Accessing a Linux ext3 partition from Windows 7 x64

Question

I checked the couple other questions on this topic, but the solutions provided are not working in my setup.

EDIT

• Just found out tonight the partition I thought was ext3 is actually ReiserFS
• The ext3 tools are probably wonderful - but this is a different issue

/EDIT

Configuration:

• Windows 7 x64 laptop with an i5 and 4GB RAM
• 500GB hard drive formatted ext3 attached via USB

Current "solution":

• VMware Workstation running Ubuntu 10.10
• pass-through USB connection to VM
• transfer files from the ext3 partition to a FAT thumb drive (also on pass-through USB connection)

Problems:

• it's NUTTY slow (iostat shows MB r/w per second under 1, often under .5)
• the thumb drive is only 32GB, so multiple passes are needed to move/copy data

Tools tried:

• Disk Internals Linux Reader (http://www.diskinternals.com/files/Linux_Reader.exe)
  • doesn't show USB drives
• Explore2fs (http://www.chrysocome.net/downloads/explore2fs-1.08beta9.zip)
  • shows the drive twice, won't mount either image (the actual partition or the "used-space 'drive'"
• Ext2IFS (http://www.fs-driver.org/download/Ext2IFS_1_11a.exe)
  • won't run on Windows 7

Solution hoped-for:

• some tool (free or inexpensive being the best!) to mount the USB-housed harddrive with the ext3 partition on it natively in Windows 7

Alternative not yet tried:

• setting-up Samba on the VM and network-sharing the pass-through-connected drive back to Windows (seems the kludgiest)

What might I be missing?

Answer 1

I use Total Commander with ext2fs plugin (it works with ext3, yes).

Answer 2

I am using Ext2FSD which is freeware. Works great for both reading and writing.

Answer 3

The solution I've adopted (because I realized it's not ext3 - it's reiserfs):

Using WinSCP to copy from the VM with the pass-through USB drive.

Once I get this drive cleaned-off, it'll be getting a nice reformat :)