1- Install this hard drive in another machine as a slave drive, and see if you can access it to retrieve your files. If not, then you can install data recovery software on the master drive and try to recover your files again.
2- You can install a new hard drive in your machine, designate it as master and the corrupt one as slave, install Windows on the new drive, and then try to recover as per option #1.
3- You can also try using Knoppix to retrieve your files directly from the corrupted hard drive. Here is how you download and use it, curtsey of ranchhand, one of our moderators here:
KNOPPIX 5
[note to myself]: Knoppix will partition. Command: QTpartED
Go
HERE and download Knoppix; use the link near the bottom, University of Wisconsin, the "http" link; then download Knoppix 5.0 ENG ISO, and use a utility such as Nero or Roxio (among many others) to burn it to a CD. Of course, you will need another computer to do this, and best use broadband since it is a 699 Meg download. When you are done, you will have a bootable version of Knoppix Linux 5.0 Operating System.
To salvage your data files:
>First, your harddrive that is corrupted must be mechanically working. A drive that is broken inside cannot be accessed, so if this is the circumstance there are no other options.
>Second, you will need two CD or DVDs, at least one of them being a burner.
>Third, enter your BIOS and set your boot sequence to CD=First Boot Device. If you have a flash drive, insert it in a USB port now.
>Fourth, insert the Knoppix 5.0 CD in one drive, and a blank CD in the other burner.
>Reboot the computer. After the Knoppix Desktop appears, you will see several icons on the left. Among them will be a floppy drive, harddrive(s), and your Flash drive (if it is inserted before booting).
>Click "Hard Disk[hda1]" icon; your XP system will open; navigate to your files that you want to salvage. This may (or may not) take a bit of searching.
>Pick one (1) file you want to salvage, RIGHT click once on it. Click: Actions / Create Data CD with K3b
>The Knoppix Burning Utility screen will open.
>The Burning Speed dialogue box will pop open; go with the default UNLESS you see it is too high, then lower it.
>The System Config dialogue box will pop open; just close it.
>You now have two windows open:
1. Your File Folder/files window, and
2. the "K3b-CD and DVD Kreator" window.
Keep both windows open; size & postition them on your monitor screen so that you can comfortably work with both.
>The "K3b-CD & DVD Kreator" window has two sections, upper and lower. In the lower window you will see the file loaded that you originally clicked on. Good, that one is ready. Now let's get the others.
>To load more files that you want to salvage, just navigate to them in the XP system window, then drag and drop them into the "DVD Kreator" Burn window (the lower half, not the upper). You will note a very thoughtful and convenient slider bar at the bottom of the window that will give you a running tally and graphic representation of the space you have used on the blank CD, and how much you have left. Very nice touch! Note that you can drag individual files, selected groups of files, or even complete directory folders with all the files in them if you wish! You can delete files and directories you have salvaged in the Burn window if you change your mind. Just RIGHT click, Delete.
>When ready, click the Burn icon in the Data CD window (lower window).
USING A FLASH/THUMB DRIVE:
To use a flash memory drive stick, before booting insert the stick in the USB port.
Make sure your boot sequence is set to First Boot Device=CD in the BIOS.
>Insert your Knoppix 5.0 disk and boot the computer.
>After the Knoppix Desktop appears, you will see several icons on the left. Among them will be a floppy drive, harddrive(s), and your Flash drive.
>RIGHT click the flash drive icon;
>At this point, Knoppix MAY (or may not) generate a pop up box that will ask you to mount the drive first. Close the box. IF you get this message, it's simple. RIGHT click the flash drive icon / Mount Drive. Box closes.
>Now RIGHT click the flash drive icon again.
>Click "Change Read Write Mode"; it will ask you if you really want to change the partition to a VRAM, click Yes.
>The flash drive window will open. Size it down a bit.
>Click "Hard Disk[hda1]" icon; your XP system will open; navigate to your files that you want to salvage. This may (or may not) take a bit of searching.
>Drag and drop any files or directories you want to salvage into the Flash Drive window. Click "Copy Here". When the drive is full, unplug it and hit the computer's reset button. You may want to eject the Knoppix disk. Open up the flash drive in XP and there are your saved files.
