Recovering from inspiron laptop

My gf's laptop laptop recently gave up and started blue-screening with the messages

"msvcrt.dll is possibly corrupt. The header checksum does not match the computed checksum"".

and "cryptui.dll yada yada yada"

We have no problem reinstalling windows or upgrading to windows 7 but we need to recover her itunes music and pictures first. I'm already working on making a ubuntu boot disk but in case that doesn't work, what other options do I have?

Thanks in advance, I've been coming here for like 5 years with all my problems, such a great community.

 

You are on the right track recovering her files using a linux boot cd.

 

What version of Windows do you have now?

If XP or earlier, be sure to run the Windows 7 Upgrade Adviser (if/when the PC is working again) before purchasing a copy at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...90-7659-4bd9-9e51-2497c146af15&displaylang=en

Although you sound like you're computer savvy, I'm posting this as a reminder for those who think an older PC with only 512-1024MB of RAM installed is a good candidate for a Win 7 Upgrade (not!). :heli

Good luck on fixing the issue.

 

Another approach is to remove the hard drive and install it in a second computer. A system with the same OS would be best if possible, but make sure that what ever you use can read the file system (eg NTFS) on your "damaged" drive.

Make sure you boot from this second computer's OS bootable disk (it might see the new drive as bootable too and you don't want to boot from it) Then use the second computer's OS it to try to access your "damaged" drive and remove everything you want.

A variation is to install the drive in an empty USB External hardrive housing and plug it into another computer.

Either way you can use this to check the health of the drive too.

Good luck with it

 

Thanks for the quick replies, I have so far failed to make a linux boot cd, not sure where the problem lies (I get an input/output error) message in infrarecorder and imgburn just stalls out. I'm using a hastily resurrected PC (repaired it when the laptop died) so maybe my dvd rw drive is bad or something. After work I'm going to try making a disk image on a usb stick because removing the hard drive from the laptop is my very last resort.

 

Removing the hard drive is very easy. Just a couple of screws. They are designed for easy replacement.

I am no expert but I swapped my hard drive on my lappy for a larger one with ease. Then installed my old hard drive in a cheap housing from ebay. Now I have a portable 60gb hard drive VERY handy.