I have an XP computer that’s trashed and won’t let me log in. What’s the easiest way to get the files off?
machine: Dell Optiplex GS1 350M+
OS: Windows XP Pro
Available hardware: two USB zipdrives, CD drive (non-burning), floppy drive
What I need: There are a lot of files that I’d like to get off of the harddrive before I wipe the computer.
Obstacles: A tenant where this computer was stored used it a lot, and she managed to get a bunch of spyware/Adware/malware onto it. The computer will still start, but it freezes on login, even when I’m in safe mode. I tried using a live Linux CD (Ubuntu), but the computer’s BIOS was too old. I was able to start an old isolinux and get to the commandline, but it doesn’t appear to be able to access the main drive (C:) or the zipdrives that I had plugged in, muchless it doesn’t recognize the commands that I’d need to make that happen.
I can burn CDs and download software as needed, but I don’t know the easiest way to go about pulling off the data I need. I’m not very experienced using Linux, so if your solutions involve it, please be specific.
Open the case and take the hard drive out
Take it to another computer and install it as a second hard driv (Unplug the CD drive and put the hard drive in its place temporarily)
Boot the computer and you should be able to see that drive as another letter on the PC.
Copy over the files you want
Take out the drive and put back the CD drive
Burn the files to CD
Put the hard drive back in the original computer and reinstall Windows XP on it, allowing it to format the drive as you do.
Copy the files back on to the hard drive from the CDs
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