Windows XP BSOD

[Reventon]

My mom's XP SP2 computer got the blue screen and won't even run in safe mode. She managed to get a boot disk, but the only options given are the Recovery Console and a full format. She doesn't want to lose all of the files on the computer, so a reformat would be least preferred. Is there anything I can do with the Recovery Console that will help me at least boot the system to get the files she wants to an external disk and then reformat? I don't care if we have to reformat but she wants to keep all of her pictures and that crap.

 

[r9]

Download and burn to CD/DVD Ubuntu Live (or whatever Linux ) and boot it up backup the files and than do the install. You could try fixmbr (fixes the MBR) and chkdsk /f to (fixes HDD errors) from console that could help.

 

[Reventon]

I've done chkdsk /p and fixboot and it didn't work.

Tell me a little more about using Ubuntu though... do I just burn a CD, then boot from the CD to access my files so I can move them to like an external drive or something, then reformat, then copy the files back into the new installation of XP?

 

[Drone]

do I just burn a CD, then boot from the CD to access my files so I can move them to like an external drive

Yes you also can use BartPE. You can make a bootable cd or usb

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BartPE

But it's easier just to plug this hard drive in working machine and copy files.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

But it's easier just to plug this hard drive in working machine and copy files.

This. Then just format your moms hard drive.

 

[Jetster]

Exactly ^