How do you retrieve files from a hard drive that has a corrupt boot sector and will not load the OS?

Boot from an OS disk and at the first screen select "R" then log on to the C:/ and after the blank password type in fixmbr and confirm with "Y' then type in "exit" and reboot from the hard drive.

If this won't get it up and running, the only way to retreve your docs is to put it in as a slave in another computer if there was NO password on your logon.

I would replace the hard drive with one that could boot up, put the original drive w/ the files as a second or slave drive and copy the files onto the first bootable drive or in this case would be a "c" drive. I run dual drives at all times and keep my files on the second drive and back them up on to a disk, just in case my main disk dies or gets corrupted.

I hope this helped. You always have dos as a backup choice but you need to know how to get around in it.

you need a boot disk that will let you get to the files Active@ has a program that boots to a minimal Windows environment and will let you access the drive.

You could use Ubuntu Live CD also it will boot from rom drive and memory.

http://www.active-undelete.com/download.htm

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

your main option is to download puppy linux

burn the .ISO file to a disc using a program like magiciso

(it is less than 300mb, so the trial of magic iso should work)

then pop it in and boot from the disc.

Choose to run off of the cd.

Insert a removable storage device... and then copy and paste the files that you want to retrieve!!!

hope i helped, if you need anymore help

feel free to contact me @

davidkneiber@yahoo.com

Take out your hard drive, find a friend who can hook it up with their pc using an external hard drive enclosure or connecting internally to get your files.

use hirens boot CD, download it, burn it to a disk, and boot from it.