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I know about doing something like mounting the disk but all those solutions works because ext2 is retro compatible with ext3 and ext4.

But that time, it won’t work : I enabled ext4 features so advanced that a kernel from the last year wouldn’t be able to read my filesystem correctly. If the software isn’t ext4 aware, it will corrupt data.

I don’t need to mount the drive if a tool would allow me to right click the file for deleting or renaming so I would be able to boot Linux again.

user2284570
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  • These days, there are no longer store selling burnable ᴄᴅs, I don’t have a free ᴜꜱʙ flash drive and the computer I’m using is 32 bits only and have 256Mb of ʀᴀᴍ. – user2284570 Sep 23 '19 at 02:21
  • if you need a linux host, qemu (via VirtualBox) is always an option – ThorSummoner Jan 14 '22 at 20:06
  • @ThorSummoner what do you mean by mixing qemu and Virtualbox ? – user2284570 Jan 16 '22 at 04:22
  • I got the impression there was a need to access a raw block device with traditionally linux/*nix tools from a computer that for whatever reason may only ever boot windows on bear metal. For this circumstance, check out this post for accessing the bear metal (block devices) from inside a virtual machine https://superuser.com/questions/495025/use-physical-harddisk-in-virtual-box – ThorSummoner Jan 16 '22 at 21:35
  • @ThorSummoner this doesn't work for partitions on the same drive as the Windows drive and even then, what you say has nothing to do like running a qemu ᴠᴍ within a Virtualbox ᴠᴍ… – user2284570 Jan 16 '22 at 21:39

1 Answers1

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Windows does not natively support ext4. There are tools such as Disk Genius and MiniTool Partition Wizard that can give read access, although not recommended for writing, and they are sure not to support recent ext4 developments.

I wouldn't recommend using Windows for advanced ext4, or for any ext4 work. It would be much better to use a Linux Live boot.

harrymc
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  • The obvious point being I don’t have access to Linux. I just need to rename a single file for being able to start Linux. – user2284570 Sep 23 '19 at 10:06
  • Linux Live boot USB might be the solution. – harrymc Sep 23 '19 at 10:58
  • With the condition of having a free ᴜꜱʙ key or one which is not larger than the computer’s hard drive. – user2284570 Sep 23 '19 at 17:05
  • If all you need to do is rename one file, even a small Linux distribution can serve. Perhaps Puppy Linux. – harrymc Sep 23 '19 at 17:15
  • I would need something which can work from an initrd and ᴜᴇꜰɪ ɢʀᴜʙ. – user2284570 Sep 23 '19 at 17:17
  • You might need in BIOS to disable Secure boot and enable Legacy boot. – harrymc Sep 23 '19 at 18:15
  • That’s not possible. However ᴜᴇꜰɪ grub is installed and can load most today’s Linux kernels. – user2284570 Sep 23 '19 at 18:21
  • So what's the problem? I'm curious about what is this mysterious device. – harrymc Sep 23 '19 at 18:29
  • The exisiting Linux on it doesn’t start because of a Selinux problem (a permission file isn’t read because of a wrong name so that creating any process is denied). I don’t know how to start the rescue shell of the existing initrd nor I’m sure it does exists. – user2284570 Sep 23 '19 at 18:31