Recovering files from old hard drives?

[Tirediron]

I have an old ACER came with windows 7, I stopped using it because it got to slow. I also have its twin, exact same machine same os etc. The second one I found out that I could clear the ram, and make it tolerable. I started the first one up to look for some files, it started the windows repair screen right away, is there anything I can do to find out if there are recoverable files on it. I had planned to back up to disk and take all the anything off of it and load a linux os.

 

[LadyLocust]

I have an old ACER came with windows 7, I stopped using it because it got to slow. I also have its twin, exact same machine same os etc. The second one I found out that I could clear the ram, and make it tolerable. I started the first one up to look for some files, it started the windows repair screen right away, is there anything I can do to find out if there are recoverable files on it. I had planned to back up to disk and take all the anything off of it and load a linux os.

Are you able to get to the screen with all your files? I had an acer and loved it but it became outdated and could no longer connect but it ran fine . (Yeah that part isn’t helpful). The only thing I would do once in a while if it went wonky was remove the battery for a minute then put it back. It seemed to reset it.

 

[backwoodsman]

So is the Windows repair not completing successfully? If it won't boot, since you're going to install Linux anyway, the easiest way would be to use the Linux live environment to copy anything you want to save before you nuke the disk. If you're going to install Linux in a dual-boot setup, you could wait to copy the stuff until after Linux is installed, but of course there's a slight risk of losing something when you're messing with partitions.

 

[Tirediron]

It would appear that I had a failed Key board in my previous attempts, functional keyboard, and I can select what I want previously I could not get to the windows restore function. I think that I will just back up the stuff that is on the hard drive, and probably get a new hard drive and install linux from a thumb drive. Should be a better way to go ??

 

[Peanut]

You might try creating a linux thumb drive (or cd), Boot the system to it... then look at the harddrive with linux. Linux can read fat32 files (windows). Copy what you need that way.

 

[OldSchool]

An external hard drive enclosure works great for transferring files from an old computer to a new one.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...1&_nkw=external+hard+drive+enclosure&_sacat=0

I learned that quick and easy trick a while ago. When re-programing a computer - Pull the old hard drive, install new, program the computer and put the old hard drive in an external enclosure and transfer all files you want to keep. It also works great for transferring files from a retired computer to a new one. And - save the hard drive.... there's your backup files.

I haven't tried this yet when going from windows to Linux, but have used a thumb drive to transfer files from a functioning windows computer to a Linux computer and it worked fine.

 

[OldSchool]

Sometimes it's just the operating system that gets messed-up enough to lose functionality. In those instances.. using an external hard drive enclosure will work if the files are readable and it was just the messed-up OS causing problems.

 

[12icemaker]

This is a temporary connector to use with multiple drive types, IF you are using a disk type hard drive you need to make sure it has some type of cooling ability.
It only takes a minute or two to overheat them and make them fail witout air space and/or cooling fans.

https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-FIDECO-Drive-Cable-Universal/dp/B0919N4XNW/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

I coded this so it is copy and paste.

 

[Snowman]

Speaking of getting stuff off one drive and using it in/on another, is there still a way to recover the Win Key from the Drive...?!? I can't find where I copied down the Key so I need to find a proggy that will find it in/on the Drive...?!?

 

[12icemaker]

Is the operating system on the drive with the key?

if it is you can boot the system from the drive and open the operating system and get the key from the info on the about-properties screen.

 

[Snowman]

I went ahead and allowed it to Update 124 Updates and after that was done the Activation Message was gone...!!! I went back and disabled the Auto Updates...!!

 

[Snowman]

Went back and started again to see if All was OK and Explorer wouldn't allow any pages to load... Said No Internet Connection... Went looking and tried typing in addresses that I remember w/o them being written down and one of them went thru and that allowed Me to d/l Firefox and I'm Back in the Saddle Again...!!!

 

[Magus]

https://www.stellarinfo.com/gdc/har...nJAFUnRc8jN8v8pDywCzLST6KtVvlLNBoCfvMQAvD_BwE

https://www.capterra.com/sem-compar...8fnNfP-ex-kW2Tks8d4wNPj2ilj_ceSRoCP8AQAvD_BwE

My computer guys will do even busted drives for 20$