[conspire] (forw) Recovering Files After Disk Crash

[Rick Moen]

----- Forwarded message from "Robert S. Johnstone" <rsjohnst at idiom.com> -----

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:46:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Robert S. Johnstone" <rsjohnst at idiom.com>
To: installers at linuxmafia.com
Cc: jubilada at sbcglobal.net, kgranath at clickaway.com
Subject: Recovering Files After Disk Crash

Hello Mafiosi,

In mid-June I had a hard disk failure on my computer,
a single-user system running Ubuntu Linux v6.06.

I had the drive replaced by ClickAway in Los Altos,
and I am now in the (endless?) process of configuring
Ubuntu Linux v9.10 on the new disk.

ClickAway sent the failed drive to a data recovery specialist
with clean-room facilities in Madison WI.

	See: http://www.gillware.com

Gillware has returned a large file (7.3 MB base64-encoded,
5.4 MB decoded) with a very long file name, which begins with
my name, has many numbers which probably identify the job for
accounting purposes, and ends with: _Data.gfd .

This .gfd file is binary data which identifies the files they
have recovered (but does not include the content of the files).

Gillware provides a free downloadable program which interprets
the .gfd file to show the files which are recoverable, in a
browser-like GUI.

	GillwareFileViewer_1.0.2.exe

This viewer has versions for Windows and MacIntosh systems,
but not for Linux.

I have four questions.

Q1.  Is there any Linux program which can interpret a
     .gfd file?  (which is probably a proprietary format)

Q2.  If I run the viewer on a Windows system, will I later
     have problems transferring the recovered files from
     Windows to Linux?

Q3.  Do I get to tell Gillware to send the selected files
     in a Linux format?  (I will pursue Gillware)

Q3.  Are there any local Linux specialists who deal with
     recovery problems?  (i.e., for a fee)

I would like to meet and talk with anyone who has dealt with
this situation.  I will come to Rick Moen's CABAL Intrigue
on Saturday 14 August.

See you then, there.  Thanks.


Bob Johnstone

650/326-0424


----- End forwarded message -----