Cannot mount windows drive with files on it

[Adynaton]

Hello, I have tried to use Bookworm 64 10.0.8 to recover files from a Windows 11 laptop. I can boot into puppy linux fine but the drive that contains all the files I wish to recover is greyed out in Pmount. Trying to mount it just gives an error. I disabled safe boot in BIOS.

[Flash]

I assume you're trying to recover files from that drive because the laptop will no longer boot from it?

[bigpup]

When Windows 11 was last shutdown did you do a normal shutdown?

If it shutdown in hibernate, then it does not fully release control of the drive.

Will the computer boot at all with Windows 11?

Maybe boot into recovery mode?

[bigpup]

in Pmount. Trying to mount it just gives an error.

What is the error?

[Adynaton]

When Windows 11 was last shutdown did you do a normal shutdown?

If it shutdown in hibernate, then it does not fully release control of the drive.

Will the computer boot at all with Windows 11?

Maybe boot into recovery mode?

I cannot login into it anymore due to forgetting the pin code. I turned it back on to the login screen and shut it down using the windows option for it there.

[Adynaton]

in Pmount. Trying to mount it just gives an error.

What is the error?

It just says 'failed to mount nvme30p1' (or whatever the drive name is)

[Chelsea80]

@Adynaton

Plan A:

1. If possible install Puppy on to a USB stick from another PC.

2. Switch off non-bootable PC.

3. Insert the Puppy USB stick into the non-bootable PC.

4. Switch on the non-bootable PC.

5. With any luck the Puppy USB stick will boot to the desk-top.

6. If it does and you see a drive icon on the desk-top (maybe says SDA1) that is your hard drive.

You may be able to access the hard drive from that Puppy USB and recover your files.

Plan B:

1. Follow 1 as above

2. Install PhotoRec (http://www.cgsecurity.org) on to the Puppy USB stick.

3. Follow step 2 through to 5 as above.

4. Run PhotoRec from the Puppy USB stick to hopefully recover your files.

Sorry, No Plan C.

Good luck.

[Wiz57]

When Windows 11 was last shutdown did you do a normal shutdown?

If it shutdown in hibernate, then it does not fully release control of the drive.

Will the computer boot at all with Windows 11?

Maybe boot into recovery mode?

I cannot login into it anymore due to forgetting the pin code. I turned it back on to the login screen and shut it down using the windows option for it there.

Did you perchance use BitLocker on your Windows 11? If so, without the pin, your files will probably not be accessible, other than raw viewing the
encrypted files.

[Adynaton]

When Windows 11 was last shutdown did you do a normal shutdown?

If it shutdown in hibernate, then it does not fully release control of the drive.

Will the computer boot at all with Windows 11?

Maybe boot into recovery mode?

I cannot login into it anymore due to forgetting the pin code. I turned it back on to the login screen and shut it down using the windows option for it there.

Did you perchance use BitLocker on your Windows 11? If so, without the pin, your files will probably not be accessible, other than raw viewing the
encrypted files.

I do not believe so but if it were a default/makes you enable it then it may be.

[rockedge]

@Adynaton For me to get caught up to speed here....

• You have a computer with Windows 11 installed on it as the primary operating system.

• It is setup to accept a PIN as a valid login credential.

• You no longer have the PIN and cannot login to Windows 11 on this machine.

• There are files on the NTFS formatted partition on an internal hard drive that are important enough to retrieve them.

• You have been able to boot the machine with Puppy Linux Bookworm 64 10.0.8

• With Bookwormpup64 running you can see that the NTFS partition and drive it's on are seen and recognized as existing by the system.

• Even though the system can "see" the Windows partition(s) they are grayed out and seem un-mountable.

Is this the correct assessment?
Are there ways to by-pass the Windows login? Possibly get to a Windows command prompt terminal or retrieve the PIN? These sound difficult if possible at all.

Lets see if there is a way to identify if the partition is encrypted with BitLocker or if the system hibernation feature is enabled. Some research needed

[esos]

I cannot login into it anymore due to forgetting the pin code. I turned it back on to the login screen and shut it down using the windows option for it there.

Kon-Boot can bypass windows login password(Not free).
Try ikkiboot(free) may work.

[bigpup]

I cannot login into it anymore due to forgetting the pin code. I turned it back on to the login screen and shut it down using the windows option for it there.

I think you could be talking about the login to start Windows 11 and continue booting it.

Do you have a Windows recovery USB or CD?

If no

Then try the info provided here:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... a61a73baad

[Adynaton]

@Adynaton For me to get caught up to speed here....

• You have a computer with Windows 11 installed on it as the primary operating system.

• It is setup to accept a PIN as a valid login credential.

• You no longer have the PIN and cannot login to Windows 11 on this machine.

• There are files on the NTFS formatted partition on an internal hard drive that are important enough to retrieve them.

• You have been able to boot the machine with Puppy Linux Bookworm 64 10.0.8

• With Bookwormpup64 running you can see that the NTFS partition and drive it's on are seen and recognized as existing by the system.

• Even though the system can "see" the Windows partition(s) they are grayed out and seem un-mountable.

Is this the correct assessment?
Are there ways to by-pass the Windows login? Possibly get to a Windows command prompt terminal or retrieve the PIN? These sound difficult if possible at all.

Lets see if there is a way to identify if the partition is encrypted with BitLocker or if the system hibernation feature is enabled. Some research needed

That is correct, how would I be able to tell if it is encrypted or if it is the hibernation feature?