Arch Linux

Flicker

Member

Registered: 2012-12-12

Posts: 13

[Resolved] 'No Operating System Found' - Recovering Data

I have been using arch linux in dual boot with arch as my primary OS for three years now. When I turned on my computer today, it said "No operating system found". In attempts to atleast recover my data (from the arch linux partition), I created a live ubuntu USB and booted into it. But in the computer tab, where it should traditionally show all my hard disk partitions, it is only showing the data on the usb.

fdisk -l also shows only one partition.

I am about to conclude that my computer hard disk is dead, but am posting here as a last resort- is there any way that I can get my data out?

Last edited by Flicker (2014-04-22 06:33:51)

MadTux

Member

Registered: 2009-09-20

Posts: 553

Re: [Resolved] 'No Operating System Found' - Recovering Data

Did you check the hdd connections? Maybe some cable got loose. Does the BIOS recognize the hard disk?

drcouzelis

Member

From: Connecticut, USA

Registered: 2009-11-09

Posts: 4,092

Website

Re: [Resolved] 'No Operating System Found' - Recovering Data

That is scary.

What type of computer and hard drive is it? If you don't have anything else to try, you can at least try the drive in another computer. You could also boot into a live SystemRescueCD (just another fancy live Linux distribution) and use some tools to check the health of the drive.

You do have a backup of your data, right?

Flicker

Member

Registered: 2012-12-12

Posts: 13

Re: [Resolved] 'No Operating System Found' - Recovering Data

Did you check the hdd connections? Maybe some cable got loose. Does the BIOS recognize the hard disk?

No. A little scared to meddle with hardware since I haven't done it in the past. But Ill try it today. Thank you :-)

Last edited by Flicker (2014-04-22 05:56:01)

Flicker

Member

Registered: 2012-12-12

Posts: 13

Re: [Resolved] 'No Operating System Found' - Recovering Data

@drcouzelis Seven year old Sony Vaio, that has worked brilliantly till now. I had backed up the drive a month ago, but a month is still a lot of work, which is what I wanted to get out.

Thank you  for your suggestions. Will try it out.

Flicker

Member

Registered: 2012-12-12

Posts: 13

Re: [Resolved] 'No Operating System Found' - Recovering Data

Did you check the hdd connections? Maybe some cable got loose. Does the BIOS recognize the hard disk?

No. A little scared to meddle with hardware since I haven't done it in the past. But Ill try it today. Thank you :-)

It worked. The hard disk connection had become loose. Thanks a ton. Arch forums rock :-)

drcouzelis

Member

From: Connecticut, USA

Registered: 2009-11-09

Posts: 4,092

Website

Re: [Resolved] 'No Operating System Found' - Recovering Data

I'm glad you got it working.

I had backed up the drive a month ago, but a month is still a lot of work, which is what I wanted to get out.

Thank goodness you have at least some backup. I have a backup strategy where I clone my hard drive once a month, but I just recently also started a more frequent off-site backup.

Ooh, I should totally blog about my new backup strategy...