Recover data from LVA partition

[latinos2005]

Hello,

My Dell laptop broke and I've taken out my hard drive and put it into another dell laptop to recover the information. I had dual boot with Windows XP and FC5.
Unfortunately, I can't seem to mount the drive or do anything to boot the linux partitions.
I can see the Linux and Windows options to boot from and I choose linux, but it tells me:
Can't file system /dev/root

I tried using the discs to reinstall but I can't since it won't mound.
The linux partition is LVM.

Please tell me any more information you might need.
I'd appreciate any help.

Thank you

[latinos2005]

Forgot to say that I would like to be able to use the Linux on that other Dell (which is different from the one the original HD was in) long enough so I can move my files over the network.

This is what FC tells me when I select it:

Uncompressing Linux...Ok, booting the kernel.
Red Hat nash versopm 5.0.32 starting
Reading all physical volumes. This may take a while...
Found Volume group "VolGroup00" using metadata type lvm2
2 logical volume(s) in volume group "VolGroup00" now active
mount: could not find file system '/dev/root'
setuproot: moving /dev failed: No such file or directory
Setuproot: error mounting /proc: No such file or directory
setuproot: error mounting /sys: No such file or directory
switchroot: mount failed: No such file or directory
Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!

[ryptyde]

You could put the drive in a USB enclosure and use another linux computer to access windows and then use a Windows computer to access linux using "explore2fs". I have done it more than once to recover data from non-booting Linux or Windows machines.

You could try a liveCD like Knoppix to mount the Windows drive and recover data. Not sure but there may be a possibility to fix the master bootrecord with a recovery disc or SuperGrubDisc to get Linux to boot from the new laptop.

[latinos2005]

I tried explore2fs but I get the same thing. I can only see one folder when I do it, the boot directory.

For reference, I ran some commands:

lvm> lvmdisscan
/dev/loop0 [ 77.65 MB]
/dev/hdc1 [ 14.65 GB]
/dev/hdc2 [ 19.63 GB]
/dev/hdc3 [ 101.97 MB]
/dev/hdc5 [ 21.51 GB] LVM physical volume
0 disks
4 partitions
0 LVM physical volume whole disks
1 LVM physical volume

lvm>pvscan
PV /dev/hdc5 VG VolGroup00 lvm2[21.50GB /32.00 MB free]
Total: 1[21.50 GB] / in use: 1 [21.50 GB] / in no VG: 0 [0 ]

lvm> vgscan
Reading all physical volumes. This may take a while...
Found volume group "VolGroup00" using metadata type lvm2

lvm> vgchange -ay
2 logical volume(s) in volume grou "VolGroup00" now active

I do exit on lvm> which takes me to:

sh-3.00#

I type mount and get the following
/proc on /proc type proc(rw,nodiratime)
/dev on /dev tpe tmpfs (rw)
/dev/pts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw)
/sys on /sys type sysfs (rw)
none on /tmp type ramfs (rw)
none on /tmp/ramfs type ramfs (rw)
/proc/bus/usb on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
/tmp/loop0 on /mnt/runtime type cramfs (ro)
/selinux on /selinux type selinuxfs (rw)
/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 on /mntsysimage type ext3 (rw_
/dev/hdc3 on /mnt/sysimage/boot type ext3 (rw)

[gioto]

I would use a knoppix live.
To access the lvm you have to digit into the terminal

#lvm vgscan
#lvm vgchange -ay
#lvm lvs

this will display your volume group and logical volume names
than you can make a dir with mkdir to mount your LogVol and copy your data

#mkdir /mnt/rescue
#mount /mnt/rescue /dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00

using the correct volgroup and logvol number
I just recovered my data this way. Hope this helps

[latinos2005]

Do I need the knoppinx live CD? I have the FC CDs and I'm going into linux rescue using them.

I tried :
#mkdir /mnt/rescue
#mount /mnt/rescue /dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00

and it said:
mount: Mounting /mnt/rescue on /dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 failed: Block device required.

When I run the commands you told me:

#lvm vgscan
Reading all physical volumes. This may take a while...
Found volume group "VolGroup00" using metadata type lvm2

#lvm vgchange -ay
2 logical volume(s) in volume grou "VolGroup00" now active

#lvm lvs
LV VG Attr LSize

LogVol00 VolGroup00
LogVol01 VolGroup00

[SlowJet]

#mount /mnt/rescue /dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
s/b

#mount /dev/mapper/VolGroup00/LogVol00 /mnt/rescue
or
#mount /dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 /mnt/rescue

[latinos2005]

Ok. #mount /dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 /mnt/rescue

Thank you so much!!!

[gioto]

I wasn't able to mount the partition under FC dvd in rescue mode and I got it working with Knoppix live.
I made an error in the mount command
after the code about lvm you should try

#mount /dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 /mnt/rescue