Another Laptop Question

[Rathji]

Are you sure it is trying to boot from the CD? Chances are it won't be trying to boot from disc by default. hit f12 on the BIOS splash screen and make sure the Optical/CD/DVD option is selected.

If it still comes up as disc error, then it would seem logical that the optical drive is fried. At that point you could try booting from an external optical drive, or from a USB flash drive (instructions to create the USB boot are on that same page I gave you earlier). Some older PCs don't support USB boot, but with Dells you would probably need to be more than 5 years old.

If none of that works, I would just get a new PC. Assuming your HDD is intact and functioning, data recovery becomes a task of removing the hard drive and just dropping it into an enclosure and copying the files to your new computer.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by blankall

I'd wait for some other recommendations first (from people who actually know something about computers), but I often find when you have these kind of fundamental problems, the best thing to do is backup all the files you want to keep and then re-install windows. If the hardware and bios are still working, that should solve all problems.

It's the HDD. Like I said.

Take the HDD out and install it on another PC and see if it works. Once Windows loads it will tell you "New Hardware installed" if you can access it the HDD is fine and Back up your stuff now. If you can't access it then you know the HDD is toast. Get a new HDD and re-install your OS.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Try a Linux Live CD and see if it will boot to that.

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

OK, I have managed to boot with the Ubuntu DVD, but I cannot seem to find any of her files. Perhaps, some hint of where I would find it now - everything of interest should be in her Documents folder. Sorry for being so primitive when it comes to this stuff...

EDIT: OK, located everything and copying it - thanks, Rathji! Now, riddle me this, should I just install Ubuntu on it and use it instead of 7?

[Rathji]

You will need to mount the drive, since Linux doesn't automatically mount internal drives.

Read this: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/mountwindows

Pretty simple

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Rathji

You will need to mount the drive, since Linux doesn't automatically mount internal drives.

Read this: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/mountwindows

Pretty simple

OK, is it a good idea in theory though? All she does with it is basically use a remote client for work, as well as Office and Firefox...

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

OK, is it a good idea in theory though? All she does with it is basically use a remote client for work, as well as Office and Firefox...

Since you have windows 7, just install it. Will save you the hassle of dealing with Ubuntu. It is pretty decent, but not as easy as Windows 7.

edit: and my post about mounting was in relation to you recovering the data.