the most space there.

I can't find the hard disks in there. There's only a bunch of other icons...