Accessing a Linux (ext3) part from Windows: frustrating!

[djBon2112]

Basically, I've got a Linux partition (ext3) on my server's system disk that I need to read. I've got no way to reinstall Linux on the bare metal to copy the data off. I'm trying to read the partition from Windows, but so far I've had no luck. The FSDRIVER ext2/3 driver doesn't work (I assign the partition a letter, but if I try to access it, I get "this partition is not formatted".), and I can't seem to find anything else comparable! As for virtual machines, that was my next plan, but aparently neither VirtualBox or Hyper-V allow direct access to a single partition on a disk (Hyper-V needs the whole disk to be offline, which isn't going to happen because it's my system drive), so I'm SOL there. I don't own and am not buying VMWare.

What are my options here guys? Anyone have a simmilar experience?

 

[brucedeluxe169]

kinda surprising that the driver didn't work after assigning a letter to the partition...

did you try a live CD? something like ubuntu or sabayon or knoppix? and then just mount the ex 2/3 partition and then copy to a USB stick or even directly to the windows partition?

 

[djBon2112]

kinda surprising that the driver didn't work after assigning a letter to the partition...

did you try a live CD? something like ubuntu or sabayon or knoppix? and then just mount the ex 2/3 partition and then copy to a USB stick or even directly to the windows partition?

That's what I would do as my last resort, but that involves unburying my server rack which I'm in no mood to do

 

[ameoba]

I don't own and am not buying VMWare.

VMWare is free, man.