Linux - XP disc questions

[ChadTower]

Okay, I'm out of date than on stuff like this. I barely do this at all anymore.

The HD is dead in my Tivo... the Tivo runs Linux but I forget the exact filesystem.  I need to see if the disc really is dead, or just MBR hosed and recoverable.  Rather than build a Linux box I'm thinking of using something like this to check the disc:

http://www.fs-driver.org/

The main complication I can see is that if I can't read the disc it may be hard to see if it's because of the disc or because the FS driver isn't working.

Any ideas?  I figure maybe someone here is more recent in the tools necessary.

[lokki]

Have you tried something like http://www.knoppix.org/ live CD.
No need to install anything boot from the CD and you should have all the tools you need to look at the HD