Rescue data from a machine that will not boot, then decide its fate

applied · 50 min · Objective 3.1

Task

Break the guest so it will not start, and recover the user's data without repairing the machine first -- which is the real order of events, because a failing disk gets worse while you diagnose. Then produce the repair, restore or rebuild decision with a reason.

Steps

  1. Create identifiable user data on the guest -- documents, a browser profile, a file outside the user folder -- and list it in lab/rescue/inventory.csv with header item,path,why_it_matters.
  2. Break the boot, then recover every listed item from the recovery command prompt without repairing the installation. Record the method and the result per item in lab/rescue/recovered.csv with header item,method,recovered,verified_by_opening.
  3. Record the drive letter mapping you found in the recovery environment, and how you confirmed which volume was which, in lab/rescue/volumes.md.
  4. Write lab/rescue/decision.csv with header option,time_estimate,certainty,chosen,why covering repair, restore and rebuild.
  5. Carry out the chosen option and record how long it actually took against your estimate in lab/rescue/actual.txt.

Verify

awk -F, 'NR>1 && NF>=3 {n++} END {print n" item(s) inventoried"}' lab/rescue/inventory.csv
awk -F, 'NR>1 && $4 ~ /yes/ {n++} END {print n" item(s) verified by opening"}' lab/rescue/recovered.csv
grep -Eic 'diskpart|list volume|letter' lab/rescue/volumes.md
awk -F, 'NR>1 && NF>=5 {n++} END {print n" option(s) considered"}' lab/rescue/decision.csv
grep -c . lab/rescue/actual.txt

Every inventoried item recovered and verified by opening it, the volume identification recorded, and three options considered with time estimates. A recovery marked recovered but not opened is a file copied, not a file rescued.

Notes

Drive letters in the recovery environment are not the letters the installed system uses, and confirming which volume is which takes thirty seconds. It also prevents the single worst mistake available in that environment.

This is an independent study companion for CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 and is not produced by or endorsed by CompTIA.