A I am running Linux (Archlinux or Debian) on my workstations and I use XFCE for desktop environment. I keep two portable backup versions

• one in an ext3 usb external 2,5 inch portable 1TB hard disk and
• another one in a ntfs usb

So, I am able to access files from Windows PCs, using the second disk (the majority of my customers run Windows desktops).

In order to read files from ext3 usb from Windows, the ideal solution would be

• a single portable executable (it is not a good idea to install an application in your customer pc)
• a solution would be run in all of widely used Windows versions (XP, Win7 or Vista and Server editions 2000 and later editions)
• it would be nice to be an open source solution

This solution exitsts: it is ext2read http://ext2read.blogspot.com/

So, ext3 backup can be read easily from Windows boxes.

There are more similar solutions, but they do not meet all above requirements (at this moment), according to my experience.