Help please, windows xp wiped me out!

[fireboy]

While installing windows xp in the first partition, xp wiped out the first partition and the second partition where kubuntu was installed, and wiped the partition table.

I'm looking for recovery software to recover a couple of files form the kubuntu partition, I have these three recovery programs but don't know how good they are:

- Ubuntu-rescue-remix-12-04.iso
- fire-0.3.5b
- systemrescuecd-x86-2.8.0.iso

First question:
Please give the name of anything you know will work very good?

Second question:
Please advise as to how to install windows xp to keep it from being so destructive?

When attempting to install xp:
windows xp loaded up, stated it was going to load it's self in the first partition and I agreed and hit enter. Next thing I can't boot into anything. Grub don't work. I then loaded gparted and all I can see is the size of the first two partitions. And gparted telling me I have to write a new partition table to make any
changes.

I am down for the count without some help. I have to use my live kubuntu DVD to make this post. Thank you! fb

[Simon]

Honestly I don't know how to rescue a hard drive. However prior to my move into 100% Windows free zone, I was running Windows XP in Oracle VM on a 20GB virtual drive. This in all reality creates a file named XP.vdi which is your windows drive and cannot possibly harm your system. There is nothing to partition other than you will be running XP with less RAM and resources. In the end, I only needed it because of my NetFlix and now I use my PS3 for NetFlix. I no longer use the VM or XP. It is very easy to install your XP to the VM and I was able to operate many programs in this manner.

I hope you can get your files back, but I would take this as a sign to move ahead and make Linux the only OS.

[oshunluvr]

I've used UFS Explorer with some success. Testdisk can recover partition tables if the backup still exists.

Bottom line is: Never install any Windows product to a disk with data on it. You simply don't have enough control over the Windows installer to safely do that. Always install Windows to a bare metal disk, then partition and install Linux. Or better yet - install Windows to a Virtual Machine.

[fireboy]

Thanks Simon and oshunluvr for coming to my call for help!

I was installing windows so I could udate two ipods I have and need to re-initinalize, as for as everything I have learned about VM it don't handle USB as of yet.

I have been running Linux since windows 3.2 right up through 98se, after my 15 to 20th install of 98se I went 100% Linux. This is the first atemp with MS in years(there about 15yrs.). It's Linux in some distro til I die or until something comes along and replaces Linux!

Even back in 98se days I was runing RH with windows 3.2 with Lilo right up thru 98se until I felt I could make it without windows.

If anyone has a good word for me about which recovery program is best I still need help please?

[sithlord48]

super grub disk http://www.supergrubdisk.org/

if a kernel is around that grub disk should find and let you boot it so you can then run os-prober , update-grub etc..

oh it ate your table.. well you need to use something like

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

and try the parted magic option it might recover your old table and partitions.

[oshunluvr]

Re. The ipods it depends a lot which model you have. Some will work with linux, some will work with a VM, some not. Often simply setting your VM to access the ipod using USB 1.1 allows it to work.

[Simon]

All I recall about the VM is you need "Guest Additions" added for a lot of stuff to work. (Especially 3D Graphics Adapters) I don't remember having issue with the USB but the CD/DVD worked and I could use network to share files between the VM and Linux.

[NickStone]

I have been running Linux since windows 3.2 right up through 98se,

What's Windows 3.2? I've never heard of that one. There was Windows 3.11 (Windows for workgroups) but I've never seen Windows 3.2. Was that a pre-release (development release) of Windows 95?

[oshunluvr]

From the wiki:

Windows 3.2[edit]

On November 22, 1993, Microsoft released a Simplified Chinese version of Windows for the Chinese market. A year later, an update was released, which identified itself as Windows 3.2. Thus, Windows 3.2 is an updated version of the Chinese version of Windows 3.1.^[4] The update was limited to this language version, as it fixed only issues related to the complex writing system of the Chinese language.^[5]
Windows 3.2 was generally sold by computer manufacturers with a ten-disk version of MS-DOS that also had Simplified Chinese characters in basic output and some translated utilities.