How do I save my data if I can't boot into Windows?

Question

I have a Dell Inspiron 1420 running Windows Vista. I can't boot into Windows due to a software glitch, but I want to keep my data by transferring it to an external hard drive. Is there a way to do this by booting from a CD or program on a flash drive?

dunedin · Answer

Maybe we could help you boot into Vista if you posted your problems :smileyhappy:

Try running System Restore from the Vista DVD

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial142.html

You should be able to rescue your data by removing the hard drive and connecting it as a slave drive in another machine (a desktop machine). You'll need a 2.5" to 3.5" drive adapter, which is easily available and quite cheap.

http://insidecomputer.stores.yahoo.net/la2tode3hadr.html

Save your data onto the desktop hard drive and then burn it to a CD

Colin_London · Answer

The Vista DVD had a utility to rebuild your boot loader files - I recently used it to recover after I destroyed my boot files when I converted the main disk to a dynamic disk.   Put the DVD into the drive and restart. The PC will boot off the DVD. Then select the System Recovery option at the bottom of the initial window. Can't remember whether it went straight to a number of recovery options, or whether I had to press Next at the next screen, but an option came up called 'Startup Repair' or something similar. It fixed things easily and my PC now reboots fine :smileyhappy:

fireberd · Answer

Colin, thanks for the info on the System Recovery option.  That may fix the problem I'm having with a cloned disk.  I've tried several things and they didn't work and even thought my Acronis True Image did not clone it correctly (I bought a larger hard drive and I was trying to clone my lower capacity drive to the higher capacity so I could use it as the boot drive).

GioAguilar · Answer

You can boot to the recovery options (using the DVD, or the F8) if you know about command prompt commands to copy files from a device to another.

Another way copy files from your internal HDD to your external HDD is opening from command prompt any application that has a graphinc interface.

For example, open command prompt on the Recovery options, type notepad and the notepad application then you can go to the File menu, then to open, now you can browse the files you have, right click them and copy , and then paste them into your HDD.

That also works to put files on CDs/DVDs you just need to format the drives.

Message Edited by GioAguilar on 10-14-2007 12:47 PM

fireberd · Answer

I got my new 400gb hard drive working.  Did a 'clone' with Acronis True Image then had to use the procedure in Microsoft KB927392 'Bootrec.exe tool' (which runs from the Vista install DVD).

agentmichaelsca · Answer

My problem is detailed here:

http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_harddrive&message.id=64811#M64811.

I've been working on it for two days, and no one's given me a solution that works, so I just decided to recover my data and reinstall Windows.

Thanks, GioAguilar. I actually ended figuring out the graphic interface file transfer technique on my own--using regedit instead of notepad. It's sort of a funny reminder that no matter how safe you think you're data is, it's not. Encryption is really the only way to ensure security, yet this method leaves you vulnerable in a situation such as this when data must be recovered.

Thanks everyone!

Message Edited by agentmichaelscarn on 10-14-2007 06:39 PM

GioAguilar · Answer

Most of the people for sure thinks their data is secure when it is not... Encryption gives some security, but there's always a way to break the things...     Glad to see you fixed your problem.

Windows General

How do I save my data if I can't boot into Windows?

Was this post helpful?