Help with dead laptop!

Hey guys!

I have recently required a laptop on my round the world trip in (Thailand) - yes i know what your going to say!!! but shh ha ha

Anyway, so about a week ago, I installed a few updates and the computer threw up that windows was not genuine (surprise surprise)! Anyway so I guess I will have to buy a proper licence when I get back home! However I thought in the mean time before windows locks up I would just bypass it until I got home!. so I installed some software and run it.. and managed to (after the re-boot) corrupt my entire system with this silly software and have now lost all of my pictures (about 3000) and my journal which I have been writing. Now this leaves me with two problems,

1: I would like to get the files off the HD - Have read that I should buy some kind of adapter and take the HD out of the laptop (once home) and then use my other laptop to drag the files off, however am unsure of how to do this and what kind of accessories I would need (could someone help?)

2: I would quite like to use my laptop for the rest of my travels, is there a way of restoring or repairing the registry? I tried all the normal options and have no recovery CD (can I buy one of those? or download it?) any option I take normally results in a blue screen. Safe mode or restoring to the last good configuration does not work either.

I would much appreciate any help anyone could give me.

Regards.

Thorsten

 

for question 1:
you need a sata to usb 2.0 adapter. You can buy a external hard disk case. If you are still in Bangkok Thailand you can get this easily at MBK (Mabookrong shopping center) or Pantip Plaza.

for question 2:
You can download windows 7. It can be installed without a key and be used for up to 30 days before you need to enter a key and activate.
You can find the download links here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...-7-download-links-just-like-vista-before.html

The other option would be to install linux. Download and install ubuntu. Everything should work and it comes with programs you can use to write your journal and edit pictures.

 

The best choice is possibly download Knoppix KNOPPIX - Live Linux Filesystem On CD create a Linux Live CD and use that to salvage files from the HDD to an external medium (e.g. external HDD)

After that, maybe for convenience's sake, just run Linux until you get home?

 

this is the best idea. Run any type of linux "live cd". It will boot to a usable desktop, you can access your windows folders and then copy or burn your pictures / documents to a dvd or flash drive. you could use knoppix, ubuntu, mint, fedora, pclinuxos, puppy. the list is endless.