Is it safe mode Jerry or has it dropped into the BIOS (there is a BIG difference)?

Don't do any recoveries until the source of the problem is identified else you/she may lose a lot of valuable data. If it's in safe mode then usually a reboot solves the problem. If its dropped into the BIOS then that is odd indeed almost implying a jammed key on the keyboard.  

I am using an Apple here so unable to check anything here until I get to work where I have a grotty XP based system

Here is how I would do it but perhaps get a second opinion first as it's not for the faint hearted and I may have forgotten something. Perhaps find a good computer shop to do it for you..

1) Physically remove the hard drive and put it away somewhere safe.
2) Buy a new hard drive and install it.
3) Run the recovery CD you have.
4) The PC should now be working.

5) Consider installing an antivirus program at this point.

Now it's time to recover the data..

6) Install the old drive into an external USB hard drive enclosure.
7) Connect USB enclosure to PC.
8) External drive should appear as something like D:
9) If you have an antivirus program tell it to scan D: If all ok...
10) Browse D: via My Computer and transfer important data files to the new hard drive. It may not be sufficient just to copy the My Documents folder - I don't think things like favorites and email are kept in there. I forget. This may takes hours if you have a lot of photos on there and only a slow USB 1.0 port. If you have USB 2.0 it will be faster.

11) Now burn the important stuff to CD/DVD. Make two copies. Ideally check you can read them on another PC.

12) Now you can afford to risk breaking the old hard drive knowing you have a copy of all important data.  You could for example try borrowing a WinXP CD and running a repair install. With luck that will repair the broken operating system and avoid you having to reinstall any new programs or updates.

If her PC is really old instead of buying just a new hard drive consider buying a whole new PC (with a DVD writer). Then hook up the old hard drive in a USB enclosure. Don't feel the USB and hard drive is a wasted expense. Once all the important stuff has been rescued you can use it to do regular backups.

CWatters wrote on May 22^nd, 2008, 12:16am:


I forgot to say..

Put the old drive back in before running the repair install. Don't run it with the old drive in the USB enclosure.

If you buy a new PC don't try putting the old drive into it alongside the new one. If you get the little jumpers wrong and accidentally boot from the old drive you can mess up the nice new one - or so I've been told. If you get a new PC stick to putting the old one in a USB drive unless you have an expert handy..

Update:  After trying to boot umpteen times and then opening the pc up, removing the hard drive and refitting it, I eventually managed to get it to boot into Safe Mode.

After checking all the info available in Safe Mode, I took the chance of switching it off and re-starting it.

It worked!

I've now bought a Maxtor 500GB external drive as a permanent back up in case this happens again.

Flippin technology