Tips and Tricks for Recovering Data from a Computer That Won’t Boot

Using Safe Mode or Recovery Mode

1. Accessing Safe Mode

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

  1. Restart the Computer: Restart your computer.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
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2. Using Recovery Mode

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

  1. Restart the Computer: Restart your computer.
  2. 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.
  3. Select Troubleshoot: On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
  4. 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:

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

Using UNetbootin:

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

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