Introduction
As a computer user, one of the most frustrating situations is when your Windows computer won’t boot up properly. Whether due to a crashed hard drive, corrupted system files, or some other issue, an unbootable PC often means you can’t access important personal files and documents stored on the hard drive.
The good news is, there are several methods I can try to recover data from an unbootable Windows PC and access those precious files again. In this article, I will provide an in-depth look at the various options available and walk through the steps to attempt data recovery from a non-functional Windows machine.
Prepare Recovery Media
Before attempting to recover data from an unbootable Windows computer, I need to prepare a bootable recovery media that I can use to start up the target PC. Here are some options:
Windows Installation Media
If I have access to the original Windows install media (DVD or USB drive), this is the best option. I can boot from the Windows setup, get to the recovery options, and attempt data recovery from there.
Windows Recovery Drive
I can create a recovery drive from within Windows beforehand. This contains the recovery tools needed to troubleshoot issues and recover data later on.
Hiren’s Boot CD
This is a free bootable CD/USB image containing various diagnostics and recovery tools for Windows. It can be useful for data recovery when Windows won’t start.
Ubuntu Live USB
Booting from a Linux-based live USB drive allows me to mount the Windows drive and pull data from it quite easily. Ubuntu is a popular choice.
Connect the Hard Drive Externally
If I can’t boot the problem computer at all, I can try connecting the hard drive as an external drive to another working computer instead. This allows me to access the drive from the working OS and may enable extracting the needed data.
I will need an external drive enclosure and appropriate cabling to hook up the hard drive externally. This method won’t work if the drive itself has failed mechanically.
Launch the OS Recovery Console
Once I have suitable recovery media ready, I can boot the unworking PC from it and launch the OS recovery console. This provides various tools I can utilize to troubleshoot issues and recover data.
For Windows 10/8, the recovery console can be accessed by going to the Advanced startup options. For older Windows versions, I may need to use the installation media as mentioned earlier.
Access the Command Prompt
From the recovery screen, I can launch the Command Prompt to directly access files and folders on the drive. This may allow me to copy important data to an external drive connected to the computer.
Useful Command Prompt commands include:
dir– List files and foldersxcopy– Copy files and foldersrobocopy– Advanced copying tool
I can navigate drives and directories to find my files.
Use Data Recovery Software
Specialized data recovery software exists that can scan drives and recover data from them, even if Windows won’t start. Examples include R-Studio, EaseUs Data Recovery Wizard, Stellar Phoenix, etc.
These tools can recover lost or deleted files frompartitions that have become unbootable or inaccessible. Some advanced versions can rebuild damaged drives and volumes too.
Restore from a Backup
Ideally, I should have a good backup of my important files, saved on another external drive or storage media. If so, I can simply restore the required data and files from the backup after connecting the backup drive to another working computer.
Maintaining a regular backup is crucial protection against situations like this.
Consult a Professional Service
For difficult cases where vital data is inaccessible and unrecoverable through standard methods, I may need to turn to a professional data recovery service.
These experts have specialized tools and clean room facilities to recover data from drives that have severe logical or physical damage. This is an expensive last resort, but can retrieve the data.
Conclusion
Recovering important personal files and data from a Windows PC that won’t boot properly can be a stressful endeavor. With the right tools and techniques, the data is often still retrievable or restorable from the unbootable drive. Following the methods above, such as using recovery media, connecting the drive externally, leveraging recovery software or backups, and in extreme cases, engaging a professional service – I can hopefully regain access to my precious files and get the failed Windows computer working again.
