Data CD files recovery with Linux?

[John Marsh]

A large proportion of files on a multisession data CD have become inaccessible. I have tried CD Check and CD Recovery Toolbox, to no avail. OS is XP Home; app used to burn is Ashampoo Burning Studio Free 6.75. I have had this problem in the past, using just the XP burner, so I'm not blaming Ashampoo.

Burnaware Free and Ashampoo can see that there's more data on the CD than they can access.

I have found out a little about Knoppix. Would it, or another Linux variant, offer a different way of accessing the CD, so as to recover the files not seen by XP and XP-based apps?

CD media used is mediocre-quality stock from a very large grocer. I guess there's a lesson there...

[Mike-Bracknell]

Possible but unlikely i'd say.

3 other options:

1) try the CDR in another make of drive (i've seen laptop drives not be happy reading disks a full 3.5" drive would)

2) try someone like Ontrack (CD-ROM and DVD-ROM Data Recovery - Ontrack Data Recovery), although it's £££

3) lastly, try one of those CD polishing kits on it (if it's skipping as a result of scratches etc rather than the organic dye decomposing)

[Tinstaafl]

Try sysrescue. Don't have the URL to hand but web search will find it. It's probably something like www.sysrescue.org. There's also another called 'photorec' from cgsecurity that works well.

[Saab Dastard]

Also worth trying ISOBuster.

SD

[John Marsh]

Thanks Mike, Tinstaafl & SD.

I'll get busy with your suggestions this weekend.

[John Marsh]

Success

ISO Buster did the business. Thanks SD! Despite the impression I gained from their website, I didn't have to fork out first.

Thanks again to Mike & Tinstaafl for responding.