Retrieving data from an encrypted corrupt Windows disk - any way to access it from Linux?

Question

1. My Windows system disk crashed (taking away tons of personal and work related files)
2. This disk was encrypted using BitLocker
3. The IT guy did his thing using some BitLocker recovery tool and gave me a 40 digit key. 8 groups of 5 digits. (Sorry I do not know the details of what exactly he did or how)
4. He gave me a "connector" that allowed me to plug in the disk as you would an external disk. And left me to save/extract any data I could.
5. I plugged in the disk on a Windows 7 machine > a lock icon appears on the disc > I try to open > am asked for BitLocker key > I punch in the 40 digit key > unlocked icon appears on the disk > I try accessing the disk > dialog appears that says 'Data Error: cyclic redundancy check'
6. I searched around to understand the problem and find a solution > find the best answer applying to my problem (of bad sectors) here - LINK to microsoft answers
7. Method 1 in the above link does not help :(
8. Method 2 in the above link fails too. I am able to run/schedule a CHKDSK on the "native" disk on the Windows 7 computer that I have connected my corrupt disk to, but not on the corrupt disk.
9. I'm not able to pursue Method 3 in the above link as I do not have a Windows bootable CD/DVD on me anymore :(

I am trying to get access to a Windows CD/DVD and try Method 3, but meanwhile are there other ways that I can get my data back (whatever remains in the good sectors)?

I have access to a Red Hat Linux machine as root.

Answer 1

Cyclic Reduncancy Check (CRC) is one of the primary data validation methods. You can see this error on damaged or degraded CDs, floppies, and hard drives (as in your case).

Generally an OS will fail whatever it was going when it encounters a CRC in data it wants to read.

However, there are apps that'll ignore these errors. The files that have the errors may still be bad, but not all files are likely to have this issue and those that do not should be recoverable.

Use a tool such as the Unstoppable Copied by Roadkil to copy the files off the disk. It has options to retry failing files a set number of times and then move on rather than fail with the CRC error.

I've used this program myself in a variety of situations. It is quite robust and has not yet met an error, in my experience, that it can't handle with aplomb.