Windows 7: windows wont boot up

This software has helped several members recover data from failing HDs. Maybe it can help you.
PC Inspector FILE RECOVERY

Be sure to click En on the upper right, if you desire to read the information in English.

and oh, i forgot to mention, the hard drive is no longer being recognized by either the bios or the computer. i inserted the windows 7 installation cd again, hoping it would let me reinstall, this time it let me get to the installation page but it did not find any hard drives to install to. when i run seatools though, it is listed there.

I posted above with software to recover you doucments, but that was before the additional information that you posted. I hope it is not too late.

i hope so too :/
but thanks, i'll look that up.

I know it is hard to give up, especially because a really dead HD won't even recognize the Repair CD. I think you've done all you can do if it won't show in BIOS, except swap the cables to be sure.

If you can boot into it with Windows 7 DVD or REpair, you can copy out files this way: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/93347-copy-paste-windows-recovery-console.html

You can also try Paragon Rescue CD which autostarts like Seatools to attempt to rescue partitions or data. http://www.paragon-software.com/home/rk-express/

it is hard, specially since im broke and can't afford a new one right now, lmao.
just last night i installed ubuntu's live cd (life saver!) and was able to mount the drive, i thought id just copy everything
tomorrow to a pen drive or something so i unmounted it and went to bed, something must have happened to it
overnight since today it just wouldn't show up on disk utility. strange.

i will give pagagon a try though, hopefully it will be able to rescue something.

thanks a bunch, you've been of great help.

You should have copied the data off while you had the chance. An irreparable-errors HD has no time left to spare so you're lucky to get ANY data copied off.

There is a way to get about 20 minutes of data-copying at a time from a dead HD using this weird method: Freeze your hard drive to recover data: Myth or reality? - [Geeks are Sexy] technology news I used it myself to get a valuable file off a parrot-dead HD.