Posted on 11/18/2003 5:26:20 AM PST by dennisw
My normal procedure would have been to drag and drop the files I wanted to keep. Then re-install Windows, XP in this case. This crashed XP (registry problem) was on the NTFS files system. Even when this hosed XP drive was made a slave, I could not drag (from the XP administrator folder) and drop files I wanted to keep. I tried to drag and drop onto another XP/NTFS computer and could not do. I was denied permission to do this. Why, I don't know.
So XP/NTFS security prevented me from drag and drop recovery. But Knoppix penetrated XP security with no sweat.
This also means a thief can penetrate some "secure" computers if he has a Knoppix CD and a USB CD-burner. Or floppy discs can be used to lift vital data, you can also email a file via attachment on yahoo e-mail.
Even without copying and stealing files, someone can uses Knoppix to enter a computer and jot down notes of what's inside. Knoppix makes all files visible on many systems. It made all my XP files visible including the blocked ones in the administrator folder
I also see that you've already gotten your first anti-linux flame pretty fast! Congratulations!
I highly reccommend it. Knoppix is a pain-free way of getting your feet wet with unix. It's a part of my standard toolkit now. I was pretty suprised at the fact that it booted up just fine on my dell laptop at work and recognised everything from the usb and sound to the power management functions. Altogether, it's an excellent tool.
Really? Is that what they do?
I must have used them wrong because they didn't erase any of my data.
What a crock....these two authors should have their butts kicked.
I like the fact that there are alternatives to Windows and that there are people out there willing to help others with their problems....for free.
But it's so annoying to see people lie, and in some cases, watch them give advice that creates as many problems as it solves.
I always download the checksum at the same time, into the same folder, as the main download. This way I don't lose it. I use Ipswich FTP to do downloads from FTP sites since it can resume a disrupted download. You have to run the checksum on the download to verify it. Here are some Windows checksum programs. This Advanced CheckSum Verifier seems good. The one I used is on my home computer so I'm not sure what it was called. I downloaded Knoppix from some other sources and got bad stuff. Try the chemnitz.de ftp I mention at top of post. I downloaded 3 Red Hat discs and Knoppix and they were all 100% Kosher. They work OK and the checksums verified the downloads
Good Knoppix (and other Linux) download site---> ftp://ftp.tu-chemnitz.de/pub/linux/
Knoppix is burned direct to CD. I used Nero because the Knoppix/Nero instructions are on the internet. Basically you bypass the Nero intro and go to the option where you burn an image. Also, if your download is good Nero will recognize it as an image file. If not a good download it will not recognize it as an image file. The downloaded ISO image is burned direct to your new Knoppix CD. It is definitely bootable.
This Advanced CheckSum Verifier seems good.
I downloaded from there and got a clean copy of Knoppix.
Except that in Micro$oft's infinite wisdom; such a security measure is not activated by default, and how many of Bill's users actually turn it on? Hmmmmm?
So for all intenets and purposes; it does by-pass winders security.
Well, at least for us techies...this IS front page news. I have not tried this to in order to recover from a really bad Windows crash, but if this works as its described...its a big deal.
Then you have an enlightened computer manufacturer.
Specifically, Sony's system "recovery" disk for their VAIO laptops will completely erase the C: drive (but apparently preserve the D: drive), installing a new copy of Windows XP and the applications included by Sony.
What a crock....these two authors should have their butts kicked.
As it turns out, they were partially right. You have provided an contrary example. But, the inverse is also true: there are system "recovery" disks that do erase user data. So, should you be subjected to the same penalty?
In all fairness, a retail or OEM copy of Windows XP is all you may need to avoid the erasure. It's how I did it. The Product Key is unique to your installation, but the WinXP distribution disk is apparently not unique. I was able to use an OEM disk for another computer, and enter the Product Key from the certificate of authenticity (COA) on the bottom of my friend's Sony laptop.
If you have a true Windows XP distribution CD-ROM, that's true. However, as I have pointed out in a couple of other postings, the "System Recovery Disk" supplied by some manufacturers do not offer this option -- it's all or nothing.
It's stupid, but it's reality. After experiencing the problem with a friend's Sony VAIO computer, I bought an extra copy of WinXP for my own Sony VAIO, so I don't find myself in the same situation. I'll never buy another Sony VAIO laptop, or any other computer that doesn't provide a true Windows OEM distribution CD-ROM.
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