Access Linux Files From Within Windows
One of the pains in having a dual-boot set-up with Windows and Ubuntu is suddenly realising you need to access a file on the other OS partition.
In Linux this is easy as Windows partitions can be mounted, read and written to out of the box � no configuration needed.
But the other way round? Well that�s a bit more complicated..
The Medicine
One tool I�ve long made use of to nab the odd file from my Linux partition when Windows-bound is�ext2explore�.
The open-source �Ext2explore� utility allows you to browse a Linux partition � be it Ext2, ext3 or ext4 � from within Windows, giving you the options to �save� any files needed to a location of your choosing within Windows.
Annoyingly that is about all you can do; Ext2Explore doesn�t supporting writing of files to Linux partitions, but with Windows partitions readily accessible in Linux this is of no great loss.
It�s also not a bad way to backup some important things if your Linux install fails to boot, though be careful with file permissions once you�re back in Linux.
It�s not perfect, but if you�re forgetful or unable to access your Linux partition for whatever reason it�s a darn-well handy thing to have around.
KnownProblems
- The first �flawback� to using Ext2Explore in Windows is that it has no Explorer integration. You can�t access your Linux partitions via the Windows file manager as you would any other folder of file system, instead it�s all done from within the Ext2Explore application window.
- Linux-partition-based files and folders are displayed in a poorly aligned grid which, in particularly well stocked folders such as �Home� or �Pictures�, looks as confusing as an easel covered in equations.
- Don�t expect to see image thumbnails or even double-click on a file to see its contents, either � neither action is supported. It helps to know what you�re looking for before you start looking.
- Finally the biggest �flawback� of them all: occasionally when saving a large file (like a video or folder full of music) is that ext2read will �copy� nothing. That�s right, nothing. It will say it has copied/saved what you wanted, even put the file where you asked but it will be a 0Kb phantom file of no use to no-one.
No idea why it happens, it just does � so do be aware.
Usage
Ext2Read doesn�t come with a typical Windows installer. Instead you just unzip the archive, enter the folder and run the �ext2explore� programme inside.
In Windows XP it easy but in Windows Vista and Windows 7 you will need to right click on this launcher and choose �Run as Administrator�.
That�s it now try this thing on your PC too
