Installed linux over windows drive with my wallet.dat

[pccs]

Here's what happened.

I was running Winxp on my hard drive, partitioned as C and D. The C drive had the operating system/program files. The D drive was used for my files only.

I created another partition to install Ubuntu and had it working for a while. I was going to back up my files on the D drive of course, but ..... I figured I'd do it later lol. To make a long story short, at a certain point neither system would boot, so I installed Ubuntu onto the drive wiping out all partitions. I can't seem to find any utility that will allow me to even try to recover files on that drive. Yep .... wallet is on there, along with some other stuff I'd like to get back.

Any ideas?

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[Revalin]

Turn off the computer and quit using it.  You don't want to overwrite any more than you already have.

Boot from a rescue CD (your Linux install CD will probably work).  Download this: https://github.com/jackjack-jj/pywallet/blob/master/pywallet.py .  Then run:  python pywallet.py --recover --recov_device=/dev/sda --recov_size=2Tio --recov_outputdir=~/.bitcoin

(set the 2Tio to the size of your HD)

I'm assuming you know your way around Linux a little.  If not, ask and we'll walk you through it.

Edit: /dev/sda is your drive C.  You may want /dev/sdb.  Run 'fdisk -l' to see which drive is which.

[pccs]

Gonna try it .... thx

[pccs]

OK, I'm booted to USB drive.

Here's what I've tried: Not working

xubuntu@xubuntu:~/Downloads/pywallet-master$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes --- FILES SHOULD BE ON HERE SOMEWHERE
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0003a25b

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *        2048   304195583   152096768   83  Linux
/dev/sda2       304197630   312580095     4191233    5  Extended
/dev/sda5       304197632   312580095     4191232   82  Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 15.6 GB, 15610576896 bytes
119 heads, 55 sectors/track, 4658 cylinders, total 30489408 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc3072e18

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *        8064    30489407    15240672    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
xubuntu@xubuntu:~/Downloads/pywallet-master$ sudo ./pywallet.py --recover --recov_device=/sda1 --recov_size=160Gio --recov_outputdir=~/.bitcoin^C
xubuntu@xubuntu:~/Downloads/pywallet-master$
xubuntu@xubuntu:~/Downloads/pywallet-master$
xubuntu@xubuntu:~/Downloads/pywallet-master$
xubuntu@xubuntu:~/Downloads/pywallet-master$
xubuntu@xubuntu:~/Downloads/pywallet-master$
xubuntu@xubuntu:~/Downloads/pywallet-master$ sudo ./pywallet.py --recover --recov_device=/sda1 --recov_size=160Gio --recov_outputdir=~/.bitcoin
Can't open /sda1, check the path or try as root
xubuntu@xubuntu:~/Downloads/pywallet-master$ sudo ./pywallet.py --recover --recov_device=/sda --recov_size=160Gio --recov_outputdir=~/.bitcoin
Can't open /sda, check the path or try as root
xubuntu@xubuntu:~/Downloads/pywallet-master$

[tiktoc]

Code:

sudo pywallet blah blah

or 
sudo su

Then run the comamnd when you are root you youll need the password for the user as sudo will ask for it.

[pccs]

I must have somehing wrong ... says can't find device.

root@xubuntu:/home/xubuntu/Downloads/pywallet-master# ./pywallet.py --recover --recov_device=/sda1 --recov_size=160Gio --recov_outputdir=~/.bitcoin
Can't open /sda1, check the path or try as root
root@xubuntu:/home/xubuntu/Downloads/pywallet-master#


I've tried sda and sda1

[pccs]

Fixed the path .... /dev/sda ... it's doin something lol

[pccs]

Here's a sample of the output ..... doesn't make any sense to me.


21.22/171.80 Go
   ETA: 03:50:57

21.23/171.80 Go
   ETA: 03:50:56

21.24/171.80 Go
   ETA: 03:50:55

21.25/171.80 Go
   ETA: 03:51:02

21.27/171.80 Go
   ETA: 03:51:01

21.28/171.80 Go
   ETA: 03:51:00

21.29/171.80 Go
   ETA: 03:50:59

21.30/171.80 Go


How long will this take to run on a 160GB drive?

[Malawi]

I have  not much exp with linux, but seems like it's trying to rebuild the filetables, and that estimated total time is about 4 hrs.

[pccs]

Is there a good recovery program for Linux?

I'm gonna try TestDisk, anyone know of anything better?

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step

[tiktoc]

Did you let pywallet finish? try not to be impatient let it run over night

[pccs]

No I didn't let it finish, I was looking for a file recovery program, I need more than the wallet file.

Couldn't find one that I could get to work.

[tiktoc]

If its important send to someone, will cost you a couple grand normally to get it recovered.

[pccs]

Nope, nothing that important.....would be nice to get the files back tho:)

There's a ton of recovery software for windows, just need to find one that will work for Linux.

Any suggestions?

[deepceleron]

If the installation of Linux included a full format (probably 20 minutes of formatting on a 160G drive), then all hope is lost.

The pywallet offline scan instructions that were given scan your entire raw hard drive looking for private keys, if it can't find bitcoin keys anywhere on the disk (and the wallet was unencrypted) then there is no point spending the effort to recover other stuff.

[pccs]

I can't remember if I reformatted or not, I know I deleted the existing partitions and made it one large drive.