GNU ddrescue to copy directories or folders from hard disk

Question

Debian 9 (Stretch) laptop, and attached external hard disk in enclosure.
How to use GNU ddrescue to copy folders or files from failed hard disk? (not the whole disk image). For example, /home directory.

Answer 1

That isn't for what the GNU ddrescue program is designed.

You can, however, make a copy of a specific partition, from which you want to copy the data, rescue the partition, and then mount it and copy the data from inside it to wherever you wish, I do that all the time, except I'm always copying the whole disks, which is only a small hassle when mounting it afterward.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Corrupted files and folders can be rescued up to a point by using TestDisk and its companion PhotoRec, available for all the major Linux distros, and included in freely downloadable rescue systems like the Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) or SystemRescue.