how to transfer files from a Windows HD to a Linux HD in the same PC

[Owen K.]

Hello

I have recently installed Ubuntu Linux to a 300Gb HD. I have formatted the
entire HD for Linux. I also have an old 15 GB HD with Windows XP on it. I
need to transfer all my files (mainly mp3, and Word Docs) over to the linux
HD all connected in the same machine.

The problem is that I have the Windows HD and the Linux HD physically in the
same PC. Is this possible to transfer files from the Windows HD to the Linux
HD?

I know how to do this using Samba if the HD's were in separate machines.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

-Owen

[James McIninch]

<posted & mailed>

Post by Owen K.
Hello
I have recently installed Ubuntu Linux to a 300Gb HD. I have formatted the
entire HD for Linux. I also have an old 15 GB HD with Windows XP on it. I
need to transfer all my files (mainly mp3, and Word Docs) over to the
linux HD all connected in the same machine.
The problem is that I have the Windows HD and the Linux HD physically in
the same PC. Is this possible to transfer files from the Windows HD to the
Linux HD?

If Ubuntu hasn't already mounted your Windows hard disk, just do this:

mkdir /mnt/windows
mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows

(NOTE: replace /dev/hda1 with whatever partition has windows /dev/hda is the
first hard disk in the machine, '1' is the partition number).

After that, all your Windows files will appear under /mnt/windows and then
you can copy them like you would from any other directory.

Post by Owen K.
I know how to do this using Samba if the HD's were in separate machines.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
-Owen

[Stan Brown]

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 21:56:47 -0400 in alt.linux, James McIninch
favored us with...

Post by James McIninch
mkdir /mnt/windows
mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows
(NOTE: replace /dev/hda1 with whatever partition has windows /dev/hda is the
first hard disk in the machine, '1' is the partition number).

Just an FYI: the Windows partition may or may not be NTFS. Some
manufacturers install XP on plain old FAT32 partitions.

[JDS]

Post by Stan Brown
Just an FYI: the Windows partition may or may not be NTFS. Some
manufacturers install XP on plain old FAT32 partitions.

Use fdisk to find out:

fdisk -l

example listing:

Disk /dev/hda: 82.3 GB, 82348277760 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10011 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 2040 16386268+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 2041 2958 7373835 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda3 2959 10011 56653222+ 5 Extended
/dev/hda5 2959 3098 1124518+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda6 3099 10011 55528641 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sda: 163.9 GB, 163928604672 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19929 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 19929 160079661 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)


See how I have an NTFS disk in there? (/dev/hda2) And another disk that
is FAT32 -- /dev/sda1 (a USB external disk).

[wd10]

Post by Owen K.
Hello
I have recently installed Ubuntu Linux to a 300Gb HD. I have formatted the
entire HD for Linux. I also have an old 15 GB HD with Windows XP on it. I
need to transfer all my files (mainly mp3, and Word Docs) over to the linux
HD all connected in the same machine.
The problem is that I have the Windows HD and the Linux HD physically in the
same PC. Is this possible to transfer files from the Windows HD to the Linux
HD?
I know how to do this using Samba if the HD's were in separate machines.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
-Owen

I used this script here:
http://www.ubuntulinux.nl/files/winmac_fstab

It will mount your windows drives as read-only every time you boot.
If you have KDE installed (easy to get with Synaptic Package Manager) you
can use Konqueror to easily copy files from your Windows partition to your
Linux partition.

[wd10]

Post by wd10

Post by Owen K.
Hello
I have recently installed Ubuntu Linux to a 300Gb HD. I have formatted the
entire HD for Linux. I also have an old 15 GB HD with Windows XP on it. I
need to transfer all my files (mainly mp3, and Word Docs) over to the linux
HD all connected in the same machine.
The problem is that I have the Windows HD and the Linux HD physically in the
same PC. Is this possible to transfer files from the Windows HD to the Linux
HD?
I know how to do this using Samba if the HD's were in separate machines.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
-Owen

http://www.ubuntulinux.nl/files/winmac_fstab
It will mount your windows drives as read-only every time you boot.
If you have KDE installed (easy to get with Synaptic Package Manager) you
can use Konqueror to easily copy files from your Windows partition to your
Linux partition.

I just read your post again -- I didn't see that you had separate drives.
I'm not sure if that script will work with separate drives. I think it is
made for separate partitions.

[JDS]

Post by wd10
I just read your post again -- I didn't see that you had separate drives.
I'm not sure if that script will work with separate drives. I think it is
made for separate partitions.

linux doesn't distinguish too much between separate drives and separate
partitions. if the script works for separate partitions, it will probably
work for separate drives.

[HASM]

Post by Owen K.
The problem is that I have the Windows HD and the Linux HD physically in the
same PC. Is this possible to transfer files from the Windows HD to the Linux
HD?

Just mount the Windows drive onto your system and copy the files over. If
not NTFS file system support is built-in, with read/write capability. If
NTFS you may need to go grab the ntfs kernel module (though Unbutu may have
it installed by default) and read capability is trivial (writing to NTFS is
another story.)

Thus just try, as super-user:
mount -t auto /dev/whatever /mount/point
and it may work.

-- HASM

[Owen K.]

Thanks for everyone's help....

My Windows drive is NTFS, so by doing:

mkdir /mnt/windows
mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows

worked great.

-Owen

Post by HASM

Post by Owen K.
The problem is that I have the Windows HD and the Linux HD physically in the
same PC. Is this possible to transfer files from the Windows HD to the Linux
HD?

Just mount the Windows drive onto your system and copy the files over. If
not NTFS file system support is built-in, with read/write capability. If
NTFS you may need to go grab the ntfs kernel module (though Unbutu may have
it installed by default) and read capability is trivial (writing to NTFS is
another story.)
mount -t auto /dev/whatever /mount/point
and it may work.
-- HASM

[Digitalchaos]

I know, you solved your problem of getting the data off of the drive and
onto linux....but,
if you were to put a FAT32 partition on that 15GB Windows Drive, you could
write to it (that is if you were still running windows off of it)...or
you could make it an EXT2 (native linux) or EXT3 (Jounalized Partition)
You could then mount it in the same exact fasion as you already have
tried...and could use AUTO in place of ntfs for automatic acknowledgement
of the partion as HASM stated earlier.

Post by Owen K.
Thanks for everyone's help....
mkdir /mnt/windows
mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows
worked great.
-Owen