urgent data retrival for duff laptop

[Kreed Kafer]

I have a laptop with Windows XP installed.m Recently I have been unable to log onto Windows as there is a missing VGA file. I have tried to reinstate the file and many other suggestions.

On attempts to reinstall Windows it says the partition is either too full, damaged, formatted with an incomplete file system... and Setup must format the partition, thus losing all data.

Basically, I have all my data, pictures and videos on the computer and can worry about a format afterwards. I have other computers. Is there a way to just simply hook up the duff laptop to another hard drive and transfer the files, even though the duff laptop cannot log onto Windows??????????

So thats what I wanna do, just find a way to transfer the files without being logged onto Windows.

Me would be really grateful for the answer. Thanks.

[vehelpfulguy]

Of course you have backed everything up to CD or DVD so it is not a problem !

If you have NOT backed everything up then you have learnt a valuable lesson about WHY you should back things up.

Have you tried going into Windows in SAFE mode.

As Windows starts press F8 and it goes into SAFE mode. here you can start Windows is various ways, using minimal drivers, so you may be able to at least get Windows going.

If you do then copy fiels to a USB stick so you at least have them off the laptop.

The other option is to buy a hard disk caddy for a laptop hard disk and plug it into a USB port on another PC, you may be able to see the files and get them off the hard disk.

Like this
http://www.parts-people.com/images/products/su prslim.JPG

Make sure you get one for a laptop hard drive not a normal hard drive as laptop hard drives are smaller.

[fo3nix]

My suggestion would be to use the Knoppix live CD:

http://www.knoppix.org/

You can put the CD in and your computer should boot from it instead of windows (if not, alter your bios settings). Then you should be able to read your internal hard drive with all your stuff, and just copy it across to a usb flash drive, external hard drive, etc.