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What can I do to recover my computer? I tried booting from an external cd but it wont work

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Brief, practical recovery steps and what to expect (context: cannot boot and received a SMART-related issue noted by ; pointed at boot/BIOS as a possible blocker).

First priority: protect data. Do not run long, write-heavy diagnostics until critical files are copied. If the machine will not boot from the optical drive, create a bootable USB on another PC (use Rufus to write an Ubuntu or recovery ISO) and boot a live session. Ubuntu Live is a simple way to access the disk and copy your important files to another USB or external drive: and Rufus.

Second: verify SMART and run non-destructive tests. From the live USB you can inspect SMART attributes and run short self-tests with smartmontools to see whether reallocated sectors, pending sectors, or uncorrectable errors are increasing — those are the critical indicators of imminent failure: smartmontools. If Windows still boots elsewhere, CrystalDiskInfo gives a quick visual report: CrystalDiskInfo.

If SMART is confirmed failing, clone the disk to a larger healthy drive before attempting repairs. Use a tool designed for failing drives (ddrescue) that tries to salvage readable sectors while avoiding excessive stress on the drive: GNU ddrescue. If the drive clicks, makes abnormal noises, or cloning stalls repeatedly, stop and consider a professional recovery service — DIY attempts can reduce the chance of a successful professional recovery.

Finally, plan to replace the drive and restore from backups. Treat any SMART failure as a prompt to rebuild the system and start a regular backup routine.

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Member Avatar for bobbyraw

what type of error are you getting when you boot from the Hard drive

Member Avatar for HoustonIT

It sounds like you need to set your computer to boot to CD. What brand computer do you have? When it boots up do you see any boot menu or press XXX to enter bios options?

Member Avatar for bobbyraw

Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology, or S.M.A.R.T.

and base on your title if SMART fails on a hard drive it means 2 thing. one the hard drive is dying. or the hard drive does not support the SMART technology Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology, or S.M.A.R.T.

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