Retrieving photos and documents from a crashed XP computer

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albert1
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu 29 Jul 2010, 02:06

Retrieving photos and documents from a crashed XP computer

#1 Post by albert1 »

My computer running Windows XP crashed and I tried re-installing the OS with the XP CD but halfway through I realised the verification sticker was missing so I ended up with a computer stuck in installation mode.
I have been told I need a new OS at $180. I trawled the internet for a solution and was pointed in the direction of Puppy Linux which I have now installed but I am at a complete loss at how to copy my photos and documents to a CD or USB.
I have a laptop running Windows 7 and would like to copy the photos to that.
So far I haven't found Puppy any easier to use than when I first used Windows.
I have tried to copy the files but I am being asked for a file path which I don't know. I expected to be able to specify CD/DVD drive but I was unable to do that.
Can anyone please explain in plain language how to do this before I just give up and scrap the computer and lose all my photos and documents.

Albert

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8-bit
Posts: 3406
Joined: Wed 04 Apr 2007, 03:37
Location: Oregon

#2 Post by 8-bit »

First, I assume you have a USB stick and a Puppy live CD.
Now, first boot from the Puppy live CD and go through the process of getting to a desktop.
This, I assume again that you should have no trouble with.
At the bottom of the desktop you should see icons that represent your drives and also any usb stick you plug in.
If you have not plugged in your usb stick, do so now.
Next, click on the icon that represents your hard drive and navigate to the directory containing your data you want to save.
Now, click on the icon that appeared when you plugged in the usb stick.
Position the window for the USB so you can see part of it as well as the hard drive window.
Drag and drop the files you want to save to the USB window.
When you are done, right-click on the USB stick icon and select unmount.
Do the same for the Hard drive icon.
You can now safely remove the USB stick with saved files on it.

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RetroTechGuy
Posts: 2947
Joined: Tue 15 Dec 2009, 17:20
Location: USA

#3 Post by RetroTechGuy »

8-bit wrote:First, I assume you have a USB stick and a Puppy live CD.
Now, first boot from the Puppy live CD and go through the process of getting to a desktop.
This, I assume again that you should have no trouble with.
At the bottom of the desktop you should see icons that represent your drives and also any usb stick you plug in.
If you have not plugged in your usb stick, do so now.
Next, click on the icon that represents your hard drive and navigate to the directory containing your data you want to save.
Now, click on the icon that appeared when you plugged in the usb stick.
Position the window for the USB so you can see part of it as well as the hard drive window.
Drag and drop the files you want to save to the USB window.
When you are done, right-click on the USB stick icon and select unmount.
Do the same for the Hard drive icon.
You can now safely remove the USB stick with saved files on it.
Also... I'm guessing that the files are likely to be in "My Documents". Under XP, this folder is not in the main folder, but buried under "Documents and Settings", perhaps under your name (or "default user", or ... ... ...), then look for "My Documents".

Dewbie

#4 Post by Dewbie »

If you know at least parts of the file names that you're searching for, then try Puppy's Pfind file finder:
Click on Menu / Filesystem / Pfind file finder.

cthisbear
Posts: 4422
Joined: Sun 29 Jan 2006, 22:07
Location: Sydney Australia

#5 Post by cthisbear »

What I hope that you didn't do is format the drive
when you started installing XP.

Dah!

Whingeing about Puppy when you trashed XP..give me a break.

If you have a genuine cd I'm sure that you can ring up MS
and they will give you a new key number.

Or google one.


Anyway if you haven't stuffed the drive up
download the Falcon Mini cd.

Boot the mini windows and you should see your files
>> a la Windows Explorer.

The new Hirens 10.6 now has a great feature.
Once you boot you can then add your USB drives
and click on the USB icon and it mounts the USB drives.
Very handy.

//////////////

Links working as at October 2012

FalconFour's Micro Boot CD >> 47.95 MiB

http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/5930392/ ... __Kon-Boot

FalconFour's Ultimate Boot CD >> 439.46 MiB

http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/6238607/ ... ren_s_13.0

""""""""""

Hirens Boot cd

http://www.hirensbootcd.net/cd-contents ... d-106.html

Go down the page and click on

+ Direct HTTP Mirror
above this >>> or choose another version:

http://www.hirensbootcd.net/download.html?ver=10.5

It comes up as 15.1....that will work fine.
I have tried both.

Hirens Boot cd 10.6 but shows as 10.5 download.

Right clicking on + Direct HTTP Mirror
will start it downloading correctly as a >> 10.6 zip
near the bottom of the page.

Tested August 2010

"""""""""

How to next time.

Puppy is a good option...recover data.

You don't have to reformat...you move everything
to say a folder called ...1 Old Win ..
or whatever you like and re-install XP or Vista
but do not reformat...
keep existing file system.

I do it all the time...but care needed.
Read before hitting Enter.

http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 302#376302

"""""""""

Data Recovery.

http://bkhome.org/blog/?viewDetailed=01736

/////////

You know when you are at carnival and they have Dodgem cars
and we laugh like blazes at how stupid people are driving those things.

Then you go home and in the car park those very same people are
driving their own cars home.
It's a sobering thought isn't it.

Edit:
I posted this before..go halfway down page.
Open up 2 Rox file managers.

Drag to where you want it..call it 1 Old Win Docs
when you create a folder...then use Copy >> Not Move
and your data starts copying.

Scan it afterwards.


"Copying your files to external hard disk or USB flash drive."

http://help.artaro.eu/index.php/windows ... vista.html

Chris.
Last edited by cthisbear on Wed 10 Oct 2012, 22:16, edited 5 times in total.

p310don
Posts: 1492
Joined: Tue 19 May 2009, 23:11
Location: Brisbane, Australia

#6 Post by p310don »

Looks like you're trying to copy (ctrl-c) and paste (ctrl-v) to move your documents. Is that right? That puts up the dialog asking for a file path to copy to. ROX filer isn't quite as pretty as some others in this regard, as it doesn't give you clickable locations to copy to. For a newbie, its a lot easier to drag and drop everything from one location to another.

For that, follow 8-bit's instructions, that should sort you out

albert1
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu 29 Jul 2010, 02:06

#7 Post by albert1 »

Thanks guys, following your instructions I have managed to retrieve everything. Now to get to grips with the Puppy system.

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