lost information

[newtocomputers]

my computer got hit by lighting last month and there is information on it i need .i can retrive the folders but when i try to boot the hdd it won't boot. is there software out there that i can get to boo this hdd? .is there a way i can retrive the folders and read them.?

right now im using a hp computer i don't know what is in it.

 

[Bubbaleone]

When you say; "i can retrive the folders but when i try to boot the hdd it won't boot.", do you mean you've removed the HDD from the lightning struck PC, connected that HDD to another PC, and the folders are visible in Windows Explorer on that machine?

 

[newtocomputers]

yes,i hooked it to another computer and i can bring up all folders.

 

[Bubbaleone]

That's good; means you're data is intact and, if need be, can be copied to a different internal or external HDD. But if the directory structure is visible with the HDD hooked to a different PC it's most likely that your HDD is OK and the reason it won't boot may be due to other hardware damage on the PC that got hit.

Describe what happens when you try to boot; does it post normally, are you able to access the BIOS, are there error messages, etc.?

 

[newtocomputers]

when in try to boot it go's throught post then it starts to load windows that is when it stops.

 

[Bubbaleone]

When it stops loading Windows what do you see; any error messages, etc.? Have you tried booting into Safe Mode? You may only need to insert the Windows 7 installation DVD and run a startup repair to fix this, but post back first.

 

[tweakboy]

Wow, no kidding the lightning came inside your room and struck your pc tower ?

Our power outage due to lightning. Your HD is not ticking or making noise so save the stuff off it to another drive or external. gl

 

[Binky]

Copy the important data to another hard drive (or two!) BEFORE you start doing anything else. Once you're sure that your important data is safe, you can start screwing with the booting problem.

 

[newtocomputers]

when it boots to post then starts to load windows it stops at the first red dot

 

[newtocomputers]

not kidding i need to get information from wordpad so i can get parts for my mobility pacesaver passport scooter is there a software outthere that i can use?

 

[Bubbaleone]

You said your files were accessible when you hooked the HDD up on your other PC, so just open your scooter docs with Wordpad or Notepad on that machine.

You have some work ahead of you if you've never done this before...there's no magic bullet. Before you try running any repairs, backup all your files, then study this tutorial before you attempt it on your computer: How To Perform a Startup Repair in Windows 7.

If Startup Repair doesn't fix the problem the next step will be using the Command Prompt, available from the System Recovery Options menu, to run the Bootrec.exe tool. But run the Startup Repair and see if that gets you back into Windows first.