Recover Data from a Damaged Diskette

Diskettes can suffer actual physical damage (bending, folding) or internal damage. To recover data from a damaged diskette, do the following:

1. Make sure that you have a backup of the diskette.
2. Get another copy of the data on the diskette, if possible.
3. Restore as many files as possible from the diskette by determining which of the following methods you used to copy the file to the diskette.
   • If the files were written with the tar -f command, enter the following command to restore the file:

     tar -xvf/dev/rfd0

     The tar command writes files to or retrieves files from diskettes as well as tape media.

     The /dev/rfd0 specifies that you want to use removable floppy drive zero (rfd0) for your input.

     Note: If you get checksum errors while restoring the data, use the -i flag to ignore header checksum errors.

     If the data was written onto the diskette with relative paths, the tar command extracts data from a diskette in removable rfd0 and places it in the current file system.

     If the data was not written to the diskette with relative paths, then the tar command attempts to extract the data from the diskette in rfd0 and place each item at the location specified by the absolute path. For example, if the relative path file is ./myfile, the file will be written in the current directory.

     If the file was written on the diskette with an absolute path, such as /u/diane/myfile, then the file will be copied from the diskette into /u/diane/myfile. If the file /u/diane/myfile already exists, it will be overwritten.

     Note: An absolute path name is the full path name of the file. It begins with a slash (/) immediately followed by the root directory and contains all the directories leading to the file. The relative path name starts from the current directory and is the same as its base name if the file is in the $HOME directory. If the file is in a subdirectory of $HOME, the relative path name is the path from the working directory to the file.

   • If the files were written with the cpio command, enter the following command to restore the file:

     cpio -iv < /dev/rfd0

     The cpio command copies files into and out of storage and moves directory trees.

     Note that absolute path names will be written to their original locations (not to the current directory).

   • If the files were written with the dd command, enter the following command to restore the file:

     dd if=/dev/rfd0 of=myfile

     The dd command copies files. It is most useful for reading files that are written in non-UNIX format. In the previous example, dd copied the entire diskette to myfile.

   • If the files were written with the backup command, enter the following command to restore the file:

     restore -xvf/dev/rfd0

     The restore command restores files backed up by the backup command.

   • Use SMIT to restore the file:

     smit restore

4. After restoring the file, open it and make sure it looks okay. Beware that data in a file restored from a damaged diskette may be incorrect.

Prevent your diskette data from being deleted inadvertently. Put write-protect tabs on the diskettes. Keep diskettes away from magnets, old rotary phones (they contain magnets), and the front or top of CRT screens.

Related Information

"Backup Overview" in AIX Version 4.3 System Management Guide: Operating System and Devices.