Hard Drive Not Booting

Ro5bert

Honorable
Nov 20, 2013
18
0
10,510
Hello, I recently discovered a problem with my hard drive. It had always worked flawlessly. Then, I was working on my graphics card (just the regular check up and thermal paste change) and all of a sudden it wouldn't boot and it took me to the BIOS. It turns out that it had a problem with it, but the BIOS said it repaired it. All my files are still on it. I tryed to instal windows again but I would have to reformat one of my two primary partitions. I have one partition with windows on it and all my files, and I wasn't really using the other one, but I did use it a bit for backups. Anyway, I guess what I really want to know is if I should reformat the windows partition and lose all my files and just reinstall windows on that. Or reformat my other partition that I barly use and instal windows on that, and then transfer all my files over from the windows partition to that one (if that'll even work). Or if anyone know a better solution than any of those (preferably if it dosn't make me lose my files), it would be apritiated if you shared that. Thank you :)
 
Solution
Download the .iso image from ubuntu.com, burn it to a dvd (use burning software with the option burn image to disk) and boot from it. It will give you the option try ubuntu or install - use the first option and it will load the Ubuntu desktop without touching the HDD
Do you have any other way of backing up your files (external HDD or some such)? If you don't you should (assume the primary drive will fail at some point: it could last 10 years or fail in 10 minutes). To get the files out you can use an Ubutnu boot disk (the Ubuntu install disk lets you boot in "live CD" mode where you run the OS off the DVD without installing to HDD, and it can read your HDD.
 

Ro5bert

Honorable
Nov 20, 2013
18
0
10,510
Ok, but remember I only have access to the BIOS, can you transfer files from place to place while in BIOS?

 

Ro5bert

Honorable
Nov 20, 2013
18
0
10,510
Yea right, I see what you mean now, but I don't have Ubuntu, I have Windows.
 
Download the .iso image from ubuntu.com, burn it to a dvd (use burning software with the option burn image to disk) and boot from it. It will give you the option try ubuntu or install - use the first option and it will load the Ubuntu desktop without touching the HDD
 
Solution

Ro5bert

Honorable
Nov 20, 2013
18
0
10,510
Thanks :)