Recover Data from Bootable Hard Disk When PC Won’t Boot

The Issue: Recover Data When PC Won’t Boot

It's frustrating, right? You probably haven't even come close to saving all your essential files, e.g. family photos, videos, or your working documents. So, the most urgent thing right now is to act quickly to recover data from bootable hard disk. Otherwise, your data will go forever.

You may consider using reliable data recovery software MyRecover to create a bootable USB drive to boot your PC and retrieve data on a hard drive.

How to Recover Data from Bootable Hard Disk Step by Step

If you're dealing with a hard disk that suddenly stopped working, using a data recovery tool like MyRecover can save you a lot of time and stress. It’s designed specifically for situations like these, offering an intuitive interface and powerful scanning features that dig deep to retrieve lost files, even when PC won't boot.

MyRecover

👍Why Choose MyRecover?

• Recover deleted or lost files in Windows 7, 8, 10, 11 and Windows Server, even when PC won’t boot or hard disk crashes.
• Support creating WinPE USB drive, CD/DVD, or ISO file.
• Most surprisingly, it's available on any Windows system, both 32-bit and 64-bit and in BIOS or UEFI mode.
• Uphold in excess of 1000+ data formats, from documents, pictures, audios, videos (e.g. recover deleted WMV), compressed files, etc.
• A quick way to locate files - search, filter specific files or folders, and preview them to confirm that you have selected the right files for recovery.
• Selectively restore files instead of all - select multiple or specific files or folders using the checkboxes and recover files while scanning.
• 500 MB of recoverable data at no charge.

Download Freeware Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 & servers

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Steps to Recover Data from Bootable Hard Disk

Step 1. Create a bootable hard disk.

Download and install reliable data recovery software MyRecover on a different PC, as your current system isn't working. Then, open it. Click Crashed PC Recovery.

Select USB Boot Device and your drive, click Create > Yes to format it and create a bootable hard disk.

Warning: During the creation process, MyRecover will format the selected disk. So data saved in the USB drive will be deleted unless you back up files n advance.

Step 2. Start the non-bootable PC.

After creation, insert this bootable USB drive into the non-bootable PC and boot from it. You need to press a prompted key (e.g. F2, F10, ESC) to go to BIOS and set it as the first choice first. Press 10 to save changes and exit.

Step 3. Recover data from bootable hard disk.

Once your PC boots up from the USB disk, MyRecover will start automatically. Select the crashed hard disk for scanning, and click Scan. It will scan your disk automatically, from Quick Scan to Deep Scan, and display all recoverable data on it.

To locate and recover specific files or folders quickly, type its name or extension in the search box, or specify a data type (e.g. Documents) in the Filter feature. The date modified and size can also be set. Or you can wait to see all the scanned results.

Once found, double-click files to preview and confirm they are exactly what you want. At last, select them and click the Recover x files button. Save them to another location to avoid data overwriting or file corruption.

Manual Method to Recover Data from Hard Drive That Won't Boot

Another way to recover data from crashed hard drive is to manually remove the drive and connect it to another working PC to copy your important data. This may requires more patience and some technical know-how. Here's how:

Step 1. Power off your computer and disconnect the power supply. If it’s a laptop, remove the battery as well.

Step 2. Disconnect the disk cables, unscrew the screws holding the disk in place, and remove it at a 30° or 45° angle.

Step 3. Put the hard drive won’t boot in an external enclosure and connect it to a working PC.

Step 4. Start another working PC to access the crashed hard disk. It will display as an external disk in File Explorer.

Step 5. Open the crashed hard disk in File Explorer, and copy files to the working PC or external drive.

What To Do When Your PC Won't Boot?

It is a lot of inconvenience if your computer won't boot. This may be caused by various issues, ranging from software to hardware problems. Don’t be a freak! Here are some easy ways to get your PC up and running.

#Fix 1: Check the Disk Connection

Sometimes the PC won’t boot issue may be due to a loose cable or failed power supply. So just go ahead and check if the cable or power supply is loose or disconnected.

Also, try to unplug it from the power source and plug it directly into a wall outlet (if necessary), bypassing the UPS, surge suppressor, or power strip.

#Fix 2: Check Your Display

Also, there is a chance your computer is powered on, but the monitor is not. Try to make sure it’s powered on and the cable connecting to your computer is not loose. Then, restart your PC again.

#Fix 3: Start Your PC in Safe Mode

If your computer turns on but won’t load Windows, you can try to start it in safe mode, with only a basic set of files and drivers. So you can identify the issues quickly.

Step 1. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds and restart your PC. When you see the Windows icon, repeat the above steps, usually 3-4 times.

Step 2. On the Automatic Repair screen, click Advanced options. Then, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings and click Restart.

Step 3. Once restart, select Safe Mode with Networking. You can choose to uninstall recently added hardware or reset your PC to a previous status.

#Fix 4: Perform a Startup Repair

This can also be caused by corrupted system files. You can choose to perform a Startup repair to fix the PC won’t boot issues.

Step 1. Perform a hard reboot 3-4 times to access the recovery environment window. Then, click Advanced options.

Step 2. On the Choose an option window, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair. It will attempt to repair any startup issue.

#Fix 5: Perform a System Restore

If your PC won't boot due to recent software changes, try using System Restore in the recovery environments.

Step 1. Go to the recovery environment window and click Advanced options.

Step 2. On the Choose an option window, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.

Step 3. Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions to select a restore point to restore from when the computer was working.

Best Practice to Prevent Data Loss from Hard Disk

The hard drive or PC can fail, and when they do, they can take your data with them. To avoid this headache issues, it’s essential to create a copy of your files. The best practice is to create 3 copies saved in two different locations, one of which is offsite, such as cloud services (e.g. OneDrive) or external drives.

Microsoft allows you to create an image file or set up a recovery drive. You can use Backup and Restore (Windows 7), File History, or Back up to OneDrive. In addition, there are many third-party choices, such as AOMEI Backupper Standard, with more flexible features. Its clone feature even allows you to create one-to-one copies of your data and access them at any time.

In addition, you still need to periodically check your hard drive’s health. Use a power surge to protect your PC from unexpected power surges and keep your PC cool as overheating can cause hardware failures.

Conclusion

With reliable software, you can easily access and recover data from bootable hard disk. In addition, there is a manual method to copy data from a crashed hard disk you can try if your PC won’t boot.

So free download to have a try!

Both save your data, but it’s inconvenient if your PC stays unbootable. So you still need to fix the hard drive or PC won’t boot issues with the above ways. Don’t forget to create copies of your files to avoid such misfortune regularly.