Data Access with UFS Explorer

Concepts

UFS Explorer emulates Windows explorer-like data access to the file systems. Unlike Windows and Windows explorer, UFS Explorer does not use Windows-style disk partitions layout and Windows files access; instead it use information directly from disk structures to read, access and represent the data that might be inaccessible for Windows. The following data-related concepts are used:

• Disks - any storage devices, that is readable from Windows. Among all, they are:
  
  
  • Windows Physical Disks - any disk that is accessible through Windows volume manager. May have no, one or more then one Windows drive letters. This includes, but not limited to: PATA/SATA/SCSI Hard Disks, USB storage devices, digital devices (like MP3 players, digital cameras etc.);
  • Image files - any plain, uncompressed disk or partition image file, including UFS Explorer compressed disk images;
  • Virtual disks - virtual disk files of VMWare, VirtualPC and Parallels Workstation virtualization software;
  • Virtual storages - disks, virtually created with UFS Explorer recovery tools, basing on existing disks and disk images.
  
  
• Partitions - logically delimited parts of Disks, containing file systems and actual data. UFS Explorer supports many styles of such partitioning and in most cases is able to detect disk partitions automatically.
  
  
• File systems - structured data storage, containing files, folders and technical information. Located on one or more Partitions. In case File system takes only one Partition and Partition have valid file system type indicator, UFS Explorer can detect file system automatically. NTFS and FAT file systems may correspond to 'drive letters' under Windows.
  
  
• Files, Folders - usual data storing and data organization objects.
  
  
• Symbolic links - special Unix/Linux file system objects, designed to use shortcut-like navigation and data access. Symbolic link may point to file, folder or other file system object.
  
  
• Special files - special Unix/Linux file system objects to represent sockets, devices and so on. Usually they not store any actual data on disk.

Representation in UFS Explorer

Any Disk object, opened with UFS Explorer is represented at left panel. The view contains disk itself and hierarchical structure of partitions on it, represented by a tree. This structure is not like Windows/Linux linear partitions numbering, but represent how partitions are located on disk.


On Figure 1 you can see three disk objects: Physical Disk and two disk images. All disk objects are located under 'Computer' object. Each disk contains set of partitions. The subpartitions that are created under Extented/Extended LBA (DOS) partitions are shown under them in interface (as well as underlying UFS partitions on BSD Slice or Ext2/3 partitions on Linux LVM).
This tree just represents actual disk parts hierarchy on the disk. Grey icons represent unsupported, unknown partitions or partitions with no file system. Colored icons show partitions that may contain valid file system.

Physical disks

UFS Explorer detects all physical disks automatically on program start. It will detect partition tables automatically and will show all the disks available at left panel. In case you have removable devices with no media loaded (like flash card reader devices), they could have disk drive letters under Windows, but would be not shown in UFS Explorer: it shows only actual storage devices attached.
If you connected/disconnected any removable disk drive after UFS Explorer is started, you may use 'Re-scan for hardware storages presence' command (available from 'Computer' context menu) to refresh actual hardware changes in UFS Explorer.

Disk images and virtual disks

To access the data on virtual disks or disk images you should open the disk file. Click 'Open disk' icon or use main menu 'File'->'Open virtual disk or disk image' command. Choose the file and open it. UFS Explorer would detect file type and partitions table automatically and then will add it to left panel. From this moment, there are no differences between physical disk or disk image/virtual disk: the same operations set are available.

Actual files access

Partitions tree shows disks structure, but not actual data on disk. To see the actual data usually just double-click the disk partition, containing valid file system. There are also few exceptions:

• Partition type not detected: in case you using partition image file, entire disk with no partitions or unknown partitions descriptor, UFS Explorer would not detect valid file system;
• Partition type is 'abstract' or invalid: in some cases disk partitioning software places some 'abstract' or invalid file system type to partition descriptor. In this case you may see 'grey' partition or unexpected type of partition instead;
• Unsupported method of partitioning: UFS Explorer might be unable to detect actual partitions so will show only one 'unknown' partition.

To solve problems 1-2 there are special tool: 'File systems: fast detect'. Right click partition, choose the tool. UFS Explorer will try to detect any valid file system, basing on disk structures on partition, instead of using partition descriptor. In most cases this would help.
In rare case when 'File systems: fast detect' not helps, there are special tool, designed to find any file systems, ignoring even disk partition tables.

After file system is detected with tools or automatically, double click partition to open its root directory in right panel.


Figure 2 shows opened file system on right panel. 'Path' bar indicates current path and has Linux/Unix-like format ('/' - root, '/pgms' - folder 'pgms' in root, '/pgms/GIMP-2.0' - subfolder 'GIMP-2.0' within 'pgms'). Note: 'Path' contains no drive letter even for FAT/NTFS file systems and shows relative path from file system root. This path could be used for file system navigation and is case sensitive to satifsy POSIX requirements to file names.
The file system navigation works in usual Windows style by double-clicking files and folders at right panel.
Double-clicking file cause file to be copied into Windows temporary folder and to be opened with default program, associated with file extension.
To copy file, folder or files/folders group to 'local' file system, select the objects and click 'Copy to...' icon or use right-click context menu and choose 'Copy to...' tool.

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See also: Detecting lost partitions, Disk Imaging, Help topics.