Computer Meltdown

[Richard]

Yes! The wretched thing has finally stopped working - utterly and completely - and gives me a blue screen with an error message along the lines of 'stopcode - inaccessible boot drive'.
Plus I also get a screen saying 'restart' or 'Advanced Options' Press to select, but of course the mouse and keyboard are unresponsive.

My workaround is to download a recovery disc or USB 'image' that I can create on a second computer to try to kick-start the one that has 'locked me out' but then I may lose all the saved data files - Sodom and Gomorrah!!!

Let this be warning - create a recovery disc, or a USB device can be used, with at least 5 GB of capacity. The process takes over an hour and may just wipe out everything on my 'compromised' computer.
I suspect an automatic update has caused the damage but it may easily have been a virus.

[Derek Jempson]

Could also be hard disk failure. This has happened to me several times, and even with relatively new disks. I learned the hard way to back-up all my files at least once a day, and I'm now fanatical about it. If your hard disk has failed, there are companies (maybe even local) that can recover data from it.

[Hairygit]

Easiest and quickest way to do it, buy or find another hard drive, and install the operating system on it. Then once it is up and running, and all the updates are done, shut it down, and if it's a desktop computer, fit the dodgy disk as a slave drive, and you can then get in there and retrieve your files/pictures/videos/music or whatever and copy them to the new drive, and then shut it down, remove the old drive. If it's a laptop, get a new hard drive and install the operating system, then get an external drive caddy and retrieve your files via the caddy in the usb socket. What operating system were you using?

[Richard]

thanks DJ and Hg,

some hope then possibly, but by that logic can you still access a dodgy disk as a slave to a good computer?
In which case I can get a cable and attachments etcetera and 'slave' the dodgy disk to my (working) computer upstairs.
If the hard disk has 'crashed' or broken, will it still be 'accessible'.
That is my only concern now, thanks to your advice.

Also, how to fit the dodgy disk as a slave drive - probably lots on google about that!

[Derek Jempson]

You would need to buy a "caddy", which is a case that holds a hard disk, allowing it to be plugged into a USB port of a PC (essentially an external hard disk). However, whether it will be possible to retrieve files depends on the nature of the disk failure - sometimes it works, sometimes not. KC Computers in London Road (opposite the site of the old Buchanan Hospital) usually stock caddies and they are always a source of good advice.

[Richard]

Thanks Derek,
I will try that route as having no luck with USB recovery option - just about promises to delete all my files in the process!
Occupied with family matters now so it can all 'stew' for a while.
Thanks again, Richard.

[Hairygit]

What operating system were you using on it before it crashed, windows? if so, what version? XP, Vista?, 7?, 8?, 8.1? or the god awful avoid at any cost 10?

[Richard]

It was 10 - thought it was ok until it froze, I think after an update.

[Hairygit]

You're not the first person I've known to have issues with 10, my mum bought a new laptop 18 months ago, it crashed so often that I came over and put 7 on it in tandem with 10, and when I'd salvaged all her photos and files, deleted 10 from it. If you look at the many windows forums online you will see it is a common issue, Microsoft just don't seem in any hurry to address the issues . Incidentally, business users tend to stick with 7, it is the accepted "Industry standard" and Microsoft have guaranteed security and updates until at least 2027.

[Richard]

Interesting stuff HG,
I can buy Win 7 on eBay and see if it will install 'in-tandem'.
Many thanks!