Help with backing up files and reinstall


Matt1169

Matt1169

New member
Local time
2:35 PM
Posts
2
OS
Windows 11
My windows has been messed up for awhile and finally corrupted itself beyond repair (can’t boot). Not shocking because I’ve upgraded this install since like 2013 and cloned it every time the os drive went bad and the clones always messed it up too.

I can use my laptop to make the windows usb tool, but what can I do to save some of my files first? Really just care about pictures, videos, some .txt, pdfs and some app/game/browser settings.
 
Windows Build/Version
24h2 26100.1

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
This guide contains step-by-step instructions to backup files if Windows cannot start normally.

 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    Erica6
    Memory
    Micron Technology DDR4-3200 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC671
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster U28E590
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG MZVLQ1T0HALB-000H1
Easiest way, Download any Live Linux distro (I suggest Mint Cinnamon or Ubuntu) Using the iso create a boot usb drive using Rufus.With Linux you have a full operating system right on the usb drive.
Turn off secure boot in your system bios and boot from the Linux drive. Choose to run the distro from the drive without installing. Browse the Windows drive. Copy and paste the files you want to keep to an external drive..

Note: If you were using a Microsoft account and syncing to Onedrive, there is no need to back up the files. They will re-appear once you reinstall windows and sign into your Microsoft account. If you've been upgrading the same installation since 2013, you probably were using a local account, in which case you would need to recover your data manually using Linux.

Also Note: When creating your boot drive,. you have to match your settings in Rufus to agree with your bios partition scheme, either GPT or MBR (also known as CSM). Modern installations of Windows are GPT but if your system is 12 years old it may well be MBR. You will have to check your bios.

As far as re-installing windows on that old machine you will have to use the "install on incompatible hardware method." If your cpu does not support the
sse 4.2 instruction set 24h2 is a high as you can go. Without sse 4.2 there is NO work around to install 25h2.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.8457
glasskuter said:
Easiest way, Download any Live Linux distro (I suggest Mint Cinnamon or Ubuntu) Using the iso create a boot usb drive using Rufus.With Linux you have a full operating system right on the usb drive.
Turn off secure boot in your system bios and boot from the Linux drive. Choose to run the distro from the drive without installing. Browse the Windows drive. Copy and paste the files you want to keep to an external drive..

Note: If you were using a Microsoft account and syncing to Onedrive, there is no need to back up the files. They will re-appear once you reinstall windows and sign into your Microsoft account. If you've been upgrading the same installation since 2013, you probably were using a local account, in which case you would need to recover your data manually using Linux.

Also Note: When creating your boot drive,. you have to match your settings in Rufus to agree with your bios partition scheme, either GPT or MBR (also known as CSM). Modern installations of Windows are GPT but if your system is 12 years old it may well be MBR. You will have to check your bios.

As far as re-installing windows on that old machine you will have to use the "install on incompatible hardware method." If your cpu does not support the
sse 4.2 instruction set 24h2 is a high as you can go. Without sse 4.2 there is NO work around to install 25h2.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! Don’t worry I’ve rebuilt the pc a few times so the hardware itself isn’t from 2013. Did a full rebuild in late 2019 and then added a 4090 when that came out. Finally got a day off work and fixed it with your help while my kiddo was at school. I now have 25h2 and programs fixed. I think I’ve fixed a lot of bugs, but I realize now what you meant about the windows account. When I logged in it copied my icons from my laptop. I deleted them so hopefully it didn’t delete them from my laptop too when I use that again, but now I assume it’ll copy my pc icons to my laptop when I start that lol.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
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