major trouble-need help getting system back

[ahurd]

I need help recovering my system (I am writing this in FF on win2000 dual boot). I will describe what happened in sequence:

1. In Krusader I clicked in a doc file in an NTFS directory. Open Office Word popped up with file.

2. Tried to close OO. Would not close.

3. Restarted system (warm reboot). On closing a lot of very unfamiliar messages appeared on screen.

4. Eventually got to login which looked different than usual (smaller type). This was strange since system was set to login without password.

5. Entered password. Login popup disappeared then popped up again. This kept happened repeatedly.

6. Rebooted in failsafe mode (usual grub menu) and after a long series of messages scrolling by and having to startx, I was back in to an unrecognizable system, no configs, only Kmenu.

Is there any way of recovering my system?

[stealthbanana]

Re: major trouble-need help getting system back

Can you boot via a live cd and navigate to the linux partition(s)

Do you have /home on a separate partition?

Is there a lost+found folder on your hard drive? sounds like it may be a hard drive error and something got corrupted which could be tricky?

I would use the helix livecd ( http://www.e-fense.com/helix/ )to inspect the hard drive (see if it can rescue stuff) and then fsck the disc. It may be quicker to salvage what you can and reinstall rather than trying to repair. For your setting look in your home directory and .kde for kde settings.

I have a dodgey HD on my laptop and keep images of the partitions on DVD just incase.

[ahurd]

Re: major trouble-need help getting system back

I was preparing to do an upgrade Feisty-->Gutsy but had delayed making a backup of Feisty partition for lack of space and looking for software to backup on dvd. Stupid me, no separate /home partition either. Don't know about lost/found. I have knoppix but will download and burn helix on win2000 if I can. Can I use helix to somehow save / home and other important files somewhere before a reinstall?

[monte48lowes]

Re: major trouble-need help getting system back

6. Rebooted in failsafe mode (usual grub menu) and after a long series of messages scrolling by and having to startx, I was back in to an unrecognizable system, no configs, only Kmenu.

This is to be expected. When "Recovery Mode" is used, the system boots into a 'root' shell. Changes you make to your desktop do not effect the root desktop. This explains why you did not recognize the system and the configurations were different.

I recommend running chdsk on all of your filesystems from the recovery console. Then try rebooting back into a normal session.

Mike