Most everyone who uses a computer has experienced a computer crash of some sort. Most of the time this is due to a failure in the operating system, a virus, a failed software installation, computer updates, etc. In these cases, the data on the hard drive is almost always recoverable simply by connecting the hard drive form the malfunctioning computer to a working computer. The easiest way to do this is to buy a USB adapter for $15 - $40. You can find the adapter at many electronics stores like Best Buy or Fry's. Once the drive is recognized by the working computer, copy your data off the old drive to a new location. If you are successful, I would recommend buying a new hard drive but if your funds a limited, you can move the original hard drive back to your old computer and begin installing or repairing your operating system.
Another free and relatively easy method is to use Knoppix. Knoppix is an operating system that runs from a CD. You can download Knoppix for free. Knoppix is an easy to use Linux based operating system that recognizes most file types and devices. You need to make sure that your computer is set to boot from the CD or DVD device. You make this change in the computer bios settings. If you are not familiar with how to do this see your mother board manual for instructions. Once you boot from the Knoppix CD you would then navigate to your hard drive, locate the files you want to save and copy them to some other location. I have seen times when Windows could not recognize the hard drive but Knoppix was able to.
Another free and relatively easy method is to use Knoppix. Knoppix is an operating system that runs from a CD. You can download Knoppix for free. Knoppix is an easy to use Linux based operating system that recognizes most file types and devices. You need to make sure that your computer is set to boot from the CD or DVD device. You make this change in the computer bios settings. If you are not familiar with how to do this see your mother board manual for instructions. Once you boot from the Knoppix CD you would then navigate to your hard drive, locate the files you want to save and copy them to some other location. I have seen times when Windows could not recognize the hard drive but Knoppix was able to.
