Data recovery question

[#1]

I have a laptop with a dual boot set up, XP and Ubuntu.
My son has been using it and has data stored on the linux partition.
Long story short, the Ubuntu began failing to start, (although windows starts) I played around with Grub loader and a live cd but I was unable to access the home partition at all.
I decided it would be clever to reinstall Ubuntu into the (formatted) root partition but the install kept hanging and that is where I am with it.
I have removed the hard drive, put it in a caddy and plugged it into another linux computer The home partition was not recognised.
Any ideas on how I could try and recover his data would be gratefully received.

[#2]

Assuming this isn't the WUBI install, what does

gparted

show?
If you find a partition of roughly the right size as the /home, then you'll need to type a couple of lines to mount the file system....
BTW When Ubuntu started failing to start, what symptoms did it show?

[#3]

It is not  a WUBI install.
I know which is the /home partition I can see it when I ran the gparted disc.
The Ubuntu failure was the grub loader stopped working.. i went through the process of reinstating it but kept getting error 15
Is the way to mount the file system using the live cd?

[#4]

Boot from LiveCD

$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/sda
[...]
   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        1045     8388608   12  Compaq diagnostics
/dev/sda2            1045       19458   147899393    5  Extended
/dev/sda5            1045        2261     9764864   83  Linux
/dev/sda6            2261        2534     2196480   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7            2534       19458   135936000   83  Linux

In this case /dev/sda7 is my /home partition

$ sudo mkdir /media/hdd
$ sudo mount /dev/sda7 /media/hdd

Open the file manager and navigate to /media/hdd and you should have access to your data.

[#5]

Don't know if this would be any use to you, but it's free if you want to give it a try.
It supposedly enables you to view Linux files from within Windows.
http://www.diskinternals.com/linux-reader/

[#6]

Have you tried super grub disk? It's rescued me several times. (Don't get super grub 2 disc unless you have grub 2 installed)
http://www.supergrubdisk.org/
Otherwise your best bet is any livecd and chroot into your ubuntu installation to recover the data and then reinstall.

[#7]

Thank you all for your suggestions.
@waldo I ran the code as you suggested but I still could not access the data. The media HDD folder was empty.
@sabyon, I had tried supergrub but it was the same, would let me into the home partition.
I probably did something wrong.
@garlic, I downloaded the diskinternal programme and I am happy to report that it enabled me to access the data and I am copying it to an external drive as I type. 

[#8]

Quote from: Oddball

@garlic, I downloaded the diskinternal programme and I am happy to report that it enabled me to access the data and I am copying it to an external drive as I type.

That's good news. Glad you got your data back.

[#9]

I had my fingers crossed, running windows the laptop keeps shutting down. I think it is on its last legs. Mind you I can't complain I have had it since 2003.
I am just copying over the last lot of data, it was my son's college work, he is relieved!
When I have finished I think I will do an ubuntu install and see how it runs.

[#10]

Quote from: Oddball

@waldo I ran the code as you suggested but I still could not access the data. The media HDD folder was empty.

Odd...but kudos to diskinternals for getting the job done. 

[#11]

And on a lighter note, here's how to really fix a computer...
http://theoatmeal.com/blog/fix_computer ;

[#12]

Step 1 for Linux always works. Eventually.

[#13]

@Oddball - have you watched Nixie's video on how to reinstall GRUB ? (and bonus you get to see her pussy ! )

>

[#14]

I have now!