Hard Drive crashed and I can't run Safe Mode?

[Jesse S]

Computer crashed and I can't run Safe Mode?

Alright, here's what happened. My dad's hard computer crashed, and we've spent the better half of 12 hours trying to recover about 30 gigs of music off of it. The problem is that the Windows repair stuff that came with our Windows 7 Ultimate isn't helping AT ALL, neither is repair disks, or any other junk that you can think of (and believe me, we've tried it all). When we try to boot the hard drive we get a "Error Configuring System" message, and when we've tried to run Safe Mode by holding f8, it doesn't allow us to. Now, we've also tried running an alternate boot source from the BIOS menu, then holding f8 to see if it'll give us advanced BIOS options and allow us to get to safe mode that way... but to no avail. This is frustrating me and him beyond belief and we can't find any help on the internet here. Hopefully you computer guru's can lend us some of your brain power to help fix this problem.

 

[richc46]

If the hard drive crashed, in the traditional sense, it is toast. Everything on the drive may be lost.

I think that you may mean that the computer crashed, not the hard drive

 

[Hopalong X]

Got it you can. Mis read.

 

[Jesse S]

Edited the title and text, I hope you understand my meaning though.

 

[richc46]

If I can get all of your stuff, do you have an install DVD to reinstall windows?

 

[Jesse S]

We have the Windows 7 Ultimate original Cd. When we try to run it to boot off of though, it won't let us. It's being a hassle in general.

 

[richc46]

You have to reset BIOS to boot from DVD
Boot Priority - Change - Vista Forums
This works with 7 just as well.

 

[Jesse S]

We've done all that, and it hasn't helped us recover our stuff or even fix the system. We need a way to get into safe mode WITHOUT using f8, because apparently that's not working. Tried everything including what you've mentioned
=( -sadface-

 

[richc46]

These are all the ways to access safe mode.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/69585-safe-mode.html

 

[Jesse S]

I'll give this a shot, since when it fails to repair with the Repair disk, it gives us the option of opening a command prompt. Thanks for your help so far and I'll get back to you when we're done.

 

[richc46]

I truly do wish you luck Jesse

 

[Jesse S]

My dad has a question for you. If we do get it into safe mode where we're able to actually work with the piece of junk, how would we go about fixing the boot manager and all that?

 

[Dwarf]

Have you got an external HDD that you can copy any recovered files to? If you have, and you have a live distro of Linux available, such as Ubuntu, you can boot up into that (don't install) and then copy the files across.

 

[richc46]

Something like post 54
reboot problem - Page 6 - Vista Forums

 

[Jesse S]

My dad has another hard drive that runs Windows 7 ultimate x32, that he can move the files we're trying to get to, but the main goal is to recover his x64, since it's his newer one, and was just ordered something like 3 months ago.

 

[richc46]

Use Ubuntu Live CD to Backup Files from Your Dead Windows Computer - How-To Geek

 

[Jesse S]

Its like... you guys are paid to do this or something (joke) I'll try this out also.

 

[richc46]

Actually I am paid by the feeling that I get if I could solve a problem like this is worth a million dollars. Guess what full pay in retirement.

 

[Jesse S]

I know you're paid >.< that's why I said joke, but anyways. This linux deal, does it work like a reapir disk for windows 7? If so, my dad'll be able to easily do it... I sent to tutorial to him so he'd be able to look at it, though he's busy with his x32 hard drive at the moment.

 

[richc46]

I cant give any guarantees about it. You will be able to boot and hopefully use windows. You should be able to get your stuff, SR etc. I cannot guarantee about another OS though.
I was kidding about paid. We get our pay from the satisfacion if suggestions work.