[Fedora 12] Restored files from USB key - source files are all binary!

[stodge]

Before installing Fedora on my laptop I backed up my files onto a USB key. I wiped the hard disk and installed Fedora 12. I copied my files back to my home directory - but all the text files are now binary! Any ideas why this would be or how to fix it?? Thanks

---------- Post added at 10:54 AM CST ---------- Previous post was at 10:35 AM CST ----------

Hmm it seems that only some files are binary. Looks like some .tgz files are corrupted too.

---------- Post added at 11:02 AM CST ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 AM CST ----------

Damn - I wonder if the files weren't completely written to the usb key before I removed it. I don't remember their being a safe mount option in Fedora 10 - but I definitely unmounted it before removing it from the laptop.

[stoat]

Originally Posted by stodge

Damn - I wonder if the files weren't completely written to the usb key before I removed it. I don't remember their being a safe mount option in Fedora 10 - but I definitely unmounted it before removing it from the laptop.

Maybe. There is often a delay for completion of the transfer when a pendrive is unmounted. In some Linuxes that I use, there is no indication that is going on, and I know to wait for a pop-up indicating that it is safe to remove the pendrive. Windows XP is like that, too. Sometimes the delay is many seconds long. But in Fedora 12 there is a pop-up warning about the writing being in progress. I don't think you would have missed seeing that. Perhaps the pendrive has had its good days already. My understanding is that they don't last forever.