I'm resisting the urge to type some purple prose here. Three hundred bucks? That's blatant extortion. Talk about kicking someone when they're down. 😡
The "boot from Linux" method is free, and I've had a 100% success rate with it (as long as if the actual files are intact, i.e. the SSD itself hasn't failed.)
The most difficult step is creating the bootable USB drive, and successfully booting from it. This was one area where life was much simpler when we all had CD-ROM drives - making a bootable CD-ROM drive was much easier.
After you've made a bootable Linux USB drive, and plugged it into a USB port on your laptop, you still have to go through some contortions to get your laptop to boot from it. This will involve fiddling with your laptop BIOS - you may have to press a specific key during boot in order to access the BIOS, or to access an option to boot from the USB drive. The exact procedure will depend on the make and model of your laptop.
If you have never used Linux before, it may feel a little unfamiliar at first. If you use the Xubuntu boot disc I suggested, you will find a menu similar to Windows, a file manager similar to Windows, and so on. I don't think it will take you long to get the feel of it.
There is also a hardware-only method. If you can physically remove the SSD from inside the laptop (check that you can actually open the laptop, the housing is not sealed, and the SSD isn't soldered to the motherboard!), you can buy adapters that let you plug the SSD into one end, and a USB cable into the other. Basically the adapter turns an SSD into a USB3 external hard drive.
So if you get one of these adapters, and you have access to another computer as well as the failed laptop, then you can plug the old laptop 2.5" SSD into one of your other computers via a USB port, and simply copy the files off it just as you would do with any other USB external drive.
Here is an example of this type of adapter: https://www.newegg.com/p/36F-00MF-0...op_ssd drive cable-_-9SIAPY9EDG7847-_-Product
It is possible your laptop doesn't contain a 2.5" SSD. It may contain a more exotic type of SSD: https://xoptimum.com/types-of-ssd-for-laptop/
If this turns out to be the case, look for a USB adapter that will work with whatever laptop SSD you actually have.
When rescuing files using a Linux PC, it really is just that simple. Plug SSD into adapter, plug adaptor into PC USB port, drag and drop files using the Linux file manager. I've done this many times in the past.
However: I have never tried to rescue files from an SSD using a rescue PC that's itself running Windows.
I don't know how this will go. In my experience, Windows invariably goes out of its way to make your life hell whenever possible, so you may encounter unexpected complications.
It is possible that Windows (being unbelievably stupid) might helpfully offer to format your new external USB drive for you - DON'T ALLOW IT TO DO SO! (This would destroy all the files you're trying to rescue.)
Good luck!
-Gnobuddy
Tried the boot stick on my wife’s netbook. This was a late 2019 windows 10 machine. A day prior to my laptop dying, this netbook had gotten stuck in boot loop
Did a clean install after booting from the stick
I think this one is sorted for now. Now to try getting the files of my old machine. Thanks for the assist gnobuddy
Did a clean install after booting from the stick
I think this one is sorted for now. Now to try getting the files of my old machine. Thanks for the assist gnobuddy
Looks like it worked! 🙂
But no reboot loop when booting from Linux, correct?
So the netbook hardware is fine. It was just Bill Gate's turd of an operating system that caused the endless boot loop problem.
Clean install of Windows, or clean install of Linux? Just curious.
IMO Linux and old netbooks are a wonderful match. Linux runs much faster on the weak CPU and limited RAM these little computers have.
Until well into 2022, my wife and I were still using a 2008 Acer Aspire One as a travel and vacation laptop. By 2009 this little PC was already incapable of running the then-current version of Windows (Vista). As far as the Windows/Intel monopoly was concerned, it had already reached end-of-life, and I was expected to pony up another large sum of cash for a newer laptop (which would itself be obsolete within a year or two.)
This forced obsolescence didn't bother me because I'd wiped Windows off the Acer the same day I bought it, and plopped Linux on instead.
As the years went by, I installed a newer Linux distributions every so often, to keep the thing secure and current.
Thirteen years after Windows stopped being able to run on it, this little Acer still happily ran the latest version of Xubuntu (22.04), and was still perfectly usable for typical tasks (word processing, Web browsing, playing music, et cetera.)
We finally recycled it because the old battery had lost most of its capacity, and in 2022, nobody made a new battery for a 2008 Acer Aspire One!
Good luck! Hopefully the files are intact on the SSD. If so, you shouldn't have any trouble copying them to a thumb drive or external USB drive.
You're most welcome.
-Gnobuddy
Hey man, I did a clean Ubuntu install. The crazy thing is that I needed a working computer to get other computers working. The flexibility of a regular computer is amazing. Windows evolved to XP where it just worked hard without giving any trouble and gave user ability and access to anything. 7 was polished, then we wanted windows to be like tablets and phones and windows went dumb and stupid on us. Whatever version of 10 that I am on in the new pc, feels a lot like 7
Some little great things like magnifier and access to settings like clock on off or screen brightness seem half finished on 10 but I use them a lot so found workarounds for most except brightness
In my studio bench I want trouble free multiple audio drivers ability and reliable USB so can’t see any choices other than Mac. Wish I could install the Mac OS on a pc. A Mac machine costs a lot. Could be a worthwhile investment as apple seems to have themselves well sorted. From my first iPhone 3GS to current iPhone 11, they have looked after themselves and zero troubles with backup and restore even after things like bricking after power outage during updates. I have all the music and applications and contacts and photos without really any active input. I think this is important
Computer wishlist
Not be at mercy, no cannot use the amazing library version of media player from XP after service pack for windows 7!! The most comprehensive library functions with the most amazing access and interface was lost then and replaced with something very dumb
Next, a very flexible drive system. Easy to automate something like a system image that can backup and also migrate to other computers or drives without risking data. Is LVM the answer?
Then, easy access to all parts of the system like windows 7 did. Full right click context menu ability and ability to configure the context menu. Without doing any coding. Just like 7, all just there in start menu or right click
Then running huge tasks that take up all the ram and virtual ram without crashing
Finally, marriage to iPhone
A side project for computer rebellion. I have a surface pro from 2019 that I can’t restore due to a biz type security settings. If I can get Ubuntu on this, then with its powerful hardware, it will make a good platform to see if it is possible to configure Ubuntu to my use and then I image it
Workstation PC replaced. Old user data recovered. Back to work on the Uffornica project
Updates
Slight redesign of the Eric amp standalone stereo pro grade home chassis to allow better construction techniques. With a complete lack of interest in the DIY collaborative aspects of this chassis, I have decided to put that aside for now and focus rather on taking this chassis finish to another level and letting it establish its own presence
This is now renamed to Homestage 300S to complement my Uffornica Homestage concept and provide a way to keep this amp board contained while I work on the main circuits and chassis for Uffornica
The first part of this project is now being built. This is a base plate for Eric’s amp board and will provide protection for and from the board as well as proper air flow. This is achieved by built in pockets for a pair of ultra quiet 40mm fans and fluid flow. I didn’t have 50mm standoffs on hand so made them as part of the base plate. All holes are M3 and threaded where needed. Material is polyethylene, tough and will last lifetimes. A screening laminate will be applied under the base plate and a screen plate will cover over the inverted PCB
This base plate can be fitted to any enclosure and is made to drop into my chassis designs
Updates
Slight redesign of the Eric amp standalone stereo pro grade home chassis to allow better construction techniques. With a complete lack of interest in the DIY collaborative aspects of this chassis, I have decided to put that aside for now and focus rather on taking this chassis finish to another level and letting it establish its own presence
This is now renamed to Homestage 300S to complement my Uffornica Homestage concept and provide a way to keep this amp board contained while I work on the main circuits and chassis for Uffornica
The first part of this project is now being built. This is a base plate for Eric’s amp board and will provide protection for and from the board as well as proper air flow. This is achieved by built in pockets for a pair of ultra quiet 40mm fans and fluid flow. I didn’t have 50mm standoffs on hand so made them as part of the base plate. All holes are M3 and threaded where needed. Material is polyethylene, tough and will last lifetimes. A screening laminate will be applied under the base plate and a screen plate will cover over the inverted PCB
This base plate can be fitted to any enclosure and is made to drop into my chassis designs
Yeah, the user data is all now on iCloud with a storage subscription too, so should be good now. Its school holidays here, and I have been occupied with family and taking some time off work
My daughter and I have been doing a lot of model craft. Some time ago I had an idea for something I call an "inverse air keel" for stabilising very low speed aircraft. We finally made a cellophane and balsa model with this feature and got it really tuned in, so the next model seems more promising. With my leg getting better, we will be back on the water soon and starting work on the real 'life mission project type thingy'. This is a personal marine craft that can do a 200km bay round trip and smirk at chop and airtime capable. Built in stitched fabric, aluminium spars, inflatable hull/fuselage and electric propulsion. I now have all the means to make all the custom parts for this project, including water to air transition capable prop and drive system development
Right now we are making a human powered paddle boat using a pair of inflatable beach cushions, Simple 3d printed pulley system
A lot of progress, but nothing to update the thread with. Progress had been in fighting hardware and software. I have come to realise that 3D printing is not as magical as I first thought. I can draw up any shape, but the printers have serious limitations. It's taken a crazy about of time and testing to come up with models that work around the limitations. Even the software has a lot of limitations. Nothing that can't be worked around, though, so all good
One of the successful prints. May not be obvious, but this marine skeg design tests elements of my amplifier chassis. Things like avoiding the use of supports and model orientation on the print bed for smoother head movement as well as very strong wall structures
The inflatable we made
3D model of a nose piece for a model glider without a spreader and auto unloading wing. Holes in multiple planes and same with inclines
One of the successful prints. May not be obvious, but this marine skeg design tests elements of my amplifier chassis. Things like avoiding the use of supports and model orientation on the print bed for smoother head movement as well as very strong wall structures
The inflatable we made
3D model of a nose piece for a model glider without a spreader and auto unloading wing. Holes in multiple planes and same with inclines
Filtering the Uffornica concept to a bass amp, keep an eye out, guys. This should be fun. Especially with the "just because it can be built, doesn't mean it should " bit
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/uffornica-bagheera-build-log.406729/
A link to the build log
A link to the build log