📎 AI Summary:
The original poster is seeking help recovering files from a dead Windows Vista laptop’s hard drive, which causes a blue screen and reboots when connected via USB to another computer. A respondent suggests trying to access the drive using a live Linux CD like Knoppix. Another user shares a somewhat unconventional method of placing the hard drive in the freezer to temporarily retrieve data, though this approach requires prompt action. Overall, the thread discusses potential methods for data recovery from a failing hard drive, with the general tone being exploratory and troubleshooting.

fronomo

New Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Messages
1
Thread Author #1
Hello all,

After 5 years of use, my college laptop (Windows Vista) finally gave up on me a couple of months ago. Each time at start up, it would automatically go to the blue screen of death and never get past that point. I wound up getting a new laptop (ASUS S500CA) operating on windows 8, and now I'm attempting to recover some of my files from the old hard drive. After a little reading, I discovered that you can pull the old drive, connect it to another computer via a USB cable, and attempt to recover the data on the drive. So I ran down to the local best buy and picked up an Apricorn SATA Wire. Here's the problem. Every time I hook the hard drive up to the computer via the USB wire, my computer instantly goes to a blue screen and goes into a cycle of restarting itself over and over. Does this mean that my old hard drive is just too far gone to recover, or is there another method that I can try?

Any help is appreciated. (Disclaimer: I'm familiar with the basics of computer operation, but I am by no means a techie, so bear with me if it requires anything too complicated)

-Chris
 

Josephur

Windows Forum Admin
Staff member
Premium Supporter
Microsoft Certified Professional
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
1,283
Try booting something like Knoppix from a live CD and see if its accessible there.
 

Solution

Robertwav1

Active Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2012
Messages
30
I have had some luck with data retrieval by placing the volume in the freezer for about 1/2 hour or 45 minutes. If this does work you must work diligently as when the drive warms up it stops working again.