Mounting windows drives.

**TeddyK** · 06-19-2006

I am a linux newbie. I installed fedora core 5 over suse. I was previously dual booting with winXP, and when I installed fedora I either lost windows(eeeew microsoft), or I just don't know how to get to it. It might still be there, becuase my linux drive says it's 70 gb, but my hardrive is 160 gb. Anyway, I thought it might have something to do with mounting my windows drive. To tell you the truth, I don't know how to mount a drive, or event what that means.

**TeddyK** · 06-19-2006

Someone has to know what to do. Come on. Please.

**stubbe** · 06-19-2006

on which partition your windows resides? how many hard drive you have? Don't the boot loader (grub/lilo) shows any windows on its menu?

Try using a live CD such as slax, see if it could see the windows partition. Or repair your mbr using windows CD to get your windows back, but your linux won't be recognized anymore (you'll have to reinstall the lilo/grub bootloader again)

**rupamroy** · 06-19-2006

Hey
You just install the grub once again.
Follow the steps:
Boot from your CD1 and enter into the
linux rescue
mode
#chroot /mnt/hda or /mnt/sda
#grub-install /dev/hda or sda
#exit

**pavlo_7** · 06-19-2006

To get Windows to boot you will need to correctly edit your /boot/grub/grub.conf file.
This, however, is if you want to mount Windows partition from Fedora:
Fedora, by default, does not come with NTFS support which is neded to mount Windows partitions. You need to add this support manually. Go to http://www.linux-ntfs.org/ and download module built specifically for your kernel version (it's important to install the right module) and install it by typing (in terminal):

Code:

rpm -Uvh name_of_the_module.rpm

(substitute name_of_the_module.rpm with the name of the module you downloaded).
To find out which kernel you have, so you know which module to look for, type:

Code:

uname -r

Once module is installed, reboot your computer, create directory in /mnt called windows (you can call it whatever you want, it's just an example) and you should be able to mount your windows partition issuing command like this:

Code:

mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows

You need to be a root for that command to work.
At this point you should be able to go to /mnt/windows directory and see all your windows
files.

**TeddyK** · 06-20-2006

I did exactly what you said, and it still doesn't work. I get this error:
mount: unknown filesystem type 'ntfs'

**devils casper** · 06-20-2006

check out partition type....

$ fdisk -su

it'll gives u details of all the partitions u hav...
for ntfs ...

mount -t ntfs /dev/<partition add> /mnt/windows

for fat32 partitions.. use vfat !

<=== {devil's casper} ===>

**stubbe** · 06-20-2006

did u use a custom kernel compiled by yourself or the one that comes with fedora?

**pavlo_7** · 06-21-2006

Originally Posted by TeddyK

I did exactly what you said, and it still doesn't work. I get this error:
mount: unknown filesystem type 'ntfs'

OK. I actually installed Fedora Core 5 and made sure that mounting windows partitions still works the same way as it used to in FC4. Here is what I did:

Code:

[root@localhost ~]# cd /root
[root@localhost ~]# mkdir /mnt/windows
[root@localhost ~]# mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows
mount: unknown filesystem type 'ntfs'
[root@localhost ~]# uname -r
2.6.15-1.2054_FC5

Then, I went to http://www.linux-ntfs.org/content/view/187
and downloaded 2.6.15-1.2054_FC5 version of the module (one that corresponds to my kernel and processor) by clicking on i686 link.

Next, I verified that the module I downloaded is where I expect it to be (the Desktop, downloads go there by default):

Code:

 
[root@localhost ~]# cd Desktop
[root@localhost Desktop]# ls
kernel-module-ntfs-2.6.15-1.2054_FC5-2.1.26-0.rr.10.0.i686.rpm

Then, I installed the module:

Code:

[root@localhost Desktop]# rpm -Uvh kernel-module-ntfs-2.6.15-1.2054_FC5-2.1.26-0.rr.10.0.i686.rpm
Preparing...                ########################################### [100%]
   1:kernel-module-ntfs-2.6.########################################### [100%]

Finally, I tried to mount my windows partition:

Code:

[root@localhost Desktop]# mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows

And it worked:

Code:

[root@localhost Desktop]# ls /mnt/windows
AUTOEXEC.BAT            IBMWORK         spm
BOOT.INI                icons           SUPPORT
BOOTLOG.PRV             Inetpub         SYSLEVEL.IBM
BOOTLOG.TXT             IOGEAR GUC232A  System Volume Information
BOOTSECT.DOS            IO.SYS          Tb2ProWin
ccrrec.ver              LOGFILE.txt     TCPACHIP.LOG
CONFIG.SYS              NTDETECT.COM    temp
Documents and Settings  ntldr           Temp4WinSPM5
DRIVERS                 pagefile.sys    Tm_data.c
drivez.log              PDOXUSRS.NET    VALUEADD
hiberfil.sys            Program Files   Virtual Machines
I386                    Recycled        WINDOWS
IBMSHARE                RECYCLER
IBMTOOLS                shared

Try it again, maybe you missed something last time.

**TeddyK** · 06-23-2006

I discovered the problem. The ide cable was broken on my computer. I think it is knid of neat that for some reason linux was still working. Oh yeah, I mounted windows, but is there a way to make it show up in the computer folder?
Also I tried to make a folder in the computer folder, and it gave me an error, but for some reason it made the folder anyway, and now I can't delete it.
EDIT: Nevermind the folder thing it dissapeared when I opened the computer folder again.

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