Because it's been like two months now since I was able to use my good gaming laptop and I'd like to begin gaming again.

It suffered some sort of massive internal failure, I'm 95% willing to bet on some system-destroying virus I picked up while trying to learn how to use cookies/etc. to break download/upload site premium codes

I started getting a few error messages and after that stuff just kind of started disappearing from the desktop, as though it was being deleted, and then it just plain stopped working. so I shut it off and resolved to go in and recover my old photos and etc. before giving it a proper format.

So as I understand my options are: A) MS DART B) Get one of my friends to help.

Now MS DART seems rather straightforward, however all references to it insist on a bootable CD (ERD Commander? or something) but I have no way to make one of these. It'd be about 10x easier to make it from a bootable USB.

My question here, at this point, is first where the **** can I find MSDART as a usb-bootable program and when I do boot it, will I still be able to plug in an external hard drive and use it to take the photos off?

I've looked around a bit for a USB-bootable version of MSDART but it's all just forums full of people telling you how to make it manually. I find it super hard to believe that somebody hasn't made an end user version.

We can start from there and I'll obviously be at this for a few hours.

Yeah, we're not nerdvirgins when you need us, are we?

Punk

This is yet another opportunity for TW's various nerds to prove their societal worth instead of consistently being condemned.

I'll help you because you've been chill lately.

What exactly do you need MSDART for? You're trying to recover files, yes?

Yeah. I don't know whether they were actually deleted (although apparently this isn't such a problem anyway) or rather they're still just sitting there and the system is ****ed.

But in any case, I'm mostly just looking to grab all my old photos. I have like three years worth of personal/family/etc. albums on there.

I have no particular attachment to anything else on the laptop, really. And if I was unsure of this before, the fact I haven't needed it in 2 months has confirmed my belief.

Oh I'll probably need to format the system with it afterwards too.

Do you think you can recover Windows enough to transfer from Explorer?

What happens when you boot it up now?

By the way, you're not gonna be able to get MSDART unless you can find a pirated version somewhere. It's for Enterprise clients and TechNet subscribers.

I'm kind of afraid to boot it up now but hell, why not.

It may be possible to recover windows but I'm pretty sure it just cleaned me right out.

brb in 3 mins

thanks for helping btw

so I start windows and it's got the loading bar going but displays no windows logo

it also kind of made this ominous low whirring noise for a few seconds

still on windows loading screen minus logo like 2 minutes in

my computer also has a built-in "hit f10 for system recovery" thing that has worked well in the past, but now when I hit f10 it just tries to go into windows again,

oh

there it goes

just a black screen with a white mouse cursor

which is apparently my system recovery tool

1. take out HDD

2. insert it into external HDD enclosure

3. plug into working machine

4. ???

5. profit

1) I would need external HDD enclosure

2) that's assuming the files weren't deleted

3) who do I look like, donald trump?

4) probably wouldn't fit anyway, it's an alienware gaming laptop, I'm sure their HDD drives are incompatible with just about everything except the machine they're built for

also I'm fairly certain I can pirate MSDART.

beta laptop for a beta

Originally Posted by Obibun

1) I would need external HDD enclosure

2) that's assuming the files weren't deleted

3) who do I look like, donald trump?

4) probably wouldn't fit anyway, it's an alienware gaming laptop, I'm sure their HDD drives are incompatible with just about everything except the machine they're built for

ok i was being nice, first off no file is really deleted by a dumb dumb baby like yourself. recycle bins are extremely easy to recover.

a hdd enclosure costs 20 bucks and is immensely useful, the right one has ide/sata connections as well as a laptop hdd sata adapter. hell it doesn't even have to be a enclosure you can find hdd to usb convertor kits even cheaper. the enclosure just makes it look nice, which your metro ass should appreciate. or is 20 too much money for you to spend?

it would be more expensive for alienware to make a propriety hdd connection than to just use industry standard, but i wouldn't expect your mikes hard lemonade infused brain to understand that.

and you are going to try and pirate MS dart to recover files when easy recovery pro is on every torrent and newsgroup site in existence, and will find your files with a much easier to understand interface for you.

I don't know if it would be recycle bin files, seeing as they seem to have been deleted by a virus

Anyway as an update, no matter which method I try to start it up (normally, safe mode, alienware built-in "system recovery", or windows' own recovery) I basically get either a neverending loading screen or a black screen with white mouse pointer, or, most recently, simply a black screen.

What is easy recovery pro? and is it able to recover hard-deleted files?

also y u so mad bro

or just use an ubuntu live cd or something

Originally Posted by DMAUL

or just use an ubuntu live cd or something

This

you got the rootkit that hides icons and tries to sell you the fix. nothing is deleted.

I don't think it did that, because it hasn't tried to sell me the fix, it's just completely stopped my laptop from operating in any way, shape or form except for preliminary boot-up