This is one of those rare times when I wish I didn't have personal experience I could bring to bear. Earlier this summer, my work laptop died -- it went from port and performance problems to getting stuck on the UEFI screen, then finally, failing to power on at all. In the end, it made more sense to buy a new PC rather than pay a technician hundreds of dollars to salvage something that was already three years old.

Repairing or recovering Windows with a bootable USB drive

The last chance to get back to normal

A Crucial X8 SSD plugged into a Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock.

If a PC is powering on, but simply refusing to move past the UEFI/BIOS interface into booting Windows, you may be in luck. It's possible for certain files to become corrupt in a way that prevents Windows from booting. If these can be repaired, Windows will return to normal, with all your apps and personal files left intact. If not, you should at least be able to recover data using a workaround.

The process of rescuing a PC in this condition is long and complicated, so I'll break it down step-by-step. I recommend reading the whole list first before taking any action -- some shopping and phone calls may be in order.

  1. First, you'll need access to another Windows PC. It doesn't have to be yours, but it does need internet access, and administrative permission to download and run an EXE file.
  2. Next, you'll want a blank, Windows-formatted USB flash drive or SSD with at least 16GB of space. If it has any existing files, they'll be deleted during the following steps, so consider yourself warned. The drive doesn't have to be particularly fast -- while USB 4 or 3.x is preferable, USB 2.0 will do if you don't have anything better.
  3. On the second PC, go to Microsoft's Create installation media for Windows page and follow instructions to download MediaCreationTool.exe. Note that you'll need your Windows product key. Often this is embedded into your PC's firmware, but if not, you'll need to track it down elsewhere.
  4. Launch MediaCreationTool, then select Create Installation media. When asked to pick between an ISO and a bootable drive, choose bootable media. Install this to the USB drive.
  5. Power on your original PC.
  6. When the UEFI/BIOS interface loads, plug in the USB drive, then change settings to put the USB drive first in the boot order, ahead of your regular hard drive(s). Exact menu options are going to vary from PC to PC, so you may need to explore.
  7. Save and exit the UEFI/BIOS. This will force your PC to reboot, and run the USB drive's installation media.
  8. When the Windows install screen appears, select Repair your computer, then go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
  9. At this point, you have a few choices. The best one is probably Startup Repair to fix your original copy of Windows. If all you care about is recovering data, however -- or you want to do that first, just in case -- select Command Prompt. The steps below deal mostly with the second option, for which you'll want a storage drive that isn't the one you put the Windows installer on. Connect it to a separate USB port. If Startup Repair is successful, skip to step 15.
  10. When the Command Prompt appears, type in notepad.exe and hit Enter.
  11. In Notepad, click on File, then Open. This will launch a version of File Explorer.
  12. Navigate to a file or folder you want to copy to the storage drive, then right-click on it.
  13. Left-click Send to, and choose your storage drive as the destination.
  14. Repeat steps 12 and 13 until you've got everything you want safely copied. At this point, you can close Command Prompt.
  15. Safely exit any software and reboot your PC. Before it tries to load from the USB drive again, hit the displayed key to load your UEFI/BIOS menu (be quick!).
  16. Set your main hard drive back to being first in the boot order, unless you need to run the installation media again, in which case you can leave things as-is. Remember to save and exit to apply any changes.

Swap the internal drive(s) to another PC

When you're ready to get technical

Holding an internal SSD in front of laptop.

If the steps above fail, or your PC won't power on at all, one alternative recovery method involves transplanting your hard drive(s) to another PC. In some scenarios, you may even be able to boot your old copy of Windows from this new system, but that's usually pointlessly complicated. Instead, I'm going to focus on data recovery alone.

  1. Before you begin, make sure your affected PC is switched off and unplugged from any power source. If you have a grounding mat, place the PC on that to reduce the chances of static discharge.
  2. Find the necessary screwdriver(s) to both open your PC and unscrew the drive(s) you want to remove.
  3. Making sure you're electrically grounded, begin the removal process.
  4. There are two types of internal hard drives these days: bulkier SATA-connected SSDs and HDDs, and M.2 SSDs (pictured), which are screwed flat into a circuit board. Be especially careful with M.2s, since they're delicate.
  5. Once the removal is done, place the drive(s) carefully on a clean and static-free surface.
  6. Connect each drive to a SATA-to-USB or M.2-to-USB adapter, as appropriate. For M.2 drives, that may be a small enclosure. These parts should be easy to order online if you can't find them at a store specializing in PC hardware.
  7. Turn on your second PC and plug in the adapter(s).
  8. Use File Explorer to find and copy the files you want to a new destination. Be mindful of storage space -- you won't be able to copy over the complete contents of your old computer if the new location doesn't have a larger capacity. In fact, don't bother copying over OS or cache files, or any app installers you can simply re-download later.

Paying a data recovery specialist

Your last resort

A person swapping out computer pieces on a worktable. Credit: Framework

If the idea of opening up your PC is unsettling, or its internal storage is too deeply integrated (as in the case of some laptops and tablets), you may need to bite the bullet and pay a technician to help you. Be sure to research the services a company offers, as some may only specialize in standard hardware and software problems, not data recovery. You'll also want somewhere to put your content, in which case you may need a new PC or external SSD all ready to go.

If you can live without the files you've lost, it may just be cheaper to move on.

You'll definitely be talking to a data recovery specialist if a drive is physically damaged or heavily corrupted -- the skills and tools involved aren't easy to pick up on your own. Remember, there's no guarantee that they'll be able to salvage anything. If you can live without the files you've lost, it may just be cheaper to move on.