Help! Need to back up data...

thanatos8285 · 05-11-2008, 02:53 PM

Ok so here's my situation. My desktop has a 40 GB hard drive and a 300 GB hard drive. The 40GB drive has XP installed on it, and nothing else important. The 300 GB drive has Vista (upgrade edition), and all my movies, pictures, documents, etc.

The 40 GB drive has completely failed, it won't even be recognized by the computer anymore, I can't even format it, it's dead and gone. The problem is, Vista won't load now. It seems my only option is to format and reinstall. BUT, I am absolutely unwilling to format it until I've backed up my pics, movies, documents, etc. I was told that a hard drive enclosure kit would solve my problems. Turn my 300 GB drive into an external drive, copy all my important data onto my laptop, start from scratch. I was told wrong.

I bought one and tried this, but the only option the laptop would give me was formatting. I couldn't view any of the data on the drive. When I explained what happened, I was told that it was because it was a Vista drive, and an XP laptop, and that there was a special software which would allow my laptop to recognize the data on the Vista drive, and get the data out. Does such a software actually exist? If not, what are my options?

**simpswr** · 05-11-2008, 03:22 PM

Why not buy a new smaller drive, install Vista on it and salvage your files

thanatos8285 · 05-11-2008, 03:26 PM

Because it's an upgrade edition, and I don't want to spend whatever ridiculous amount of money the full edition costs to do that.

**eneles** · 05-11-2008, 03:27 PM

Hi

Did you have a dual XP/Vista boot?
If so, the Vista boot manager was located on the 40 GB drive and is gone now.

It should be possible to repair the Vista installation.
Put the 300 GB drive back in the desktop.
Then boot with Vista disc >> follow the instructions here: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial148.html
Make sure you choose "Startup repair" in System recovery options.

**simpswr** · 05-11-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thanatos8285

Because it's an upgrade edition, and I don't want to spend whatever ridiculous amount of money the full edition costs to do that.

You can install XP first, then Vista with the Upgrade disc you have, but try Eneles's suggestion first

thanatos8285 · 05-11-2008, 06:03 PM

ok well another problem has been encountered. I went to that site, and started to follow the instructions. I've done it before, and it didn't work, but I decided to try it again. NOW, when it gets to the step shown in Figure 4, there's nothing there anymore. It used to be, when I got to that part, I could select Vista, and it would continue to startup repair... and then not accomplish anything... but the point is, I could see it. Now there's nothing there, and if I try to browse or anything, it tells me I need to format the disk. So now it looks like all the above suggestions are probably out... what now?

**simpswr** · 05-11-2008, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simpswr

Why not buy a new smaller drive, install Vista on it and salvage your files

thanatos8285 · 05-11-2008, 06:08 PM

Yeah I saw that the first time, thanks.

thanatos8285 · 05-11-2008, 06:28 PM

ok found out the problem... the most recent one, at least... the 300 GB is partitioned, one of which is a 40 GB partition, which was SUPPOSED to be used to clone the old failing 40 gb drive, never got around to that though. The Vista install is on that partition, but my computer can't see that partition. My pics, movies, etc, are all on the partition that I CAN see... So in lieu of buying a new hard drive, installing vista, and saving my files that way (I really did see that suggestion, I swear) - which I'm not sure would really even work - do I have any options here?

**simpswr** · 05-11-2008, 06:36 PM

You could reinstall Vista on the 40 gig partition I guess . . depends on how much of a risk you are willing to take with the data.

thanatos8285 · 05-11-2008, 06:47 PM

I'm willing to take very little chance... lots of memories on that drive... I'd lie to the FBI and say I had child porn on there if it would get them to get the data off it... anyway back to the point, it can't see the 40 gb partition, that's why it can't see the vista installation when I go to startup repair

**simpswr** · 05-11-2008, 06:50 PM

Then I would take the safe way . . get a new drive . . install Vista on it and then use the larger one for data . .

Have only the new drive connected while you install Vista, connect it once you have a stable system with up to date antivirus

05-11-2008, 02:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
thanatos8285 Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 14 OS: Windows XP, SP2 or SP3	Help! Need to back up data... Ok so here's my situation. My desktop has a 40 GB hard drive and a 300 GB hard drive. The 40GB drive has XP installed on it, and nothing else important. The 300 GB drive has Vista (upgrade edition), and all my movies, pictures, documents, etc. The 40 GB drive has completely failed, it won't even be recognized by the computer anymore, I can't even format it, it's dead and gone. The problem is, Vista won't load now. It seems my only option is to format and reinstall. BUT, I am absolutely unwilling to format it until I've backed up my pics, movies, documents, etc. I was told that a hard drive enclosure kit would solve my problems. Turn my 300 GB drive into an external drive, copy all my important data onto my laptop, start from scratch. I was told wrong. I bought one and tried this, but the only option the laptop would give me was formatting. I couldn't view any of the data on the drive. When I explained what happened, I was told that it was because it was a Vista drive, and an XP laptop, and that there was a special software which would allow my laptop to recognize the data on the Vista drive, and get the data out. Does such a software actually exist? If not, what are my options?

05-11-2008, 03:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
simpswr Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 3,165 OS: XP, Vista	Re: Help! Need to back up data... Why not buy a new smaller drive, install Vista on it and salvage your files __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BIOS \| BenchTest \| Spyware Cleaning \| How to Post a Screen shot

05-11-2008, 03:26 PM	#3 (permalink)
thanatos8285 Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 14 OS: Windows XP, SP2 or SP3	Re: Help! Need to back up data... Because it's an upgrade edition, and I don't want to spend whatever ridiculous amount of money the full edition costs to do that.

05-11-2008, 03:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
eneles Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Sweden/Denmark Posts: 20,557 OS: 98SE/XP SP3/Vista SP1/Ubuntu 8.04 My System	Re: Help! Need to back up data... Hi Did you have a dual XP/Vista boot? If so, the Vista boot manager was located on the 40 GB drive and is gone now. It should be possible to repair the Vista installation. Put the 300 GB drive back in the desktop. Then boot with Vista disc >> follow the instructions here: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial148.html Make sure you choose "Startup repair" in System recovery options. __________________

05-11-2008, 06:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
thanatos8285 Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 14 OS: Windows XP, SP2 or SP3	Re: Help! Need to back up data... ok well another problem has been encountered. I went to that site, and started to follow the instructions. I've done it before, and it didn't work, but I decided to try it again. NOW, when it gets to the step shown in Figure 4, there's nothing there anymore. It used to be, when I got to that part, I could select Vista, and it would continue to startup repair... and then not accomplish anything... but the point is, I could see it. Now there's nothing there, and if I try to browse or anything, it tells me I need to format the disk. So now it looks like all the above suggestions are probably out... what now?

05-11-2008, 06:08 PM	#8 (permalink)
thanatos8285 Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 14 OS: Windows XP, SP2 or SP3	Re: Help! Need to back up data... Yeah I saw that the first time, thanks.

05-11-2008, 06:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
thanatos8285 Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 14 OS: Windows XP, SP2 or SP3	Re: Help! Need to back up data... ok found out the problem... the most recent one, at least... the 300 GB is partitioned, one of which is a 40 GB partition, which was SUPPOSED to be used to clone the old failing 40 gb drive, never got around to that though. The Vista install is on that partition, but my computer can't see that partition. My pics, movies, etc, are all on the partition that I CAN see... So in lieu of buying a new hard drive, installing vista, and saving my files that way (I really did see that suggestion, I swear) - which I'm not sure would really even work - do I have any options here?

05-11-2008, 06:36 PM	#10 (permalink)
simpswr Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 3,165 OS: XP, Vista	Re: Help! Need to back up data... You could reinstall Vista on the 40 gig partition I guess . . depends on how much of a risk you are willing to take with the data. __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BIOS \| BenchTest \| Spyware Cleaning \| How to Post a Screen shot

05-11-2008, 06:47 PM	#11 (permalink)
thanatos8285 Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 14 OS: Windows XP, SP2 or SP3	Re: Help! Need to back up data... I'm willing to take very little chance... lots of memories on that drive... I'd lie to the FBI and say I had child porn on there if it would get them to get the data off it... anyway back to the point, it can't see the 40 gb partition, that's why it can't see the vista installation when I go to startup repair

05-11-2008, 06:50 PM	#12 (permalink)
simpswr Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 3,165 OS: XP, Vista	Re: Help! Need to back up data... Then I would take the safe way . . get a new drive . . install Vista on it and then use the larger one for data . . Have only the new drive connected while you install Vista, connect it once you have a stable system with up to date antivirus __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BIOS \| BenchTest \| Spyware Cleaning \| How to Post a Screen shot