Disk Drive Issues

[vampiressd13]

Windows 11 Home
Device name Vampiressd13
Processor AMD Ryzen 3 3350U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx (2.10 GHz)
Installed RAM 8.00 GB (5.94 GB usable)
Device ID 906CFB63-6C56-48F8-995E-9A949DED0FD2
Product ID 00356-02689-47185-AAOEM
System type: 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch: No pen or touch input is available for this display

 

[ChatGPT]

Good — you can install the latest PowerShell (PowerShell 7.x, a separate modern release that runs side‑by‑side with the built‑in Windows PowerShell) right from the elevated PowerShell window you already have open. The easiest, safest method on Windows 11 is to use winget (Windows Package Manager). Winget will fetch the latest stable release for you; if winget isn’t available I’ll show the MSI fallback from the official GitHub releases page.
I’ll give the winget method first (recommended), then fallbacks and verification. I’ll also include the exact commands you can paste into your elevated PowerShell.
Sources / where this comes from

• Microsoft’s PowerShell install docs (recommends winget).
• Official PowerShell releases (MSI / MSIX / ZIP) on the PowerShell GitHub releases page.

A — Recommended: install latest PowerShell using winget (fast, picks latest)

1. Make sure your PowerShell window is running as Administrator (you already opened an elevated window — good).
2. Run this command (it accepts the winget source/package agreements to avoid prompts):
   winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

Notes:

• winget is included with modern Windows 11 builds; this command will install the latest stable PowerShell 7.x MSI for x64 systems automatically.
• If winget prompts for permission, confirm the prompt. If winget says it’s not found, see the fallback steps below.

B — Fallback: download & run the MSI from the official PowerShell releases page
If winget isn’t available or you prefer a manual installer:

1. Open your web browser and go to the official PowerShell GitHub releases page (PowerShell/PowerShell → Releases). Download the MSI matching your architecture (most likely PowerShell-7.4.x-win-x64.msi).
2. Double‑click the MSI and follow the installer (Run as Administrator). Accept defaults unless you need a custom install location.
3. The installer places the new PowerShell executable as pwsh.exe and it runs side‑by‑side with Windows PowerShell (powershell.exe).

C — Verify installation and start using PowerShell 7

• After install, open a new Start menu entry named “PowerShell 7” or run pwsh from a Command Prompt / Run box.
• In the new pwsh session run:
  $PSVersionTable
  You should see a PSVersion like 7.x.x (e.g., 7.4.x). That confirms the modern PowerShell is installed.

If you want to check from your current (old) Windows PowerShell immediately after install, run:
pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'
D — If winget is missing or fails

• Install the App Installer (which provides winget) from Microsoft Store (search “App Installer”) and retry the winget command. Microsoft’s docs show winget as the recommended route.
• Or download the MSI from the GitHub releases page and run it (see B).

E — Uninstalling / rolling back

• To remove PowerShell 7 later: Settings → Apps → Installed apps → search “PowerShell” → Uninstall, or use winget uninstall --id Microsoft.PowerShell.

F — A couple of safety notes

• Installing PowerShell 7 does NOT replace Windows PowerShell 5.1 — both can coexist; PowerShell 7’s executable is pwsh.exe.
• Run the installers with admin rights. If you use winget, run it from an elevated prompt as you already have.
• If you plan to run scripts downloaded from the internet, check Execution Policy and always be cautious (see Microsoft guidance).

Would you like me to:

• A) Paste the single winget command again so you can copy/paste it into your elevated window now?
• B) Walk you through the GitHub MSI download step‑by‑step (I can provide the exact link to the latest x64 MSI)?
• C) Help you install winget/App Installer first if your winget command isn’t recognized?

Tell me which option you prefer and I’ll give the exact next command/clicks.

 

[vampiressd13]

This
is what happened

 

[ChatGPT]

The screenshot shows winget is present and you’re in an elevated PowerShell window — perfect. Run this single command to install the latest stable PowerShell (PowerShell 7.x) via winget:

• Copy/paste this into your elevated PowerShell window and press Enter:
  winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

Notes

• You must run it in an Administrator window (you already are).
• winget will download and install the official MSI for the latest stable PowerShell 7.x.
• This will not remove or replace the built‑in Windows PowerShell (5.1). The new executable is pwsh.exe and runs side‑by‑side.

Verify it installed correctly

• After the installer finishes, open a new terminal (Start → search “PowerShell 7” or just run pwsh) or run this from your current elevated prompt:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'

You should see a PSVersion like 7.x.x.
If winget is not available or the command fails

• Install via the official MSI from the PowerShell GitHub releases page:
  • Open your browser, go to the PowerShell releases page and download the x64 MSI (PowerShell-7.x.x-win-x64.msi), then double‑click to install.
• Or install the App Installer from the Microsoft Store (this provides winget) and re-run the winget command.

After installation — next steps for your backup work

• Once pwsh is installed, you can continue with the Robocopy command I suggested earlier (you can run robocopy from cmd, PowerShell, or pwsh). If you want, I’ll paste the exact robocopy + Compress-Archive or 7‑Zip commands adjusted to your destination drive now.
• If you want to check free space first, run this and paste the output here so I can confirm there’s enough room:
  Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem | Format-Table Name, @{Label='Free(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round($.Free/1GB,2)}}, @{Label='Used(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round(($.Used)/1GB,2)}} -AutoSize

Want me to paste the robocopy + zip commands ready to run after you finish the PowerShell install?

 

[vampiressd13]

Good — you can install the latest PowerShell (PowerShell 7.x, a separate modern release that runs side‑by‑side with the built‑in Windows PowerShell) right from the elevated PowerShell window you already have open. The easiest, safest method on Windows 11 is to use winget (Windows Package Manager). Winget will fetch the latest stable release for you; if winget isn’t available I’ll show the MSI fallback from the official GitHub releases page.
I’ll give the winget method first (recommended), then fallbacks and verification. I’ll also include the exact commands you can paste into your elevated PowerShell.
Sources / where this comes from

• Microsoft’s PowerShell install docs (recommends winget). (github.com)
• Official PowerShell releases (MSI / MSIX / ZIP) on the PowerShell GitHub releases page. (github.com)

A — Recommended: install latest PowerShell using winget (fast, picks latest)

1. Make sure your PowerShell window is running as Administrator (you already opened an elevated window — good).
2. Run this command (it accepts the winget source/package agreements to avoid prompts):
   winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

Notes:

• winget is included with modern Windows 11 builds; this command will install the latest stable PowerShell 7.x MSI for x64 systems automatically. (github.com)
• If winget prompts for permission, confirm the prompt. If winget says it’s not found, see the fallback steps below.

B — Fallback: download & run the MSI from the official PowerShell releases page
If winget isn’t available or you prefer a manual installer:

1. Open your web browser and go to the official PowerShell GitHub releases page (PowerShell/PowerShell → Releases). Download the MSI matching your architecture (most likely PowerShell-7.4.x-win-x64.msi). (github.com)
2. Double‑click the MSI and follow the installer (Run as Administrator). Accept defaults unless you need a custom install location.
3. The installer places the new PowerShell executable as pwsh.exe and it runs side‑by‑side with Windows PowerShell (powershell.exe).

C — Verify installation and start using PowerShell 7

• After install, open a new Start menu entry named “PowerShell 7” or run pwsh from a Command Prompt / Run box.
• In the new pwsh session run:
  $PSVersionTable
  You should see a PSVersion like 7.x.x (e.g., 7.4.x). That confirms the modern PowerShell is installed.

If you want to check from your current (old) Windows PowerShell immediately after install, run:
pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'
D — If winget is missing or fails

• Install the App Installer (which provides winget) from Microsoft Store (search “App Installer”) and retry the winget command. Microsoft’s docs show winget as the recommended route. (github.com)
• Or download the MSI from the GitHub releases page and run it (see B).

E — Uninstalling / rolling back

• To remove PowerShell 7 later: Settings → Apps → Installed apps → search “PowerShell” → Uninstall, or use winget uninstall --id Microsoft.PowerShell.

F — A couple of safety notes

• Installing PowerShell 7 does NOT replace Windows PowerShell 5.1 — both can coexist; PowerShell 7’s executable is pwsh.exe.
• Run the installers with admin rights. If you use winget, run it from an elevated prompt as you already have.
• If you plan to run scripts downloaded from the internet, check Execution Policy and always be cautious (see Microsoft guidance).

Would you like me to:

• A) Paste the single winget command again so you can copy/paste it into your elevated window now?
• B) Walk you through the GitHub MSI download step‑by‑step (I can provide the exact link to the latest x64 MSI)?
• C) Help you install winget/App Installer first if your winget command isn’t recognized?

Tell me which option you prefer and I’ll give the exact next command/clicks.

any of the last three

 

[ChatGPT]

Great — I’ll give concise, copy‑ready instructions for all three options (A, B, C). Pick one and I’ll stay with you while you run it.
A) Quickest — install with winget (recommended)

• In your elevated PowerShell window paste and press Enter:
  winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
• Wait for the installer to download and finish.
• Verify by running:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'
  You should see PSVersion = 7.x.x.

B) Manual MSI download from the official GitHub releases (fallback)

• Open your web browser and go to the PowerShell releases page: github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases
• Find the latest stable release and download the Windows x64 MSI named like PowerShell-7.x.x-win-x64.msi.
• Run the downloaded MSI (right‑click → Run as administrator) and follow the installer defaults.
• Verify with:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'

C) Install App Installer (adds winget) from Microsoft Store, then use winget

• Open Microsoft Store → search “App Installer” → Install. This provides winget if it’s missing.
• After the Store install, open your elevated PowerShell and run the same winget command from option A:
  winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
• Verify with:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'

Before you install (optional but useful)

• If you want me to confirm you have enough space for the recovery steps we discussed, run this in the elevated window and paste the output:
  Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem | Format-Table Name, @{Label='Free(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round($.Free/1GB,2)}}, @{Label='Used(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round(($.Used)/1GB,2)}} -AutoSize

Which do you want to do now?

• Reply “A” and I’ll paste the winget command again for you to run.
• Reply “B” and I’ll paste the exact GitHub link to the latest x64 MSI and walk you through the installer.
• Reply “C” and I’ll show the App Installer steps and then the winget command.

 

[vampiressd13]

Great — I’ll give concise, copy‑ready instructions for all three options (A, B, C). Pick one and I’ll stay with you while you run it.
A) Quickest — install with winget (recommended)

• In your elevated PowerShell window paste and press Enter:
  winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
• Wait for the installer to download and finish.
• Verify by running:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'
  You should see PSVersion = 7.x.x.

B) Manual MSI download from the official GitHub releases (fallback)

• Open your web browser and go to the PowerShell releases page: github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases
• Find the latest stable release and download the Windows x64 MSI named like PowerShell-7.x.x-win-x64.msi.
• Run the downloaded MSI (right‑click → Run as administrator) and follow the installer defaults.
• Verify with:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'

C) Install App Installer (adds winget) from Microsoft Store, then use winget

• Open Microsoft Store → search “App Installer” → Install. This provides winget if it’s missing.
• After the Store install, open your elevated PowerShell and run the same winget command from option A:
  winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
• Verify with:
  pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'

Before you install (optional but useful)

• If you want me to confirm you have enough space for the recovery steps we discussed, run this in the elevated window and paste the output:
  Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem | Format-Table Name, @{Label='Free(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round($.Free/1GB,2)}}, @{Label='Used(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round(($.Used)/1GB,2)}} -AutoSize

Which do you want to do now?

• Reply “A” and I’ll paste the winget command again for you to run.
• Reply “B” and I’ll paste the exact GitHub link to the latest x64 MSI and walk you through the installer.
• Reply “C” and I’ll show the App Installer steps and then the winget command.

A

 

[ChatGPT]

Perfect — paste this single command into your elevated PowerShell window and press Enter:
winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
Wait for it to download and install. When it finishes, run this to verify PowerShell 7 is installed:
pwsh -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable'
You should see a PSVersion like 7.x.x (for example: PSVersion 7.4.6).
When that’s done I can paste the exact robocopy command (and a safe Compress-Archive or 7‑Zip command) tailored to whichever destination you want — C:\RecoveredBackup or another external drive. Which destination letter should I prepare commands for?

 

[vampiressd13]

C:\RecoveredBackup

 

[ChatGPT]

Perfect — since you picked C:\RecoveredBackup I prepared the exact, copy‑ready commands and a short checklist so you can run them safely from your elevated PowerShell window. Follow these in order and tell me the Robocopy summary when it finishes (I’ll interpret the results). This procedure is the same safe workflow we recommend in the forum guide.
1) Quick pre‑check — confirm available space on C:

• Paste this in the elevated window and press Enter:
  

  Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem |
  Format-Table Name, @{Label='Free(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round($_.Free/1GB,2)}}, @{Label='Used(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round(($_.Used)/1GB,2)}} -AutoSize

• Make sure Free(GB) on C is at least roughly the same as the amount of data on D (or enough for what you want to copy). If not, tell me the numbers and we’ll pick a different destination.

2) Create the destination folder (if you haven’t already)

• Run:
  New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup" -Force

3) Robust copy with Robocopy (safe — skips unreadable files and continues)

• Copy everything from D: to C:\RecoveredBackup and log output:
  robocopy "D:\" "C:\RecoveredBackup" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-log.txt" /TEE
  • What the flags do (short):
  • /E = copy all subfolders (including empty)
  • /R:2 = retry twice on read errors
  • /W:2 = wait 2 seconds between retries
  • /FFT = tolerance for FAT/NTFS time differences (helps cross‑filesystem copies)
  • /V = verbose output
  • /MT:8 = multi‑thread (8 threads, faster)
  • /LOG: record a log to C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-log.txt
  • /TEE = show output on screen and write to log
• When Robocopy finishes, note the summary lines near the bottom (especially “Files :”, “Copied :”, “Failed :”).
• To view the log:
  notepad "C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-log.txt"

4) Spot‑check copied files

• Open a few photos/documents from C:\RecoveredBackup to confirm they open correctly. If they do, proceed to archive.

5) Create a ZIP from the healthy copy
Option A — built‑in PowerShell (simple):
Compress-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup\*" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -CompressionLevel Fastest -Force

• Fastest uses less CPU and completes quicker (good for big jobs).

Option B — 7‑Zip (recommended for very large sets / splitting)

• Install 7‑Zip if you want splitting support, then run:
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -tzip -mx1 -mmt=on -v2g "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" "C:\RecoveredBackup\*"
  • -mx1 = low compression (faster), -v2g = split into 2 GB parts.

6) Verify the archive

• For Compress‑Archive: extract a few files to a temp folder and open them.
• For 7‑Zip: test with:
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" t "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip.001"
• Keep the original recovered folder until you’ve confirmed the archive(s) are good.

7) If Robocopy reports many failures or stalls

• Stop. Tell me the Robocopy summary (post the “Files : … Copied : … Failed : …” lines). If many files failed:
  • We’ll try a read‑only recovery tool (Recuva or PhotoRec) to salvage more files, recovering to a different drive.
  • Or we can create a full image of the D: drive (Macrium or ddrescue) and recover from the image — safer for flaky disks.

8) Final safety notes

• Do NOT run “Scan and fix” / chkdsk on D: until you’ve recovered the important data (repairs can rename/move files).
• If the drive is making unusual noises (clicking), unplug it and stop — that suggests mechanical failure; contact a professional data‑recovery service.

Want me to paste these commands one more time ready to copy/paste? Or run the Robocopy now and paste the Robocopy summary when it finishes (I’ll interpret it and give the exact next step)?

 

[vampiressd13]

 

[ChatGPT]

Good — thanks for the screenshot. Short answer first: you cannot copy the entire D: (≈1.9 TB used) into C: because C: only has ≈29 GB free. You have three safe options — (A) copy only the highest‑priority folders to C:, (B) get/attach another external drive (recommended) and copy everything there, or (C) create a disk image to a large drive (or image + recover from the image). I’ll give exact commands you can paste, and a recommended workflow. I’ll also warn about risks and next steps.
Why you can’t copy everything to C:

• Your PowerShell output shows C: Free ≈ 29.29 GB and D: Free ≈ 1903.43 GB, so C: doesn’t have the space needed for D:’s ~1.9 TB of data. Trying to mirror the whole D: to C: will fill C:, cause copy failures and can create partial, confusing results. (See the earlier guidance on destination sizing and robocopy usage.)

Recommended safe workflow (short)

1. Decide priority: which folders on D: are most important (photos, Documents, Desktop, Financials)? Copy those first.
2. If you can, attach a second external drive (≥ the size of your important data — ideally 2 TB+) and copy D: to that. That’s the safest.
3. If you can’t get another drive right now, copy only the critical folders to C: (until C: fills), then zip those recovered folders on C: and move the ZIP to another place later.
4. If D: is flaky or showing errors, create an image of D: (Macrium Reflect dd or ddrescue) and work from the image — imaging is the safest for failing drives.

Exact commands (copy/paste) — run in your elevated PowerShell
A — Make the recover folder on C:
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup" -Force
B — (Optional) Check per‑folder sizes on D: so you know what to copy first
This estimates top‑level folder sizes (may take a minute):

Get-ChildItem D:\ -Directory | ForEach-Object {
  $size = (Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum
  "{0} {1:N2} GB" -f $_.FullName, ($size/1GB)
}

C — Robust copy of one folder (recommended: start with Documents, Pictures)
Replace YourUser and folder names as needed:

robocopy "D:\Users\YourUser\Documents" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Documents" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-docs-log.txt" /TEE
robocopy "D:\Users\YourUser\Pictures"  "C:\RecoveredBackup\Pictures"  /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-pics-log.txt" /TEE

Notes: these robocopy flags copy subfolders (/E), retry twice on read errors (/R:2), use multithreading (/MT:8) and log to a file. Robocopy will skip unreadable files and continue; check the log summary at the end for “Failed :” counts.
D — If you still want to copy entire D: (only do this if destination has space)
robocopy "D:\" "C:\RecoveredBackup" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-full-log.txt" /TEE
Warning: this will run until C: fills and then will fail — do NOT start this if you don’t have enough free space. Use the folder-size command above first to estimate sizes.
E — Create a ZIP from the healthy copy (after you verify files)
Simple built‑in PowerShell (no install):
Compress-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup\*" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -CompressionLevel Fastest -Force
Or use 7‑Zip (recommended for splitting large archives) after installing 7‑Zip:
& "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -tzip -mx1 -mmt=on -v2g "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" "C:\RecoveredBackup\*"

• The 7‑Zip command creates a zip, low compression (-mx1) and splits into 2 GB parts (-v2g).

If the drive is flaky / you’re seeing errors

• Don’t run chkdsk / Scan & fix until you’ve recovered your files (repairs can rename/move files). If the drive is failing, best practice is to image the drive to another large disk (Macrium Reflect or ddrescue) and recover from the image rather than writing more to the original. See the imaging recommendation.

If you don’t have another drive or enough space

• Priority copy (copy only Documents/Pictures/Desktop) and then upload the resulting ZIPs to OneDrive/Google Drive if you have internet bandwidth, or borrow/buy a 2 TB USB drive (cheapest and safest). The forum guide recommends having a second physical drive for backups.

What I suggest you do right now (one clear path)

1. Run the folder-size command I gave to see which top folders on D: are largest.
2. Tell me the top 2–3 folders you want first (e.g., Pictures, Documents). I’ll give the exact robocopy commands for those paths.
3. If you have another external drive available, plug it in and tell me its drive letter — I’ll give a single robocopy command to mirror D: to that drive (preferred).
4. If the D: drive is noisy or robocopy reports many read errors, stop and we’ll switch to a read‑only recovery tool or imaging advice.

If you want, I’ll paste the exact robocopy commands for your top folders now — tell me:

• Can you run the Get-ChildItem size command and paste its output? OR
• Tell me the top 2 folders you want copied first (e.g., Pictures and Documents), and confirm you want them copied to C:\RecoveredBackup.

I’ll stay with you step‑by‑step while you run the commands and will interpret the robocopy log if anything reports failures.

 

[vampiressd13]

my files on D are only 48gb actually 49.68 the 1906 is free space

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks — that screenshot shows D: actually has ~49 GB used and C: only ~29 GB free, so you can’t mirror the entire D: onto C: as‑is. Good news: 49 GB is small enough to handle — we just need the right destination or to free a little space on C:. Below are three safe options (pick one), exact commands you can copy/paste, and quick cleanup tips so you don’t lose anything.
Why you can’t copy D: → C: right now

• Your PowerShell output shows C: Free ≈ 29.29 GB and D: Used ≈ 49.68 GB. Copying 49+ GB into C: will fail because C: doesn’t have enough free space. Use another drive as the destination or free ~25 GB+ on C: first. (Robocopy/backup guidance referenced below.)

Which option do you want?

• Option 1 (best) — copy all of D: to another external drive (fast, safe). If you have another USB drive (E:, F:, etc.) with ~64 GB+ free, use that.
• Option 2 — copy only the important folders from D: (Pictures, Documents, Desktop) to C:\RecoveredBackup (fits if you free a little space first).
• Option 3 — make a compressed ZIP or image, but do that only after you’ve copied files to a healthy destination (don’t create the ZIP on the possibly-problematic D.

Exact commands (copy/paste into the elevated PowerShell you already have)
A — If you have a second external drive (recommended)

1. Plug it in and note its letter (assume E. Create folder and mirror D: to E:
   

   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "E:\RecoveredBackup" -Force
   robocopy "D:\" "E:\RecoveredBackup" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"E:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-log.txt" /TEE

   • This will copy everything it can and skip unreadable files; check the log at E:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-log.txt when finished. Robocopy is the reliable, tolerant method for large copies.

B — If you only have C: and want to copy just the important data (free some space first)

1. See sizes of top folders on D: (so you choose what to copy first):
   

   Get-ChildItem D:\ -Directory | ForEach-Object {
   $size = (Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum
   "{0} {1:N2} GB" -f $_.FullName, ($size/1GB)
   }

2. Free up space on C: (quick actions)
   • Empty Recycle Bin.
   • Run Disk Cleanup (Start → type Disk Cleanup → choose C: → Clean system files).
   • Uninstall any large apps you don’t need (Settings → Apps → Installed apps).
   • (Optional) Turn off hibernation temporarily to free hiberfil.sys: open admin PowerShell and run:
     powercfg -h off
     (You can re-enable later with powercfg -h on.)
3. Copy specific folders (example: Pictures then Documents) to C:\RecoveredBackup:
   

   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup" -Force
   robocopy "D:\Users\YourUser\Pictures" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Pictures" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-pics-log.txt" /TEE
   robocopy "D:\Users\YourUser\Documents" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Documents" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-docs-log.txt" /TEE

   • Replace YourUser with your actual username. Robocopy will skip unreadable files and report a summary; check the “Failed :” count in the summary.

C — Make a ZIP after you’ve copied to a healthy destination (do NOT zip directly on D

• Using built‑in PowerShell (simple):
  Compress-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup\*" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -CompressionLevel Fastest -Force
• Or, for large sets / split archives, use 7‑Zip (recommended). After installing 7‑Zip:
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -tzip -mx1 -mmt=on -v2g "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" "C:\RecoveredBackup\*"
• Test the archive (7‑Zip):
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" t "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip.001"
• Always verify by opening a few files from the archive before deleting originals.

If robocopy reports many failures or the drive is flaky

• Stop and tell me the Robocopy summary. If you see many read errors, we should switch to a read‑only recovery approach (PhotoRec/TestDisk or imaging with Macrium/ddrescue) and recover from an image rather than the live, failing disk. Imaging is the safest path for a flaky device.

Quick decision checklist (what I need from you)

• Do you have another external USB drive you can plug in now? If yes, tell me its drive letter (E: / F. I’ll give the single exact robocopy command to mirror D: to it.
• If you don’t have another drive, do you want to: (a) free space on C: and copy selected folders, or (b) I walk you through uploading the most important files to OneDrive (if you have bandwidth and space in OneDrive)?
• If you run any robocopy commands, paste the final summary lines (the lines near the end showing Files:, Copied:, Failed and I’ll interpret them and give the next step.

I’ll stay with you while you run whichever option you pick — say “Mirror to E:” (if you have another drive), or “Copy Pictures & Docs to C:” (if you want to free space and copy only priority folders), and I’ll paste the exact final command for you to run.

 

[vampiressd13]

 

[ChatGPT]

Perfect — thanks for the screenshots. They show D: contains ~49.7 GB and C: only ~29.3 GB free, and your folder list with rough sizes (OneDrive ~18.64 GB, FileHistory ~3.21 GB, Ebook_college ~2.97 GB, files off usb stick ~2.66 GB, Download ~3.00 GB, etc.). That gives us everything we need to pick a safe plan.
Quick summary / recommendation

• Don’t run Scan & Fix / chkdsk on D: until you’ve copied the important files.
• You have three safe choices now:
  1. Copy only high‑priority smaller folders to C: (fits today).
  2. Free ~20–25 GB on C: and then copy all of D: to C:\RecoveredBackup.
  3. Attach a second external drive (recommended) and copy all of D: there (no C: juggling).

If you want to copy now, I suggest copying the small/high‑priority folders first (so we don’t run out of space). Based on your listing, good first targets might be: Ebook_college (2.97 GB), files off usb stick (2.66 GB), Download (3.00 GB), DCIM (0.25 GB), Pictures (0.10 GB). Those four will fit easily and protect your most likely important items. After that we can copy larger ones.
1) (Optional) Get a clean per‑folder size list (more reliable)
You attempted Measure-Object earlier and got errors because directories were included. Run this corrected command to get size (files only) for top-level folders on D: — it ignores directories when measuring:

Get-ChildItem D:\ -Directory |
  ForEach-Object {
    $size = (Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
             Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum
    [PSCustomObject]@{Folder = $_.FullName; SizeGB = [math]::Round($size/1GB,2)}
  } | Sort-Object SizeGB -Descending | Format-Table -AutoSize

Run that if you want exact, sorted folder sizes before copying. Paste the output here if you want me to advise which to copy.
2) Commands to copy selected folders to C:\RecoveredBackup (safe & resumable)
I’ll give a few robocopy commands you can run one at a time. You already created C:\RecoveredBackup so just paste each line into your elevated PowerShell:

• Ebook_college:
  robocopy "D:\Ebook college" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Ebook_college" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-ebook-log.txt" /TEE
• files off usb stick:
  robocopy "D:\files off usb stick" "C:\RecoveredBackup\files_off_usb_stick" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-usbstick-log.txt" /TEE
• Download:
  robocopy "D:\Download" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Download" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-download-log.txt" /TEE
• DCIM:
  robocopy "D:\DCIM" "C:\RecoveredBackup\DCIM" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-dcim-log.txt" /TEE

Notes:

• Each robocopy will skip unreadable files and continue; check the summary at the end (or open the log in Notepad) for “Failed :” counts.
• After each copy, spot‑check several files in the target folder to confirm they open.
• If any command shows many “Failed” counts, stop and tell me the log summary and I’ll advise next steps.

3) If you prefer to free space on C: (so you can copy everything)
Quick, safe freespace steps:

• Empty Recycle Bin (right‑click → Empty Recycle Bin).
• Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files → remove selected safe items.
• Disk Cleanup → Clean up system files → check “Windows Update Cleanup”, “Temporary files”, then Delete Files.
• Uninstall any large unused apps (Settings → Apps → Installed apps → sort by Size).

If you want help finding the biggest files/folders on C:, run this and paste its output:

Get-ChildItem C:\ -Directory | ForEach-Object {
  $size=(Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum
  [PSCustomObject]@{Folder=$_.FullName;SizeGB=[math]::Round($size/1GB,2)}
} | Sort-Object SizeGB -Descending | Format-Table -AutoSize

4) If you can attach another external drive (best)

• Plug the drive in, note its letter (e.g., E. Then run:
  

  New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "E:\RecoveredBackup" -Force
  robocopy "D:\" "E:\RecoveredBackup" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"E:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-full-log.txt" /TEE

  This mirrors D: to E: and avoids using C: at all.

5) After copying: create the ZIP (only from the healthy copy)

• Once files are safely on C:\RecoveredBackup (or E:\RecoveredBackup), use Compress-Archive (simple) or 7‑Zip (better for splitting). Example (PowerShell built‑in):
  Compress-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup\*" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -CompressionLevel Fastest -Force
  (Or I can give 7‑Zip commands if you want splitting.)

6) Last important reminders

• Don’t run “Scan and fix” / chkdsk on D: until the important files are recovered.
• If the external drive begins clicking or shows many read errors, unplug it and stop — get professional recovery help.
• The forum backup guide has stepwise advice we used here if you want more background.

Tell me which you want to do now

• A) Copy the small priority folders I listed (Ebook_college, files off usb stick, Download, DCIM). I’ll paste the commands ready to run one at a time.
• B) Run the corrected folder‑size command so I can recommend exactly which top folders to copy.
• C) Free ~25 GB on C: (I’ll give step‑by‑step cleanup commands).
• D) Use another external drive — tell me its drive letter after plugging it in and I’ll give the one-line mirror command.

Say which letter (A/B/C/D) and I’ll paste the precise command(s) for the next step and stay with you while you run them.

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks — the screenshots confirm PowerShell is installed and show your D: folder list. Good news: your D: data is only ~49.7 GB, so we can safely recover the most important folders to C:\RecoveredBackup — but C: only has ~29.3 GB free, so we must copy in smaller pieces (or free space / use another drive).
I recommend copying priority folders one at a time to C:\RecoveredBackup and verifying each copy. I’ll give exact commands you can paste into your elevated PowerShell window and what to look for.
Step A — (optional) Get accurate folder sizes on D:
Run this to get a reliable, sorted list of top‑level folder sizes (may take a minute):

Get-ChildItem D:\ -Directory |
  ForEach-Object {
    $size = (Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
             Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum
    [PSCustomObject]@{Folder = $_.FullName; SizeGB = [math]::Round($size/1GB,2)}
  } | Sort-Object SizeGB -Descending | Format-Table -AutoSize

Paste the output if you want me to confirm which folders to copy first.
Step B — create the destination (you said C:\RecoveredBackup already exists — if not run this)
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup" -Force
Step C — copy selected folders (run one command at a time)
I’ll give the commands for the folders you showed (Ebook_college, files off usb stick, Download, DCIM). Run each line separately and wait for it to finish before starting the next.
Ebook_college:
robocopy "D:\Ebook college" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Ebook_college" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-ebook-log.txt" /TEE
files off usb stick:
robocopy "D:\files off usb stick" "C:\RecoveredBackup\files_off_usb_stick" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-usbstick-log.txt" /TEE
Download:
robocopy "D:\Download" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Download" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-download-log.txt" /TEE
DCIM:
robocopy "D:\DCIM" "C:\RecoveredBackup\DCIM" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-dcim-log.txt" /TEE
What to watch for (after each robocopy):

• At the end robocopy prints a summary. Note the lines:
  • “Files :”, “Copied :”, “Skipped :”, “Extras :”, “Failed :”
• If “Failed :” is > 0, stop and paste the summary (or open the log with Notepad) so I can advise.
• Spot‑check 2–3 files in the destination folder (open a photo/document) to confirm they’re OK.

Step D — after you have the files on C:\RecoveredBackup — create a ZIP (only from the healthy copy)
Simple built‑in command (quick):
Compress-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup\*" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -CompressionLevel Fastest -Force
If you prefer split archives (recommended for very large sets) install 7‑Zip and use:
& "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -tzip -mx1 -mmt=on -v2g "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" "C:\RecoveredBackup\*"
If C: fills before you finish copying everything

• Stop copying, free space on C: (Empty Recycle Bin, Storage Sense, Disk Cleanup) or plug in a second external drive and copy the rest there. If you want help freeing space, say “Help free C:” and I’ll give safe steps.

If robocopy reports many failures or you see read errors

• Stop and paste the robocopy summary or the log file contents. We’ll then try a read‑only recovery (PhotoRec/Recuva) or imaging if the drive looks flaky.

Which action do you want to do right now?

• Run one of the robocopy commands above and paste the robocopy summary when it finishes (or paste any error text).
• Or run the folder‑size command (Step A) and paste the output if you want me to pick the best folders.

I’ll stay with you step‑by‑step.

 

[vampiressd13]

 

[ChatGPT]

That paste-warning is normal — Windows Terminal is asking you to confirm because you’re about to paste multiple lines of commands. It’s a safety feature to prevent accidental or malicious multi‑line execution. If the commands came from me (or another trusted source) it’s safe to click “Paste anyway.” If you prefer not to paste multi‑line text, run the one‑line version I give below.
What I see in your screenshot

• Robocopy already copied DCIM thumbnails (the robocopy summary at the left shows ~252.87 MB copied). Good sign — some data is already saved to C:\RecoveredBackup.
• You tried to paste the folder-size script and Terminal warned about multi-line paste (expected).

Safe next steps (pick one and I’ll stay with you)
A) Run a safe one‑line folder‑size command (avoids multi‑line paste warning).
B) Continue copying priority folders to C:\RecoveredBackup (I’ll give single-line robocopy commands).
C) Create the ZIP after you confirm files are copied.
If you want to avoid the multi‑line paste warning, paste and run this single-line folder-size command (it does what the pasted script would do, but as one line):
Get-ChildItem D:\ -Directory | ForEach-Object { $size=(Get-ChildItem $.FullName -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum).Sum; [PSCustomObject]@{Folder=$.FullName;SizeGB=[math]::Round($size/1GB,2)} } | Sort-Object SizeGB -Descending | Format-Table -AutoSize
What to do next to finish recovery

• If you want to copy OneDrive (it’s ~18.64 GB in your listing) next, run this single-line robocopy (it will resume and log progress):

robocopy "D:\one drive" "C:\RecoveredBackup\OneDrive" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-onedrive-log.txt" /TEE

• If you prefer to copy the smaller folders you showed (Ebook_college, files off usb stick, Download, DCIM) run each of these one at a time (paste one line, wait for it to finish):

robocopy "D:\Ebook college" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Ebook_college" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-ebook-log.txt" /TEE
robocopy "D:\files off usb stick" "C:\RecoveredBackup\files_off_usb_stick" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-usbstick-log.txt" /TEE
robocopy "D:\Download" "C:\RecoveredBackup\Download" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-download-log.txt" /TEE
robocopy "D:\DCIM" "C:\RecoveredBackup\DCIM" /E /R:2 /W:2 /FFT /V /MT:8 /LOG:"C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-dcim-log.txt" /TEE
How to check results

• After a robocopy finishes look at the summary near the bottom for the “Failed :” count. If Failed = 0 you’re good. If >0 paste the summary or open the log:

notepad "C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-onedrive-log.txt" (or the corresponding log file name)
How to ZIP after you’ve verified files (only from the healthy copy)

• Quick (built‑in):
  Compress-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup*" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -CompressionLevel Fastest -Force
• If you want split archives (recommended for large sets) install 7‑Zip and run:
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -tzip -mx1 -mmt=on -v2g "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" "C:\RecoveredBackup*"

A few final safety reminders

• Don’t run “Scan and fix” or chkdsk on D: until you’ve recovered critical files. Repairs can rename/move files.
• If the drive starts making unusual noises or robocopy shows many read errors, stop and tell me — we’ll switch to a read‑only recovery approach or imaging advice.
• The forum backup guide I referenced has the same recovery workflow if you want background reading.

Tell me which you want to do now:

• “Size” to run the single-line folder-size command,
• “OneDrive” to copy the OneDrive folder next,
• “Small folders” to copy Ebook_college / files off usb stick / Download / DCIM now (I’ll paste one command at a time), or
• “Zip” if you’ve already copied everything and want the compress command.

I’ll paste the exact next single-line command and stay with you while it runs.

 

[vampiressd13]

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks — that screenshot shows what happened: PowerShell reported an “Unexpected token” because you pasted the Compress-Archive arguments by themselves instead of calling the Compress-Archive cmdlet. No problem — here are the exact, single-line commands to run (copy‑paste), plus a few useful checks and verification steps.
1) Create the ZIP correctly (PowerShell built‑in)
Paste this single line into your elevated PowerShell prompt:
Compress-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup*" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -CompressionLevel Fastest -Force

• Explanation: Compress-Archive is the cmdlet; -Path is the source, -DestinationPath is the ZIP file to create. Fastest uses less CPU and completes quicker.
• After it finishes, test the ZIP by extracting a couple of files to a temp folder:
  Expand-Archive -Path "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" -DestinationPath "C:\RecoveredBackup\TestExtract" -Force

2) Alternative: 7‑Zip (recommended if you want split archives)
If you prefer splitting the archive into parts (safer for big backups) install 7‑Zip and run this single line:
& "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -tzip -mx1 -mmt=on -v2g "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" "C:\RecoveredBackup*"

• -mx1 = low compression (faster), -v2g = split into 2 GB parts.
• Test a split archive with:
  & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" t "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip.001"

3) Quick checks (before/after)

• See how many files you copied into C:\RecoveredBackup:
  (Get-ChildItem "C:\RecoveredBackup" -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object).Count
• Open the robocopy log if you used /LOG: to see any skipped/failed files:
  notepad "C:\RecoveredBackup\robocopy-full-log.txt"
• If many files were “Skipped” in robocopy, it usually means the destination already had the same files (or attributes made them skip). The log shows details.

4) If you see the Terminal paste-warning again

• That warning is normal when pasting multiple lines. Click “Paste anyway” if the command is from a trusted source (like the one above) or use the single‑line commands I provided to avoid it.

5) Where to store the ZIP afterwards

• Move the ZIP off the machine (another external drive or cloud) so you have a second copy. Example to move to E::
  Move-Item "C:\RecoveredBackup\DriveBackup.zip" "E:\DriveBackup.zip"

6) If anything errors or if the ZIP fails

• Paste the exact error text or the last lines of the Compress-Archive output here and I’ll interpret it.
• If robocopy showed many Fails earlier, paste the robocopy summary lines (the bottom of the robocopy output or the LOG file) and I’ll advise next steps.

If you want, I can:

• Give the exact 7‑Zip installer link and the command to install it, or
• Walk through verifying a few sample files from the ZIP to confirm integrity.

Also — the forum backup guide we referenced earlier has the same safe workflow (copy first, then archive) if you want to read more.
Which command do you want to run now — the Compress-Archive line or the 7‑Zip command? I’ll wait while you run it and help verify the result.