jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

If your computer won't even boot, how can you backup the data? The computer crashed in the middle of a project. How do you save/reclaim all that data?

https://askleo.com/backing-up-a-machine-that-wont-boot/?awt_l=9nnPg&awt_m=Ij5mRXY1opdfbL&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=20180828&utm_medium=email&utm_content=featured

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Thanks for the great info, Jerry. My "rescue drive" is taped to the side of my desktop. Yes, I am forgetful, grin.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I hope you used strong tape.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

I have had good luck with "Recoverit" data recovery software, although their customer support and website are abysmal.

Andy

GeneS Loc: Glendale,AZ

I had this happen to me with an HP laptop still under warranty.
Sent computer in for repair. was told mother board burnt and
wasn't any available for the computer. HP gave me credit towards
a new computer. I couldn't find my backup disc's and ask them
to send the hard drives back to me.
Got a USB adapter for a hard drive from amazon. copied the files
I wanted back to the new computer. worked fine
It was the same operating system that helped

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

If the problem is in the PC then you can simply open it up and remove the hard drive. Place the drive in another pc or they make small box that provides a USB interface. I spilled a beer in an IBM laptop once and still have the drive in a small USB case.
The other option costs some. You pull the drive out and a tech either moves the discs to another drive case or repairs the drive electronics. If you had a head crash there may still be a lot of data on the drive.

DaveC1 Loc: South East US

johnst1001a Loc: West Chester, Ohio

All important photos should be routinely backed up. Like daily backups, which only updates changed files or adds others, or deletes those you deleted. For very important files, like for professional work, do at least a double backup. I actually do triple backup, one on a network drive at a different location so that I have that available in case the others are damaged like in a fire. Back up drives are extremely cheap these days, an 8tb is only about $160.
For pictures, I keep my photos on the SD cards for a year, in addition to copying them to an external SSD drive, and an 8tb network drive. Why? Because I sometimes like to work on post processing pictures while I am traveling. Yes, I can put them on my laptop, but then I can't simply move the SD card between my laptop, and my desktop at home. After a year I delete them off the SD, if I need the SD card for new photos. I have 2-256 SD cards and a 512, so capacity is not an issue for me. I take about 15,000 photos a year.