Hard Drive/Windows LEMON - how to data transfer

[akakhan]

Okay, first time post. I am pretty handy around computers and am able to figure out problems and fix them no problem, but i just need some one to tell me/show me first.

I came home one day (thinking i had turned the computer off) but when i got home it had crashed to death. The problem is that when i start the computer it goes to this screen that says, roughly, "Your comptuer did not start properly last time it was started, this might be due to power or something else" and it lists a bunch of options to start the computer in "Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Prompt, Safe Mode with Networking, Windows XP Normal, or Last settings that worked" --- i tried all of these and the same thing happens it always just come back to that same screen eventually. I tried resetting the bios settings to default but still no luck.

There is no new hardware installed on my computer.

I have been told my options are to reinstall windows which will erase all my data. It is an HP computer so there is a partition on the drive, i don't know if that helps.

Anyways, i don't want to lose all my data, the guy at future shop told me that it would cost be $89.99 (to fix windows) & if i wanted to save 4.8+ data it would be another $129.99 if i wanted to save any less data it would be $80. Either way i am a poor university student, who can't afford such things.

I know how to reinstall windows but how to do a data transfer from this hard drive to a different hard drive (such as the one on my laptop) or basically how can i save some files on that computer that i need.

[GX1_Man]

You can either slave that drive to a working computer with a CDRW to burn to CD, or you may have one on that computer, along with a CD/DVD player. You didn't post ANY specifics on the machine so have a read here, and let us know what we are working with:

http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1152393515

[akakhan]

You can either slave that drive to a working computer with a CDRW to burn to CD, or you may have one on that computer, along with a CD/DVD player. You didn't post ANY specifics on the machine so have a read here, and let us know what we are working with:

http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1152393515

good recommendation.
My Computer specifics for the computer that is broken is

P4 3.06ghz
512 DDR
Windows XP SP2
120gb or 80GB (i can't remember :-?) HD
DVD-RW/CD-RW with light scribe

Anything else?

Questions about the link post...
I don't have Linux .. can i still use this Linux Live CD?
Pretty much what are those things? SLAX, etc.?

So i just pick one -- Linux Live CD -- for example -- burn it onto a CD, pop it into my busted computer and it will save files before reformatting? I am a little confused. Do i follow on screen instructions? Don't i need some sort of wire to transfer the data to a different computer?

[panboy]

Hmm , a Linux Live CD is kinda like a Playstation Game, what i mean is All the Info it needs to run is on that disk, And its Kinda like Windows as in it's a Full Operating system

But It wont do anything to your Computer unless you tell it to.
You can use it to copy Files From your HDD on to a new HDD , or write CD's , which i think is what you want to Do, you may want to Check out some Linux How To's in Google , and I'm Sure GX1_man knows a Few Trick's , but you have to ask him Nicely

[GX1_Man]

Just load it up and look around. It takes no effort to try it. You can use a CDRW, across a network, to a friend's computer with a crossover cable, a pen drive, etc.