BleepingComputer.com: Win7 loaded over corrupt Vista? save documents & photos

Could I install Win7 over my corrupt Vista laptop and save my docs and pics?
Right now I cant get to the desktop, so I cant get to these precious items.

Sadly I didnt create a recovery CD, nor did I get a copy of the Vista install disc when I purchased this laptop 8 months ago.

thanks

Quote

I'd try this instead. After you get what you need off the drive, you should format it and then install Win7

***************************************************

We will be using Knoppix, a bootable disk. From it, we can access your harddrive and do repairs.

From a working computer download and install IMGBurn.

Download Knoppix to your desktop.

Open IMGBurn via the newly created icon on your desktop, or by pointing to Start->All Programs->ImgBurn->ImgBurn
Push the large "Write image file to disk" button.
Right under "Source" and next to "Please select a file" push the button.
Browse to and select the Knoppix image file on your desktop.

Place a blank CD-R into your clean system's CD Burner, and press the large button that looks like a page going into a CD in the bottom left of IMGBurn.

Now place this CD into the non-bootable system. Configure the system to boot from CD. You can usually do this by pressing F10, F11, or F12 (try all of them if unsure) to bring up configuration options, and select CDRom as your boot device. Some machines will automatically attempt boot from the CD if one is inserted.

When you see this screen,

Press enter, and wait for Knoppix to boot.
On Knoppix' desktop, you should see an icon for your hard disk (Looks like .)

Right click the drive, and select "Change Read\Write Mode". Press "Yes" at the prompt.

Now you have ready access to you hard drive. You can drag and drop files/folder to another hard drive, a flash drive or burn the data to disk.

For safety sake...

Note that the files with the following extensions should not be backed up:
.exe
.scr
.htm
.html
.xml
.zip
.rar
.asp
.php

--
Once the files are done moving, press the large K button in the lower left corner of the screen, and select Log Out...
Then press "Turn off computer".


~Blade

Does the BIOS recognize the hard drive but can't boot? Or does it not even know an HD is connected? Does the HD spin up when you turn on the power? Or is it dead? You should be able to hear it and/or see the activity light.

If it recognizes it but won't boot, I would buy a new HD, or connect that HD to another system that's booted. You can buy USB adaptors for that for ~$20. If the BIOS doesn't recognize it, I'd check the cables then try to reboot. Reinstalling over it can overwrite your information.

etavares, on Sep 2 2009, 05:50 PM, said:

Does the BIOS recognize the hard drive but can't boot? Or does it not even know an HD is connected? Does the HD spin up when you turn on the power? Or is it dead? You should be able to hear it and/or see the activity light.

Good question!
I dont know.
I can NOT get to a prompt in safe mode. the only prompt I can get to is X: in advanced recovery options.
I did a CHKDSK and it revealed the following corruption.

X:\Windows\system32>chksdsk

The type of the file system is NTFS
The volume is in use by another process. Chkdsk
Might report errors when no corruption is present
Volume label is PQSERVICE
WARNING: F parameter not specified.
Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.
CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)…
9 percent complete (8180 of 9088 file records processed)
Attribute list entry with type code 128 in file 8872 is corrupt
Deleted corrupt attribute list entry
With type 128 in file 8872
Attribute record (128.’’’) from file record segment 8938 is corrupt
Attribute record (128.’’’) from file record segment 8942 is corrupt
Attribute record (128.’’’) from file record segment 8958 is corrupt
Attribute record (128.’’’) from file record segment 8972 is corrupt
Attribute record (128.’’’) from file record segment 8992 is corrupt
Attribute record (128.’’’) from file record segment 9006 is corrupt
9088 file records processed
File Verification completed
10 percent complete. (1 of 6 large files processed)
File record segment 8938 is an orphan
File record segment 8942 is an orphan
File record segment 8958 is an orphan
File record segment 8972 is an orphan
File record segment 8992 is an orphan
6 Large files records processed.
File Record segment 9006 is an orphan.
Errors found. CHKDSK cannot continue in read-only mode. [/font]


I posted this earlier..... http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic254549.html
Thanks,
Lollie

I am okay until I get to this step:

Blade Zephon, on Sep 2 2009, 03:56 PM, said:

Pressing the"button that looks like a page" gets me no where. It could be my CD-R
I had a couple of blank CD-Rs and I tried them. The CD-R's are several years old, so they could be faulty.

What does Destination....No write detected mean?

Thanks for all the help so far....I am beginning to feel optimistic.

L

You can go ahead and try a new CD-R; I'm checking with some colleagues as to other possible causes.

Let me know whether a new CD-R works.

~Blade