People commonly come by looking for advice recovering their data. Both from a dead computer and one with nasty virus infections. Each requires a different approach but can usually be done relatively cheap.
If the computer does not power up the easiest solution is removing the hard drive and connecting it to a working PC. There are basically two ways to connect the drive to another computer, either through a simple cable system or an external enclosure. For ease of use a simple IDE/SATA to USB cable with a power supply is hard to beat, especially if you might be using it pretty often on different drives. Some people prefer an enclosure to ensure no accidental static can harm the exposed drive.
From experience I've learned that some enclosures can be just as deadly to a drive because they can slide. Like off the top of the working computer to the desktop or floor. In the best case you can lose a drive or break the enclosure. Worst case is losing them both. I've found handling the bare drive makes me more likely to handle with care. Any smooth, non-conductive, surface is safe to set the drive on but some people suggest setting them upside down.
Both Newegg (Enclosures, Cables) and Amazon (Enclosures, Cables) have a selection of both. Just be sure you get one that accepts both the size, (3 1/2" for most destops, 2 1/2" for laptops) and type (IDE has large flat data cables, SATA has thin red cables).
For a computer that is powering up but will not boot there are several possible problems. If you know the problem is a virus you can download a bootable Rescue CD. The one most commonly
suggested by our forum members is the BitDefender Rescue CD. This tool is great because you never need the hard drive, it runs solely from the CD/DVD and RAM. The file is downloaded and burned AS AN ISO to a CD or DVD. Usually computers will be configured to boot from this drive before the hard drive so it works with no problems. Because it can be used to transfer files to a USB drive it's great for problems like a corrupted OS. Because most recovery disks format the hard drive this can be used to remove files before you reinstall the OS.
And finally there is the Recovery Disks. Most common computers use these to restore the computer and drivers to the original state that you purchased it. You only want to use these if you have your important documents saved to another disk or drive, otherwise it will be lost. For those who have lost their factory provided disks they can be purchased. One of the forums sponsors, Secure Remote Support, carries a complete line of disks for almost any brand and OS. Their website, Recovery-Disks.com, has all their contact information including a phone number for contacting their sales and support team.
If the computer does not power up the easiest solution is removing the hard drive and connecting it to a working PC. There are basically two ways to connect the drive to another computer, either through a simple cable system or an external enclosure. For ease of use a simple IDE/SATA to USB cable with a power supply is hard to beat, especially if you might be using it pretty often on different drives. Some people prefer an enclosure to ensure no accidental static can harm the exposed drive.
From experience I've learned that some enclosures can be just as deadly to a drive because they can slide. Like off the top of the working computer to the desktop or floor. In the best case you can lose a drive or break the enclosure. Worst case is losing them both. I've found handling the bare drive makes me more likely to handle with care. Any smooth, non-conductive, surface is safe to set the drive on but some people suggest setting them upside down.
Both Newegg (Enclosures, Cables) and Amazon (Enclosures, Cables) have a selection of both. Just be sure you get one that accepts both the size, (3 1/2" for most destops, 2 1/2" for laptops) and type (IDE has large flat data cables, SATA has thin red cables).
For a computer that is powering up but will not boot there are several possible problems. If you know the problem is a virus you can download a bootable Rescue CD. The one most commonly
suggested by our forum members is the BitDefender Rescue CD. This tool is great because you never need the hard drive, it runs solely from the CD/DVD and RAM. The file is downloaded and burned AS AN ISO to a CD or DVD. Usually computers will be configured to boot from this drive before the hard drive so it works with no problems. Because it can be used to transfer files to a USB drive it's great for problems like a corrupted OS. Because most recovery disks format the hard drive this can be used to remove files before you reinstall the OS.
And finally there is the Recovery Disks. Most common computers use these to restore the computer and drivers to the original state that you purchased it. You only want to use these if you have your important documents saved to another disk or drive, otherwise it will be lost. For those who have lost their factory provided disks they can be purchased. One of the forums sponsors, Secure Remote Support, carries a complete line of disks for almost any brand and OS. Their website, Recovery-Disks.com, has all their contact information including a phone number for contacting their sales and support team.
via: [pctechbytes]
