How to Copy Data Off an Unbootable Hard Drive in Windows 10 and 11

Your PC won’t start, but if the problem is a virus or corrupted system files, not a physically failed drive, your data is almost certainly still intact on the disk. You just need another way to reach it.

Before you start

Take a minute to figure out what you’re dealing with before choosing a method:

• Logical failure (Windows won’t boot, but the drive is detected in UEFI/BIOS and makes no unusual sounds): the methods below should work.

• Physical failure (the drive clicks, grinds, beeps, or isn’t detected at all): skip straight to When DIY recovery won’t cut it below, every additional power cycle risks making the damage permanent.

• BitLocker encryption: if your Windows 10/11 Pro PC had BitLocker enabled, you’ll need your BitLocker recovery key to access the data even from outside Windows. Retrieve it from another device at account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey before you start.

Method #1: Use Windows Recovery Media to copy files

This is the least invasive option. No screwdrivers required. You’ll boot the unbootable PC from a Windows installation USB drive and use the built-in recovery environment to copy files to an external drive.

What you need:

• A working PC (even a borrowed one)

• A USB drive (8 GB or larger) to create the Windows media

• An external USB drive large enough to hold your files

1. On a working PC, download the Media Creation Tool from microsoft.com/software-download/windows11.

2. Run the tool, accept the license agreement, and select Create installation media for another PC.

3. Choose your language and Windows edition, select USB flash drive, and let the tool build the bootable drive.

4. Plug both the Windows USB drive and your external backup drive into the unbootable PC.

5. Power on the PC and immediately press the boot menu key, usually F12, F2, Esc, or Delete. It flashes briefly on the startup screen; check your manufacturer’s support page if you miss it.

6. Select the USB drive from the boot menu and press Enter.

7. On the Windows Setup screen, choose your language and click Next.

8. Click Repair your computer in the lower-left corner, do not click Install Now.

9. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.

10. In the Command Prompt, type notepad.exe and press Enter.

11. In Notepad, go to File > Open. This opens a mini file browser you can use to navigate your drives without needing a full File Explorer.

12. In the file browser, locate your Windows drive. In the recovery environment it’s usually D: rather than C:. Browse to UsersYourUsername to confirm you’re on the right drive.

13. Select the folders you need, Documents, Desktop, Pictures, and any others, right-click them, and copy to your external USB backup drive.

The PC may appear frozen while copying large amounts of data. This is expected, don’t force a shutdown.

Alternative: use robocopy from Command Prompt

If you prefer the command line, skip the Notepad trick and copy entire folder trees directly from the Command Prompt opened in step 9:

robocopy D:UsersYourUsernameDocuments E:BackupDocuments /E

Replace D: with your Windows drive letter and E: with your backup drive letter. The /E switch copies all subfolders, including empty ones.

Method #2: Remove the drive and connect it to another PC

If you’re comfortable opening your PC, this is often the most reliable method. You remove the storage drive, plug it into a working PC via a USB adapter or dock, and copy files through File Explorer like any external drive.

What you need:

• A small Phillips screwdriver

• A USB adapter, dock, or enclosure matched to your drive type (see Step 1 below)

Step 1: Identify your drive type

Drive type	Common in	Adapter you need
2.5″ SATA SSD or HDD	Most laptops, older desktops	SATA-to-USB adapter or dual-bay USB dock
M.2 NVMe SSD	Most laptops and desktops made after 2018	M.2 NVMe USB enclosure
3.5″ SATA HDD	Desktop PCs	SATA-to-USB dock (3.5″ compatible, needs external power brick)

Not sure which drive is in your PC? Search your model name + “storage specs”, the manufacturer’s support page almost always lists it.

Step 2: Remove the drive

1. Power off the PC completely and unplug it from the wall. For laptops, remove the battery if it’s accessible.

2. Remove the bottom panel screws on a laptop (or the side panel on a desktop tower) and set the panel aside.

3. Locate the drive: – A 2.5″ SATA drive is a flat rectangular slab, usually screwed into a bracket. – An M.2 NVMe drive looks like a stick of gum inserted into a slot on the motherboard, held by a single small screw at the far end.

4. Disconnect the drive from the motherboard connector and carefully lift it free.

Step 3: Connect the drive to a working PC

1. Insert the drive into your USB adapter, dock, or enclosure.

2. Connect the adapter to a working Windows PC via USB.

3. The drive should appear in File Explorer under This PC with its own drive letter, just like a USB flash drive.

4. Browse to UsersYourUsername on the attached drive and copy your Documents, Desktop, Pictures, and any other folders you need to the working PC or another external drive.

If you see “Access Denied”:

Windows protects user profile folders, even when the drive is connected externally. To take ownership of a locked folder:

1. Right-click the folder and select Properties.

2. Go to the Security tab and click Advanced.

3. Click Change next to the current owner, type your Windows username on the working PC, and click OK.

4. Check Replace owner on subcontainers and objects and click Apply.

If the drive doesn’t appear in File Explorer:

Press Windows + X and open Disk Management. If the drive appears there without a drive letter, right-click it and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths to assign one.

If files appear missing or partially corrupted:

Data recovery tools like Recuva (free) or Disk Drill can scan the attached drive for deleted or damaged files. Always save recovered files to a different drive, never back to the one you’re scanning.

Method #3: Boot from a Linux live environment (SystemRescue)

When Windows recovery media won’t boot or malware is suspected to interfere, a Linux live USB can read your Windows drive without relying on the broken OS at all. SystemRescue is a free, purpose-built rescue distribution that’s regularly updated to support modern UEFI hardware.

What you need:

• A USB drive (4 GB or larger)

• A working PC to download and write the bootable image

1. Download the latest SystemRescue ISO from system-rescue.org/Download.

2. Download Rufus (free) on the working PC.

3. Open Rufus, select your USB drive, click SELECT to choose the SystemRescue ISO, and click Start.

4. Plug the USB into the unbootable PC and boot from it using the same boot menu steps as Method #1 (steps 5–6 above).

Secure Boot note: If SystemRescue won’t start, enter your UEFI firmware settings (same key as the boot menu) and temporarily disable Secure Boot under the Security or Boot menu. Re-enable it after you’ve finished recovering your files.

5. Once SystemRescue loads into the desktop, open the file manager from the taskbar.

6. Your Windows partition should auto-mount and appear in the left panel of the file manager.

7. Plug in your external USB backup drive, it will appear in the file manager automatically.

8. Browse to /run/media/[drive-name]/Users/YourUsername/ and copy your files to the external drive.

When DIY recovery won’t cut it

If your drive clicks, grinds, or beeps, or if it’s not detected at all in UEFI/BIOS or via a USB adapter, stop. These are signs of physical failure, and each additional power cycle risks making the damage permanent. Professional data recovery services like DriveSavers or Ontrack work in clean-room environments and can often recover data from mechanically damaged drives, but it typically runs $300–$1,500+ depending on the severity of the damage. It’s expensive, but it’s the only realistic option when the hardware itself has failed. You can also try searching the web for a USB dock or enclosure that matches your drive, or check Microsoft’s support page for Windows File Recovery.

Conclusion

Method #2 (removing the drive and connecting it via a USB dock or enclosure) is a solid choice for most people. A good USB dock runs $20–$30, and once the drive is connected it shows up in File Explorer just like any external drive. If you’d rather not open the PC, Method #1 (WinRE) is worth trying first since it requires no extra hardware. Whichever method you use, scan any executable files you recover from a virus-infected drive with your antivirus before running them, data files like photos and documents are safe to copy directly, but don’t launch any programs or installers that came off the infected machine. For more information on saving Microsoft 365 files to your computer by default or setting up Windows 11 privacy and security settings, visit Help Desk Geek.