Recover Data from Computer That Won't Boot

Securing your data is a top priority in an emergency situation when your computer won’t boot. This article will discuss the steps to resolve this issue and ensure your data remains safe.

Data backup is an important preventive measure to keep valuable information and files from unexpected loss. When data is backed up regularly, you have a copy of the information that can be recovered in the event of a hardware malfunction, malware attack, or system failure. Without adequate backups, the risk of losing important data such as work documents, family photos, or personal projects is very high.

Recover Data from a Computer That Wont Boot

Why can’t a computer boot?

There are a few reasons why a computer might not boot, including:

Operating System Corruption: Corrupted or missing system files can prevent the computer from booting properly.
Hardware Damage: Components such as a faulty hard drive, RAM, or motherboard can cause the computer to fail to boot.
Malware Attacks: Certain viruses or malware can damage system files or other important components.
BIOS Configuration Errors: Incorrect settings in the BIOS can interfere with the boot process.
Overheating: Overheating of certain components, such as the processor, can cause boot failure.

Signs of Computer Won’t Boot

Some common signs that your computer won’t boot include:

Black Screen: There is no display of anything when the computer is turned on.
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD): A blue screen with an error message.
Boot Error Message: Messages such as “Operating System not found” or “Boot device not recognized”.
Beep: An unusual beep sound from the computer, indicating a hardware problem.
Repeated Restart: The computer tries to boot but continuously restarts without success.

Preparing for Data Recovery

1. Step One: Stay Calm

When facing a situation where the computer cannot boot, it is crucial not to rush into action. Rushing can lead to errors that might make things worse, including the potential for greater data loss. Take a moment to understand the situation and plan recovery steps carefully.

When facing a serious technical problem like this, maintaining mental calm is essential. A calm mind helps you to think clearly and make informed decisions. Take a deep breath, take a break if necessary, and focus on the steps that need to be taken to recover the data.

2. Equipment and Software Required

To recover and save data from a computer that won’t boot, you’ll need an external storage medium like a USB drive or an external hard drive. Make sure that this device has enough capacity to store all the data you want to recover.

Bootable devices such as Live USB or Live CD are very useful for accessing computers that cannot be booted. This device allows you to run the operating system from external media, so you can access data on the internal hard drive.

There are several recovery software that can help you recover data from a computer that won’t boot:

MiniTool Power Data Recovery: This software offers an easy-to-use interface and can recover data from different types of storage media.
Recuva: Developed by Piriform, Recuva is a recovery software that is famous for its ability to recover deleted or lost files.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard: This software is known for its effectiveness in recovering data from unbootable computers, as well as its support for various file formats and storage device types.

Using Safe Mode or Recovery Mode

1. Accessing Safe Mode

To sign in to Safe Mode on Windows, follow these steps:

Restart the Computer: Restart your computer.
Press F8 or Shift + F8: During the boot process, press the F8 key repeatedly until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears. If you’re using Windows 10, you may need to press Shift while selecting “Restart” from the Power menu on the login screen to access the Advanced Startup menu.
Select Safe Mode: From the menu that appears, use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking if you need internet access.

Safe Mode allows you to run Windows with a minimal set of drivers and services. This is useful for:

Fix System Problems: Identify and fix issues that may be causing your computer to not boot normally.
Remove Malware: Run an antivirus or malware removal tool to clean the system.
Restoring Data: Accessing and copying important data to external storage media.

2. Using Recovery Mode

Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) provides tools to restore your system. Here’s how to access it:

Restart the Computer: Restart your computer.
Press F11 or Shift + F10: During the boot process, press the F11 or Shift + F10 keys to enter WinRE. In Windows 10, you can also log in to WinRE by pressing Shift while selecting “Restart” from the Power menu on the login screen.
Select Troubleshoot: On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
Advanced Options: On the Troubleshoot screen, select Advanced Options to see the available recovery options.

In WinRE, you have several recovery options:

System Restore: Restore your system to a previous restore point, without affecting personal files.
System Image Recovery: Restoring the computer using a previously created system image.
Startup Repair: Fixed an issue that prevented Windows from booting.
Command Prompt: Opens the Command Prompt window to execute manual commands.
Startup Settings: Change startup settings, including logging in to Safe Mode.
Go back to the previous version: Restoring the system to a previous version of Windows if an upgrade was recently made and causing problems.

Using Live USB/CD for Boot

1. What is a Live USB/CD?

Live USB/CD is a storage device that contains an operating system that can be run directly from a USB drive or CD/DVD without needing to be installed on a computer’s hard drive. Live USB/CD allows you to access and use a temporary operating system, which is very useful when your computer can’t boot from the operating system on the hard drive.

Benefits of Live USB/CD

Emergency Access: Access the operating system for data recovery when the computer won’t boot.
Diagnostics and Repair: Running system diagnostics and repair tools.
Security: Removes malware or viruses from the system without the risk of further spread.
Convenience: It does not require permanent installation, so it does not affect the data present on the hard drive.

2. Create Live USB/CD

Quick Tutorial on How to Create a Live USB/CD Using Rufus or UNetbootin

Using Rufus:

Download Rufus: Download Rufus from the official Rufus website.
Download Operating System ISO: Download the ISO file of the operating system you want to use (e.g., Ubuntu, Windows PE).
Run Rufus: Open Rufus and plug in your USB drive.
Select Device: Under “Device,” select the USB drive you want to use.
Select ISO: Click “SELECT” and select the ISO file you have downloaded.
Default Settings: Leave the other settings on default and click “START”.
Creation Process: Wait for the process to complete and your USB drive is ready to be used as a Live USB.

Using UNetbootin:

Download UNetbootin: Download UNetbootin from the official UNetbootin website.
Download the Operating System ISO: Download the ISO file of the operating system you want to use.
Run UNetbootin: Open UNetbootin and plug in your USB drive.
Select Diskimage: Select the “Diskimage” option and browse the ISO file you have downloaded.
Select USB Drive: Make sure the correct USB drive is selected under the “Drive” option.
Click OK: Click “OK” to start the Live USB creation process.
Creation Process: Wait for the process to complete and your USB drive is ready to be used as a Live USB.

3. Booting from Live USB/CD

Steps to Set BIOS to Boot from USB/CD

Restart the Computer: Restart your computer.
Enter BIOS/UEFI: During the boot process, press the appropriate button to enter BIOS/UEFI (usually F2, Del, Esc, or F12).
Navigate to the Boot Menu: Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Boot menu.
Set Boot Priority: Change the boot order so that the USB drive or CD/DVD takes precedence first.
- Select the USB drive or CD/DVD and move it to the top position in the boot order list.
Save and Exit: Save the settings by pressing F10 and selecting Yes to exit the BIOS/UEFI.

Tips and Tricks for Successful Booting

Make sure the USB Drive/CD is connected: Make sure the USB drive or CD/DVD is connected to the computer before restarting.
Compatibility Check: Make sure the operating system on the Live USB/CD is compatible with your computer’s hardware.
Check USB Connection: If using a USB drive, make sure the USB connection is stable and not damaged.
Try a Different USB Port: If your computer won’t boot from a USB drive, try using a different USB port.

Recover Data with Software Recovery

1. Using MiniTool Power Data Recovery

Superiority:

Intuitive and easy-to-use user interface.
Supports a wide range of file formats and storage devices.
It has a preview feature of files before recovery.

Deficiency:

The free version has a limit on the amount of data that can be recovered.
The scanning process may take a while depending on the size of the drive.

2. Using Recuva

Superiority:

The free version is quite complete with basic data recovery features.
Simple and easy-to-use interface.
Effective in-depth scanning options.

Deficiency:

Advanced recovery features are limited compared to other paid software.
It doesn’t always work for data recovery from a severely damaged drive.

Alternative Methods of Data Recovery

1. Using a Docking Station or Enclosure Hard Drive

Docking Station and Enclosure Hard Drive are devices that allow you to connect your computer’s internal hard drive to another computer as an external drive. This is especially useful if your computer won’t boot but the hard drive is still working.

Docking Station: A tool that usually has multiple slots for different types of hard drives (HDD or SSD), which allows you to easily install and access the hard drive.
Enclosure Hard Drive: A protective case that can hold a single hard drive, turning it into an external drive that can be connected to another computer via USB or other connections.

How to Connect a Hard Drive to Another Computer

Remove the Hard Drive from the Computer: Turn off your computer and carefully remove the internal hard drive.
Attach to a Docking Station or Enclosure: Insert the hard drive into the Docking Station or Enclosure Hard Drive according to the instructions of the device.
Connect to Another Computer: Connect the Docking Station or Enclosure Hard Drive to another computer via a USB cable or a suitable connection.
Hard Drive Access: The hard drive will be recognized as an external drive on another computer, and you can access, copy, or recover the necessary data.

2. Using the Command Prompt on Windows

Command Prompt is a command-line tool in Windows that allows you to run commands to manage files and systems. Here are some basic commands for data recovery:

dir: Displays a list of files and folders in a directory.
cd: Change the directory.
copy: Copying files from one location to another.
xcopy: Copy files and directories, including subdirectories.
robocopy: Copy files, directories, and attributes with additional features.

Examples of Use of xcopy and robocopy

xcopy D:\Data\** E:\Backup\ /s /e /h

Explanation:

D:\Data*.*: The location of the data source to be copied.
E:\Backup\: The destination location where the data will be copied.
/s: Copying directories and subdirectories except empty ones.
/e: Copy all subdirectories, including empty ones.
/h: Copying hidden and system files.

Using robocopy:

robocopy D:\Data E:\Backup /MIR /Z /R:5 /W:5

Explanation:

D:\Data: The location of the data source to be copied.
E:\Backup: The destination location where the data will be copied.
/MIR: Reflects source and destination directories (deletes files in destinations that are not in the source).
/Z: Copies files in restartable mode (resume from last position if disconnected).
/R:5: Attempts to re-copy files that fail up to 5 times.
/W:5: Wait for 5 seconds between repeat attempts.

Conclusion

Effective data recovery is essential to prevent the loss of valuable information when the computer cannot boot. In this emergency, knowing various data recovery methods, such as using Safe Mode, Recovery Mode, Live USB/CD, and recovery software, can help you access and rescue your data. Every step taken must be carefully planned to ensure data integrity and minimize the risk of further loss.

If you find it difficult to recover data on your own or the situation is too complex, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Many data recovery services offer solutions to various hardware and software issues. Additionally, online resources such as forums, tutorials, and official documentation can provide additional guidance:

By following the guidelines and steps that have been discussed, you can increase your chances of successfully recovering your data and protecting your important information in the future.

Recover Data from Computer That Won’t Boot