Dell Inspiron Laptop Won't Boot

[ClaireStan]

Have a dell Inspiron 1525 laptop which won't boot. Brought new battery but still won't boot. Attempts to boot and starts disk check but then shuts down. Any help please as have lots of photo saved on this laptop.

[hc4361]

Have you tried to start in safe mode?

[ClaireStan]

Yes, have tried safe mode, it gets so far then switched off

[SlackAlice]

Possible overheating causing a premature shutdown. Make sure all the laptop vents are clean/clear and ensure an adequate air gap underneath. Does the fan start up when you switch on?

Make sure when you switch on the power cable is plugged in as well, just in case the battery is not fully charged yet.

[Mick-the-Miller]

I know it doesn't help but - I've got a Dell Inspiron 1525 Laptop and am having all sorts of problems with it. I've had to Refresh Windows and managed to lose all my Emails and Contacts - it took me days to get them back.

You have my sympathy - I'm thinking of going to a MacBook!

[Buenchico]

Hopefully someone might know how to fix your laptop but, in case they can't, I'll tell you how to retrieve your photos. (It will cost you under a tenner).

1. Remove the hard drive from your laptop. (That's usually done simply by undoing a couple of screws in the base and sliding it out; you don't need to get inside the laptop).

2. Buy one of these:
http://www.rakuten.co.uk/shop/digiflex/product/MM83/?l-id=gb_search_product_1

3. Slot your hard drive into the case and do the screws up.

4. Connect your hard drive, via a USB cable, to another computer. (It will appear in 'Computer' as an additional drive).

5. You'll then be able to access some of the drive's contents but, annoyingly, not your photos (yet). You need to 'take ownership' of the drive first:
http://www.preyerplanning.com/take-ownership-of-entire-hard-drive-in-windows-7.pdf

6. Now that you can access your photos, copy them to the other computer (or to something like a USB stick) and then make a back-up copy as well!

[Buenchico]

^^^PS: My post assumes that your hard drive hasn't completely crashed. If it has, only a specialist data recovery service (costing mega-bucks) would be able to retrieve your photos.