Data recovery

I've some serious problems with WinXP pro. When starting up my laptop it shows the Win XP logo, the screen goes black and the PC freezes. Since I have a lot of recent data that I don't want to lose, I have to find a solution other than formatting and re-installing.

I figured it would be best to install another OS (WinXP home in my case), backup my data, format the PC and install everything again.
Back-upping my docs/pics/music was no problem, but I really need to get data from my Inbox (Outlook 2003) and mail-subfolders too. And that's what I can't get done, since I work in another OS. I just can't access the data.

Can anyone tell me how to recover the inbox-data from software that was installed in my other OS (win XP pro)?

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

 

There are stages involved here:
1. Get into windows
2. find the data needed
3. back it up

Wondows:
1. What happens when you try to access via "Last Known good configuration?" (Press F8 repeatedly upon bootu[p, select as above
2. What happens if that fails, if you use Safe Mode?
3. If you can get into wondows on safe mode, maybe you can get in via Safe Mode with Networking?
4. If so, fet Ad-Aware and run it, also use Panda online scan for virus check.
5. In my (small) experience, sounds like a graphics driver issue. Try replacing the driver in safe mode (go to the appropriate site to download a driver) But it could be anything.
Give that a go, come back for more advice.

To put another XP on the same partition next to another XP OS is going to leave a mess. It is possible u will be able to get in, but most programs will not function properly. So this is the absolute last resort, since after backing up (best to UPS Mem stick(s) ) you will have to format anyway. If you have another partition you are will ing to use, then that would be handy.

Hope that helps
N.

 

Thanks for your reply:

Last thing I did before the freeze was registry cleanup with registry mechanic, so something must have been messed up by that (actually really good) piece of software...
I'm actually really keen on keeping my PC clean. Normally I perform a virus scan (Symantec) every other week, and a weekly spyware scan with Microsoft Anti Spyware, Ad-Aware, Spybot and Bazooka. I've got a pop-up blocker running all the time and Windows Firewall is always on.

I've already tried all the different startup options that you mentioned. Nothing worked. (the whole F8 story... also tried to boot from the original Win cd)

What I (indeed) did was installing winXP home next to the WinXP Pro that crashed; so in the same partition, just another folder. I had no partitions...
Is it possible to remove win xp home, create a partition, and re-install win XP home to access the email data? Or is the only possible way: formatting and starting all over again....???

-nojz

 

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxprcons.htm
Read, digest - use!

 

As I said before, installing Xp (either hope or pro) on the same partition twice ends in tears. BUT you will get a short amount of time to make backups. Last time I did this, I did manage to install Nero and make some backups. But the system was a dog, and errors all over the place. I was surprised that Nero worked. Usually I can't get it to work. Got any mega sized USB memory sticks? Keep these handy! Was there much in Outlook? Watchout for the pst file there! could be bigger than your USB stick, there is a great program called filesplitter and it does just that, and its free.

My usual plan:
(Once backed up,) fdisk, create 3 partitions E: with 4 Gb, D: with 4 and the remainder on c:

Install winxp on E: this is strictly only a backup method of getting into your pc if the c: falls over (would've been handy now!) Do not activate it. Do not update or bother with it in any way, it's just an emergency way in. Then copy the WinXP cd to the HDD (My default is c:\disks\WinXP) then install your c: copy of XP from there. If ever your C: XP (which will be your day to day Windows version) looks for a file from the cd, it will look to your HDD first since that is where it was installed from. Then you can activate This install on c:

Anyway, back to your mission. My ideas:
1. I have reinstalled windows over the top of a previous install, always selecting "fresh install" wherever necessary, and point the install to the existing one. This can be a second from last ditch effort. If it works, your windows will be stuffed since it'll be a mix of one and another, so a format will be due anyway, it's just a way to get in wo backup.

2. (I'm not entirely sure about this, so take it with a pinch of salt) Years ago, Partition Magic 4 could resize a partition and keep the data in tact, you could then make another partition and bung a fresh copy of windows onto it. But PQMagic 4 could only do resize on FAT and FAT32, not NTFS. I hear that PQMagic 7 can do resizing with version 7 or higher (do some research) on NTFS. The program on v 4 was a breaze to use, simplicity in itself. But this will be an absolute last resort, since if if messes up your partition, well, you were going to have to repartition it at some point during this mission anyway!

3. You could see if a version of linux that runs off cd will be able to access NTFS, that'll be a handy way in... These exist, I just don't know if they are all compatible with NTFS. If you were using linux before... (i'll keep quiet shall I !?!!)

4. Is it possible to create a boot floppy for NTFS and XP? perhaps one that can do a diagnosis of the problem... which is perhaps, a knackered registry. You could research this via google...

Best of luck mate, sorry I don't know any other method of getting in. Let us know what happens!

N.

Removed illegal software link

 

If you can restore the registry:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545
Then you shouldn't need to tocuh a USB stick. I suggest that if you get your machine into a bootable state, you can then do a full backup by whatever means neccecary and do a re-install.

 

MG_Nut,

You have PMs disabled, so I will address the issue here. Please do not link to any sites to download, by any means, illegal software. It is against the rules you agreed to when signing up here.