Re: FATAL 2: invalid checksum in control file

"David Martin" <martin-family(at)blueyonder(dot)co(dot)uk> writes:
> I am trying to restore a database from a machine which has died. The
> machine was taken down normally but refused to restart so the data has
> been copied elsewhere.

> The database is in version 7.2 so I installed 7.2.8, but upon pointing
> the postmaster at the relevant data directory I get the error in the
> subject line.

Lessee ... 7.2 had pg_controldata and pg_resetxlog, so you have some
hope. Try the former and see if it can extract anything. Then try
the latter. Definitely RTFM on pg_resetxlog before using it.

Also: is the "elsewhere" the same machine architecture as the original
server? Do not even think about trying to recover x86 files on x86_64,
for example.

regards, tom lane