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Recovering lost files from ext3 file system in Linux

The ext3 (third extended file system) is a file system used by Linux kernel. It is a journaled file system, which is a default file system for many Linux distributions. Its major advantage over the ext2 file system, its predecessor, is journaling that improves the reliability of the file system. It also minimizes the need to check the file system after an abrupt shutdown. Also, because of journaling there are no fragments in the file system. So, ext3 is a very efficient and smart file system. However, there is a chink in its armoury.

The files that you delete are deleted permanently. This file system does not support recovery for files that have been deleted accidentally. But, you can recover the deleted files using appropriate method in ext3 file system. However, if you are unable to recover the deleted files then you should use a third-party Linux data recovery tool for ext3 recovery.

Actually what happens is that the file, once deleted, remains in the file system. When you access a particular file, its access time is changed and its inode is written to the disk. At the same time, a copy of that block is written to the journal. Hence, there are chances that you may be able to recover the block pointers from the journal, which, in turn, will recover the deleted files.

However, you should make sure that you do not create a new file as it may overwrite the deleted file. In fact, most of the file systems do have some in-built utilities to recover the deleted files.

Likewise the ext3 file system has the ext3grep utility that enables you to recover the deleted files even if it is deleted using the “rm-rf” command. However, you should make sure that you dismount the hard drive as Linux is a multiuser and multitasking system and other processes or users can overwrite the disk space of the deleted file.

Although it is a safe tool that is able to recover the files without overwriting the disk it cannot recover the files that are larger than 2 GB. In such cases, you should use a third-party Linux recovery tool. Such tools are able to retrieve the deleted files from the ext3 file system.

Stellar Phoenix Linux Data Recovery software enables you to perform ext3 recovery and ext4 recovery as well. It is able to recover data from various hard drives such as SCSI, SATA, EIDE, and IDE. It is used to recover data from various Linux distributions such as Red Hat, SUSE, Debian, Caldera, Mandrake, Sorcerer, TurboLinux, Slackware, Gentoo, etc. It is compatible with Windows 7, Vista, Server 2003, XP, and 2000.

The Battle of Technology – Linux Vs Windows

The topic here is quite sensational. Both Linux and Windows have their followers. The question is- which is better? While Windows is known for its user friendly features, Linux wins hands down owing to its varied feature set. Let us compare the two biggies on the following parameters:

Consistency: Windows vs Linux

Windows does not quite have a consistent release history. Though Windows 95 created a revolution in personal computing, Windows 98 failed miserably. Windows Me could not do any better; it faded without even being noticed. Windows NT, developed to serve as a portable operating system, could not fare well, thanks to its complex functionality. Microsoft with the launch of Windows XP announced its comeback. Windows 7 is still to mark its presence

Linux, unlike its competitor, ensured consistent releases. It would not be wrong to say that each new version of Linux has better features than its predecessors.

Price: Windows vs Linux

Considering the current economic scenario, Microsoft did no good by shifting from Exchange to per seat/user license. This could be pretty expensive for small and medium businesses. Simply stated, a company having 50 users/ (seats) would have to pay for 50 individual licenses to Microsoft.

Open source software licenses do not cost anything. Groupware tools like Open-X-Change and eGroupware offer larger feature-set compared to their Microsoft counterpart. The only cost incurred would be of hardware. Be it a single user or hundreds of users, the cost is same for the software- FREE.

Hardware Compatibility: Windows vs Linux

Microsoft Vista was not compatible with most devices and systems. Hardware that would run at excellent speed slowed down while working with Microsoft Vista. Linux, on the contrary, showed commendable hardware compatibility. Xorg, for instance, proved to be a success.

Features: Windows vs Linux

While Windows 7 allows for faster transfer of large files, Linux offers faster booting, less memory usage, smaller install size, and broader hardware compatibility.

Why Ubuntu Linux Is a Good Business Choice

One of those choices is Ubuntu Linux, a greatly enhanced Debian-based Linux distribution that installs easily, has the familiar Windows look and feel, and operates well on older hardware (expensive upgrade not required). Linux fans tout the positive attributes, often at high decibel levels, of Ubuntu Linux, which is perhaps the world’s most popular Linux distribution. But, is it business worthy?

Let’s first consider Ubuntu as a replacement for your Windows desktop or laptop operating system(sony battery). Computer owners generally use an Internet browser, a word processing program, the occasional spreadsheet, an email application and almost nothing else. These computer owners may not realize that they’re paying 0 to 0 for the OS and another 0 or more for the office suite–most of which they’ll never use. Why add hundreds of dollars to a computer system that has a life expectancy of three to four years? Software costs often exceed hardware costs by two or three times. Small businesses resort to piracy or doing without needed software to compensate for those costs. Neither is a good choice.

The alternative puts you at odds with the accepted philosophy that Windows is your only choice for desktop computers and servers. The Linux concept requires that you step outside the standard box that Microsoft has placed you in, and realize that you have a choice that makes sense for you, your bank account, and your business.

Your Windows computers need an anti-virus program that hinders performance, anti-spyware software that you have to run manually to scan for all the nasties that invade your computing habitat, and a personal firewall to ward off those over-the-network attackers.

Alternatively, Ubuntu is free. You can download any version of it and use it for any purpose. Upgrades are also free. There’s no need for any anti-virus software or anti-spyware applications on Linux, which comes with a personal firewall, if you want to use it.

Linux also comes to you with a free office suite, OpenOffice.org that includes Microsoft-compatible applications. They look and behave so much like Microsoft’s office suite that you may never realize any difference between the two.

Ubuntu comes standard with thousands of free applications on the installation CD and in the Ubuntu software repository. Unless there’s some compelling application that you’re required to purchase, you’ll never spend a penny on software for your business systems. That’s correct, you can use Ubuntu and all the available software without paying anyone for it. Further, the software is open source, which means that you can look at and change the code for any purpose-even to resell it as your own. That goes for the Linux code and most software programs that you install on a system. Individual software applications have their own licensing and restrictions.

For business owners who fear the word “free” for business-critical applications and continuity, Ubuntu Linux has commercial support available from the company that sponsors it: Canonical. Canonical and Ubuntu are the entrepreneurial ventures of Mark Shuttleworth, the South African businessperson who also founded Thawte, an Internet security company, and started the Ubuntu project to help everyone in the world have access to free computing software. He founded Canonical to support Ubuntu Linux for those who wish to purchase support for Ubuntu. Like most commercially supported Linux distributions, Ubuntu’s support is subscription-based. Canonical also offers training courses and consulting services to their corporate clients.

Ubuntu has a version that’s right for all aspects of your business. There are Ubuntu versions for netbooks, desktop computers, servers and cloud computing needs. The cloud computing Ubuntu, known as Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (UEC), ties in closely with Amazon.com’s Elastic Compute Cloud platform (EC2).

Canonical releases major versions of Ubuntu every six months in April and in October of each year. Every two years, Canonical releases a Long Term Support (LTS) version. Canonical supports the LTS versions for five full years with updates, security fixes and upgrades-all free of charge.

If you’re tired of vendor lock-in, major hardware upgrades with each new version’s arrival, high support costs, and runaway software prices, Ubuntu makes sense for you and your business. Ubuntu, Canonical and your business make the perfect team and create the perfect environment to protect you and your customers(SONY VAIO VGN-P70H/W battery).