missing user account on a knoppix file recovery attempt

[bobby_lobby]

Help me and I will shower you with gits...

I am trying to recover files after an unmountable boot volume crash.
I am running XP home SPII on a Toshiba Laptop.

1) I received an unmountable boot volume error.
2) I ran XP repair and it did nothing.
3) I ran check disk and fixboot, no help there. It found unreadable/un-recoverable errors.
4) I Booted from a live linux CD called Knoppix.
5) I was able to then copy some of my files from my laptop to an external USB HD.

One of my user accounts and all it's folders were not there to copy?
This user account is password protected, would this cause me not to see these files from inside knoppix? If these files are hidden how do I copy these or unhide them?

* some things of note, I can't boot from my external USB HD. I am purchasing an adapter to to view the laptop HD from the desktop. My next step is going to be to try "pci_filerecovery.exe" on the laptop HD.

Maybe the files were infected by something and they aren't hidden, but deleted? Have you ever had a user account vanish from the HD?

Thanks so much, I would be willing to pay someone for phone support if need be.

[parj]

One of my user accounts and all it's folders were not there to copy?

If its not there anymore you can't see it, least copy it.

I have abandoned windows for quite sometime but this maybe of help :
I believe you have NTFS formatted HD. So, here's some suggestion:
1. copy ans save as much file you can using Knoppix, I mean important stuff, just leave out XP files.
2. Check your HD, not with scandisk, but go to HD manufacturer (for example, SEAGATE) web site and look for HD checking utility (they know more about their product than windows). Most of this util needs to boot from floppy (or you can burn the iso to cd).
3. Go to Microsoft Support
4. Reformat and reinstall XP
5. or switch to GNU/Linux

in Linux there is an application called gpart which might be useful, if the primary partition table has been lost, overwritten or destroyed as long as it still exist on HD (not sure if it's available on Knoppix CD).

You can also try SpinRite from http://www.grc.com

[rcook]

I think XP Home is Fat32. There shouldn't be anyaccess problems on acount of security or user accounts. You might try to locate an undelete program. They can salvage files if they haven't been overwritten. There are freeware undeletes.

Good Luck!

Dick