How to do backups to an external disk inside emergency mode

[Eddie G. O'Connor Jr.]

On 01/27/2013 04:35 PM, Suvayu Ali wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 27, 2013 at 08:37:31PM +0000, Paul Smith wrote:
>> On Sun, Jan 27, 2013 at 6:55 PM, Paul Smith <phhs80 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> My hard disk seems to be corrupted, and my machine cannot boot.
>>> However, it can enter into emergency mode.
>>>
>>> I would like to mount my home directory and also an external disk to
>>> do all necessary backups. How can I accomplish that?
>> Please, ignore my question -- I am now doing the backups with the live CD.
>>
> Well, if your hard disk is failing whatever backup you do might just be
> useless.  After all backups are done *before* things fail :-p.
>
> I would suggest you try data recovery.  For hints you can look here:
>
> <http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.redhat.fedora.general/377478/match=suvayu+ddrescue>
>
> GL,
>
Just curious: wouldn't transferring / copying the important directories 
(root....home....etc) then re-installing the OS on the hard drive solve 
the problem? Is there any particular reason why the HD just "failed"? 
Maybe it's just a corrupted / moved / altered file that's causing this? 
Unless you're received error messages before the ultimate failure of 
there being something wrong with the hard drive? Them maybe its still 
able to be used?......like I said before......just curious...


EGO II