Help with elderly uncles computer

MisterNick

Uncles computer is spinning with B/W screen stating
Safe mode
Safe mode with networking
Safe mode with command prompt
Last known good config
Start windows normally

Computer is old. Local guy has quoted price for new computer which uncle has accepted

“We are where we are”.

What does he need to do to access his computer to get access to his data so that it can be transferred to the new computer.

I live at a distance so can’t get to him that often, but I have a question mark over the supplier but I can’t put my finger on why.

My uncle has a laptop that he is currently linking up on line.
We are having difficulty connecting. Although his laptop is wi fi enabled, it is not connecting.
The laptop is an Advent 8117

The current questions are;
1. Can he access his computer given its current state
if so, how can he transfer his data on a devise he can purchase from Tesco, or local SM
How does he get on line with his laptop?

There is a potential issue as to how much he can see on laptop given screen size.

Sorry how vague this is, but I need some help progressing.

One last thing, the person that is providing the computer appears to have loaded some software on the current computer that allows him access to my uncles computer.

Please understand that my uncle is completely independent and I can’t tell him what to do I have to provide the underlying logic.

This is a challenge and any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Browntoa

removal of hard drive and placing in a Caddy from ebay will allow access , will show up as an external drive

MisterNick

Wow, that was quick.

Could you explain it in words of one syllable please. i.e. what hardware is required and each step he has to take to install and run it?
He can't get access to internet on his laptop, and I wondered if you had a way of resolving that.

macman

If he boots into Safe Mode (if he can) all his data is recoverable. Or try last known good config.
Copy data to DVD/CD/flash drive/external hard drive.

TakeThis

Here.

If the hard drive is faulty, you can simply replace it and then reinstall the Operating System and Drivers.

MisterNick

TakeThis wrote: »

Here.

If the hard drive is faulty, you can simply replace it and then reinstall the Operating System and Drivers.

Thanks for the response. Does this mean that the hard drive is faulty?

Given the screen that is coming up, does this indicate that his hard drive is faulty

Owain_Moneysaver

he probably forgot to shut down last time and just switched it off.

pressing 1 and powering up in Safe Mode, then shutting down properly, may cure it.

And if you haven't discovered it already, get TeamViewer and set it to start up automatically on his PC. (which is what the computer guy will have done)

macman

It could be either hard drive failure or a corrupted operating system, either way the BIOS screens will still load.
Until you try and boot into one or more of the available modes in Advanced Boot Options, it's impossible to say.

MisterNick

macman wrote: »

If he boots into Safe Mode (if he can) all his data is recoverable. Or try last known good config.
Copy data to DVD/CD/flash drive/external hard drive.

I don't think he can boot into Safe mode because when he clicks on it the screen just keeps refreshing.

If the "try last known config' is an option where does he get access?

Sorry to sound thick, but I am outside of knowledge zone.

Thanks for your help though

closed

make model and operating system of pc?

how did he install remote control software if windows doesn't boot?

Does your uncle have the operating system disc, does the machine (if branded), have a factory restore partition - see manual.

if the laptop has an ethernet port, connect it to the router with a cable instead to get on net (for now), or make sure the wireless encryption key is correct.

the symptoms you describe are common, and most of the time are not caused by hardware faults, a reinstall of windows or repair would probably fix it, although it could be hardware, it's impossible to tell from the description - does a blue screen flash up after trying safe mode? Before attempting any windows reinstall or repair, get the data off first.

Did the local guy attempt any diagnosis, or just go for the sell him a new pc route?

The local guy should be able to get at the data with a caddy, but it would be much cheaper to do it yourself - you need to find out if the disk is pate/ide (older) or sata (newer) before spending £3 on a caddy

macman

MisterNick wrote: »

I don't think he can boot into Safe mode because when he clicks on it the screen just keeps refreshing.

If the "try last known config' is an option where does he get access?

Sorry to sound thick, but I am outside of knowledge zone.

Thanks for your help though

Try all the options available in ABO, nothing to lose. You just use the up/down keys to select the option and then hit 'return'.