How to open window files?

[SPERTW]

I am a Linux newbe using Ubuntu 8.10 using VMware under Vista Biz 64.

Is there a way to open files from Vista? I have many personal files that I would like to open using Ubuntu.

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

You have to mount partitions of Vista. Open Terminal and execute this

sudo fdisk -l

Post output here.

* Its small L in fdisk -l.

[SPERTW]

Ok, I try that in Ubuntu and only get the following:

Disk /dev/sda: 8589 MB, 8589934592 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1044 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0005c28f

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 993 7976241 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 994 1044 409657+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 994 1044 409626 82 Linux swap / Solaris


Is there more to it?

[waterhead]

Hi,

I don't see any Windows partitions on that hard drive. Can you still boot into Windows?

I sure hope that you didn't wipe out your windows installation when you installed Linux, but that may be what has happened!

[SPERTW]

Hi,

I don't see any Windows partitions on that hard drive. Can you still boot into Windows?

I sure hope that you didn't wipe out your windows installation when you installed Linux, but that may be what has happened!

I am using virtual machine to open ubuntu within window, if that makes any different....

[waterhead]

Oh yeah, you did say that, my mistake.

Since you usually access windows partitions by first mounting them, that isn 't going to work. Maybe if you set the windows folder (that your files are in) as a network share. Then maybe you could access them on the virtual system. You may need to install/configure samba first, but give it a try.

[jmadero]

You definitely do need samba (I have the opposite on my machine, Ubuntu as main drive, XP as virtual (only to watch movies on Netflix ). Do the following in Ubuntu:


open terminal (applications -> accessories -> terminal)

sudo apt-get install samba

might say you already have it installed

then do this

sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf

take out everything in there --> you may want to make a backup if you intend on learning linux a bit more to do this

terminal

sudo cp /etc/samba/smb.conf /etc/samba/smb.conf.backup

then going back to the gedit, it'll open a text file with a bunch of stuff, delete everything in there

paste the following

[global]
workgroup = MSHOME
netbios name = UBUNTU
[share1]
path = /media/shared/lan
[share2]
path = /media/shared/music
comment = Some random files

That's a really really really basic samba config, you'll want to add to it but this way you can at least get it up and running. For more information on samba visit:

The Official Samba 3.2.x HOWTO and Reference Guide

So now you should restart the system, and then you should be able to see shared files in Ubuntu --> remember you'll have to have the network up in Vista as well, I'm not help with that...I wouldn't touch Vista for the life of me I'm assuming it's in control panel of some kind and then you'll have to write click files/folders and share them (or just have one folder that is shared and save everything in that.

[SPERTW]

Thanks guys! I am going to give that a try!