How to get data out of a defective HDD ?

Many thanks for this reply

You're welcome. Good luck!

I have ordered the new HDD now.
It's a 1Tb drive.

I will make 2 partitons.

C:\ and D:\

Then do the install of the OS.

But after, where do I tell the system to install programs on partition D:\ ?.

I need this, because as mentioned the notebook belongs to one of my grandchild,
and if somethin happens in the future, it's good to be able to do a quick repair, and still have the porgrams installed.

If it was me, and this was a machine where I had fairly regular access to for maintenance, I'd install the OS and apps on C:, and use D: for user data. I'd make an occasional image of C: (once a month or more often if stuff is added) and use a regular backup program for the user data on D:.

But again, that's me. Everyone has their own preferred method....

Hope your granddaughter truly appreciates this. Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions. I can do a remote access for instance via Teamviewer to do backups on the notebook.
I'm sure she will be glad, as this is an important part of her live to work with the notebook.

Easiest way to link the data on D to Win7 is using the libraries. Just copy each User folder to D, rightclick on it to Add to Library: Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums

If you physically move the User folders to D, Win7 backup imaging will want to include D in the image in most cases. User Folders - Change Default Location

gregrocker said:

Easiest way to link the data on D to Win7 is using the libraries. Just copy each User folder to D, rightclick on it to Add to Library: Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums

If you physically move the User folders to D, Win7 backup imaging will want to include D in the image in most cases. User Folders - Change Default Location

Very fine. Thanks for the information. Will study it carefully

Note that you don't need to copy the User folders to C from backup at all. Just drag them from the external backup to D, then rightclick>link to Win7 library related to each. Some data will inevitably go into C User folders, however everything (C and D) will be visible when you open the related Library folder for Win7.

This is the principle of Libraries - that everything on your computer related to that library (Docs, Music, Pics, Vids, Downloads, etc) can be linked and seen at once - even from other computers on the network.

Thanks again. But as I'm not close to this computer -normally-, wound't it be an idea to do a preinstall of the OS ?.

How are the partitions made in a preinstalled system ?.

I mean how many, and in such a system what are they for ?

if there's no partitions on a hard drive, i believe by default windows will create 1.
you're putting a 1TB drive on a laptop? big drive!
fyi, in my experience emachines are junk.

about windows keys - you can re-use them, but if they're used many times eventually microsoft won't validate them and you'd have to call their # to explain what's going on. i don't blame microsoft on this policy as a way to stop piracy.