This article describes how to recover data when PC won’t boot by creating a bootable USB or from another computer in 3 proven methods. Scroll down to learn more.
It will be frustrating if there is any important data when the computer fails to boot, especially for those who don't have backup copies. The possible causes may be power supply issues, corrupted OS, hardware failure, failed Windows updates, driver conflicts, etc.
But it's not impossible to recover data when PC won't boot. Here, we'll show you 3 proven methods in the following. You need to have some hardware knowledge or directly use reliable data recovery software.
When PC won't boot, the simplest method to recover data is to use powerful data recovery software that can create a bootable hard disk to access the computer and retrieve data.
Now, download MyRecover on a Windows PC and connect a prepared USB drive for data recovery as well.
1. Open MyRecover on a working Windows PC. Select the "Crashed PC recovery" option on the left side.
2. Then, select the USB Boot Device option and click the Create button.
3. A confirmation window will pop up indicating that the USB drive is about to be formatted. Click Yes to continue the formatting process. Wait until you see "Creating a bootable device was successful!"
Step 2. Start the computer that won't boot
To start a won't-boot computer, you need to delve into the BIOS/UEFI settings and change the boot order from the Boot menu. If necessary, consider disabling the Secure Boot.
1. Connect the bootable USB you created before and restart your computer.
2. Then, your computer will display a message like “Press ESC to enter BIOS”, usually in the lower right corner. Just press the prompted key.
3. Go to the Boot many and set the bootable USB as the first option. At last, press F10 to save changes and restart from it.
After accessing the recovery environment window, after loading, you will see the main page of MyRecover.
1. Hover the mouse over the drive of your failing computer, and click Scan.
2. It will automatically run Quick Scan and Deep Scan to scan, analyze and categorize data on the selected drive. You can use the Search or Filter features to find files quickly.
3. Once found, double-click them to preview and choose the desired data by ticking the checkboxes or leaving the unwanted files blank. Then, click on Recover x files and choose a new location to save the recovered files, thus avoiding data overwriting.
If you still have another computer in hand, attempt to remove hard drive from the failing computer and connect to the new computer for data recovery. It will be regarded as a removable drive.
Step 1. Start the new computer. Then, download and install the Windows data recovery software - MyRecover.
Step 2. Hover the mouse over the external hard drive and click Scan.
Step 3. MyRecover will run Quick Scan & Deep Scan automatically to retrieve your files. You can choose to wait or search & filter data during scanning.
Step 4. After selecting the data you want to recover, click the Recover button. Be sure to select a new location to save recovered data to avoid data overwriting.
If you don't want to use any third-party software, there is also a manual method to recover files from a computer that won't boot. You need to prepare a Windows installation media or recovery drive first. If not, please prepare a USB with 8GB at least and use it to create one manually.
Step 1. Download Windows MediaCreationTool
1. Go to Microsoft’s software download page (e.g. Windows 10 or Windows 11) and click Download Now.
2. Open MediaCreationTool and accept the license terms.
3. When asked, "What do you want to do?", select Create installation media for another PC and click Next.
4. Select the language, edition, and architecture for your system.
5. Select the USB flash drive and click Next to create a bootable USB drive.
Step 2. Boot the PC that won't boot
Insert the created bootable media, restart your PC to BIOS, and select the bootable media as the boot drive. Then, press F10 to save changes and restart. Note the BIOS key may be different on different computers.
Step 3. Manually copy and paste files to external drive
1. On the first Windows Setup screen, press Shift +F10 to open Command Prompt.
2. If it fails, click Next. Then, click Repair Your Computer > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options and select Command Prompt.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type notepad.exe and press Enter.
4. In Notepad, click File > Open to access File Explorer.
5. Locate and select files or folders you want to recover. Then, copy and paste them into the prepared drive.
It is certainly an annoying thing when you experience a computer that won't boot, and the reasons for this are often many. Don't worry about it much and there are several methods to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.
If Windows refuses to boot, please check to see if your computer have made these changes.
Often, the root cause of a system that won't boot is a power-related issue frequently traced back to battery problems. Thus, you can thoroughly explore these power-related aspects (e.g. battery assessment, fuse inspection) to identify the underlying reasons behind the boot failure.
Equally crucial is the examination of your computer monitor. When your computer powers on, yet the screen remains black, the monitor is worth double-checking. You can connect it to another computer to see if it displays the desktop window.
When faced with particular error messages during the boot process, targeted solutions can serve as effective remedies.
When confronted with a scenario where Windows initiates the booting process but halts midway, the underlying issue may be attributed to either a software or hardware malfunction.
If your system exhibits this behavior, it's advisable to reinstall Windows as a remedy. However, if your PC still fails to boot after reinstallation, it likely indicates a more intrinsic hardware problem.
It is not easy to recover data when PC won’t boot. The methods outlined here aim to guide you through potential resolutions. MyRecover can be the best solution. It can help you recover files from a computer that won’t boot by creating bootable media.
If you think it's too complex and challenging, especially if you don't know what you can do and how to achieve it, consider seeking the expertise of a professional data recovery service, usually with specialized knowledge and tools.