In this guide I explain how to recover files from a laptop (or desktop PC) with crashed, failed, damaged operating system.
WHEN CAN YOU USE THIS RECOVERY GUIDE?
1. The guide will work if your operating system damaged but the laptop (or desktop PC) hardware still works fine.
2. The guide might work if the hard drive has some minor damage, like a few bad sectors.
PREPARING FOR RECOVERY
For this recovery I’ll be using a Ubuntu CD (Linux OS). Also, you can create a bootable Ubuntu USB stick and use that instead of the CD. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a Linux guru for that. The interface will be very similar to Windows OS.
You’ll need another working computer to download and create a bootable Ubundu CD or USB stick.
1. Download the latest version of Ubuntu OS here. When you click on the download button you’ll start downloading an ISO image.
2. Burn this ISO image on a CD or create a bootable USB stick. It’s explained on the same Ubuntu download page, just scroll a little bit down.
3. Find the target drive where you going to save recovered files. You can use an external USB hard drive or USB memory stick. The target drive can be formatted with any common Windows file system: FAT, FAT32, NTFS.
DATA RECOVERY PROCESS
STEP 1.
Boot your laptop from the Ubuntu CD or USB stick. Simply insert the CD or USB stick and restart the computer.
If the laptop (of desktop PC) keeps trying to boot from the internal hard drive, you’ll have to enter the BIOS setup menu and change the boot order. Set your CD/DVD drive or USB stick as first device in the boot order. Safe changes and restart the computer.
From my experience, Ubuntu OS works fine with most laptop and desktop PC hardware and you shouldn’t have any problem booting it to the desktop. It may not work if your computer hardware is too new.
STEP 2.
The computer will start booting from the CD or USB stick.
Now read carefully!
After some time a welcome screen will pop up. On this screen you can choose your language and choose between two options: Try Ubuntu and Install Ubuntu.
Select Try Ubuntu. In this case Linux OS will run directly from the CD or USB stick without changing any files on the hard drive.
STEP 3.
Ubuntu OS will continue loading and after a while you’ll boot to the desktop, as it shown on the following picture.
STEP 4.
In order to access the internal hard drive, you click on Places in the top toolbar. You should see your internal hard drive in the drop down menu under the Computer.
STEP 5.
When you click on the internal hard drive a new window will open up. In this window you’ll see all files located on the hard drive.
STEP 6.
Now plug in your target drive: external USB hard drive or USB flash drive.
Another window will pop up. In this window you’ll see files located on the external drive. In my case I have no files on the external drive, that’s why the window is empty.
You can move windows same way you do it in Windows OS. Arrange both windows as you like.
STEP 7.
Finally, drag and drop needed files from the internal hard drive to the external drive.
After the transfer is done, you can unplug the external drive and use it on any other computer.
IF YOU HAVE FAILED HARDWARE
In case if your laptop (or desktop PC) has faulty hardware, you should try recovery with external USB enclosure.
If you find this article useful, please consider making a donation to the author. Thank you!
October 1st, 2011 at 11:33 am
I have the ubuntu on a CD and in my laptop. The screen where I can choose to try it or to install it is up, but when I try to select try it a box pops up telling me “/casper/vmlinuz:file not found” and underneath it says NO Texts! What did I do wrong? Help!
September 17th, 2011 at 7:01 am
@ sanjay,
Shouldn’t matter. Linux can read through the Windows password.
September 14th, 2011 at 8:49 pm
if windows user have a password than ???????
pls answer me plssss
August 26th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
I tried to boot with Ububtu CD but the window XP locked up at the 1st screen with MS logo in the middle. The screen is dimmed or shaded. Anybody know what’s wrong?
August 15th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
Thanks for this tutorial.
I went through all above but it does not show my internal hard disk from Ubuntu there ,either the bios can’t detect the HD.
the bios shows only CD drive and flopy disk drive.
I tried also some of the Hiren’s tools to get access my HD but no lock.
what is the clean room recovery as you have mentioned on the above?
please help since I really need my data back.
Thank you
July 13th, 2011 at 10:04 am
@ Great,
Can you see the Acer welcome screen on startup or there is NO image at all?
Test your laptop with an external monitor. Can you get image on the external screen?
July 12th, 2011 at 10:33 pm
I have an Acer laptop, 5710. I use window 7,2 days ago, i tried to install Pro Evolution soccer 2011 game. After the install i restarted my system. To my greatest surprise, it not show anything in the screen. What might be the problem sir.
July 6th, 2011 at 4:28 am
I have a macbook and the other day it just basically stopped working. Whenever I try to turn it on it’ll have a bright screen for a while and then a flashing folder with a question mark, and there will be three small clicking sounds and one high pitched sound. I tried to do what I read on other sites(try repair in a certain program, try this button and that button) but nothing works, I even called some number I found and they said that it sounds really bad and has something to do with my hard drive?
I have no idea what to do, or who to call to see if someone could recover my data (pics, music, documents etc). Can you please help, do you have any ideas?
Thank-you!
June 5th, 2011 at 6:20 am
Recovering data from falling HDD can be done also by downloading the Hiren’s Boot CD, and using Mini Windows XP boot option from the CD.
http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd
June 5th, 2011 at 6:16 am
These post is for Elsa Maritza Mosquea. Check the ligh on the right side of your HP laptop. Make sure that you have a blue light when pluging the AC Adapter. YOu might have a low battery also with a dead AC adapter and that’s why the laptop keeps restarting by itself.