How to Recover Data from a Non-Booting Windows PC: Step-by-Step Guide

A Windows PC that refuses to boot can feel like a disaster, especially when important files are stuck inside and there’s no recent backup. The good news is that in most cases, your data is still intact and recoverable.

Boot failures are usually caused by software issues rather than physical drive damage, which means your photos, documents, videos, and other files often remain safely stored on the disk. Before trying any solutions, avoid reinstalling Windows, formatting the drive, or running System Restore, as it can overwrite your recoverable data to some unallocated space.

This guide walks you through the safest and most effective ways to recover data from a Windows PC that won’t boot. The methods covered work for both Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems.

Why is My Windows PC Not Booting?

You have to find out what was going wrong and what to do in order to prevent it from continuing.

The table below is a summary of the most frequently occurring causes of failure to boot, the error messages they produce, and which available method to use or skip.  

Note: Is your drive making clicking/grinding noises? Turn off the computer immediately, and contact a professional data recovery lab. This is a probable hardware failure and continued usage of the drive in this case may result in permanent damage.

Method Comparison: Choose the Right Approach for Your Situation

The below table lays out all the methods available to recover your data from a non-booting Windows PC. Some methods may require creating bootable media on a working PC, a prior backup, or a certain level of expertise depending on your scenario.

Method 1: Create a WinPE Bootable USB and Recover Your Data

With a WinPE bootable USB, you can start an unbootable PC from an external device such as a USB drive and access a temporary Windows environment. From there, you can run a compatible data recovery tool—either one that is integrated into the bootable media or one launched from another drive—to scan the system drive and recover your files.

What You Will Need:

• A separate PC/laptop with Windows OS.
• USB flash drives with at least 8 GB of storage space (creating a bootable media will erase all stored data on the USB drive).
• A professional data recovery software with an option to create bootable media.

Steps:

Follow this KB article for the steps to create bootable media and recover your data.

BIOS Key Reference by Manufacturer

• UEFI Secure Boot Warning: Windows 11 PCs ship with Secure Boot turned on by default. This will prevent a WinPE bootable USB drive from loading. If the PC ignores the USB connectivity signal or displays a “Secure Boot Violation” message, then go to the “BIOS > Security > Secure Boot.” Turn off the toggle switch to disable the Secure Boot temporarily. You can turn Secure Boot back on after your data has been recovered.

• WinPE vs. Windows Installation Media: A WinPE bootable USB file is created through a recovery program, and it allows a full data recovery environment to execute from it. On the other hand, Windows installation media is for OS repair and reinstallation only. It can’t reconstruct lost or unreadable personal data without extra recovery software or hardware.

Method 2: Boot Windows into Safe Mode and Copy Your Files

The best option out there is to try the Safe Mode option. But this is only for the users whose PCs are freezing, crashing, looping, or not booting properly. Safe Mode requires a minimum number of drivers and resources to load into Windows. In Safe Mode, you can safely back up all important files that you need to carry out.

When This Works: The best use for Safe Mode is if the issue is caused by a driver conflict, a failed Windows Update, or slight corruption in the system files. It won’t provide you any aid when Windows can’t get loaded or you have a black screen with no response.

Steps for Windows 11:

• Power on your Windows PC until it fails 3 times. Windows 11 will automatically start WinRE.
• Now choose Troubleshoot > Advance Options > Startup Settings > Restart.

• Reboot the PC. After the boot has completed, press the F4 key to boot into the Safe Mode.
• Press the F5 key to start the PC in Safe Mode with Networking.
• Now, you’ve started in Safe Mode. Open File Explorer, then transfer your important files and folders to a USB drive or other storage device.

Steps for Windows 10:

• Restart your computer repeatedly, or press the F8 key before Windows logo appears to enter the Advanced Boot Options, if not disabled by default.
• If you are in the Safe Mode, all you have to do is move your required files to any portable or external hard drive.

Note: If your PC didn’t enter Safe Mode and it shows a black screen, fast crash, or no picture, refer to the first method or the third method.

Method 3: Remove the Drive and Connect It to Another Windows PC

On the other hand, if your laptop or PC doesn’t have power or the USB boot is not working, just take out the inner drive and connect it to a working laptop or PC. The second computer will recognize the disk as an external drive. You may read the data on it as usual, or you can run recovery software straight on the drive.

What You Will Need:

• A second Windows PC or laptop.
• You may need 2 types of adapters. One for SATA HDD or 2.5 SATA SSD and another for M.2 NVMe.
• A screwdriver that matches the PC model you’re working on.

Steps:

1. Unplug the computer. Turn it off. Take it off the wall. If possible, take the battery out of the laptop.
2. For the desktop, delete the box or the bottom section for the laptop. Find a way of storing things. SATA hard disk, SSD, M.2 NVMe SSD, anything.
3. Now, very carefully disconnect the drive from the computer. Keep track of the orientation and port position because it can be reinstalled later, if required.
4. Take a drive and plug it into the USB enclosure or adapter for a working PC.
5. The working computer should recognize it as an external drive. Open File Explorer to locate your files.
6. Make backups of important files on the working PC or any other external drive.
7. If there are no files to be accessed or if there are permission issues, then utilize Stellar Data Recovery software for Windows on a PC already up and running.

BitLocker Encryption Warning: Many Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise machines already have BitLocker activated. If it’s turned on, the drive will seem locked when connected to another PC. It asks for your 48-digit BitLocker recovery key to use it. You may find it by “clicking here”, selecting “Device,” then “BitLocker recovery keys.” If you don’t have the key, recovery becomes almost impossible.

Method 4: Use Windows Startup Repair and Boot Recovery Commands

This fix is for one kind of failure only: when the Windows startup configuration is faulty. The Master Boot Record (MBR) is often the source of issues, such as “Bootmgr is missing,” “Operating System Not Found,” or “No Boot Device Available” on your computer. It’s not the disk or your personal info.

Important Note: You should only use Windows Startup Repair or the “bootrec” command if Methods 1, 2, or 3 has successfully recovered your essential data. These commands are used to alter the boot configuration of the drive.

Step 1: Run Automatic Startup Repair

• Boot from Windows Media on your USB/DVD media (created with Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool).
• On the setup screen, click “Repair your computer” in the bottom-left corner where it says “Install.”

• Click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Repair.
• Automatically try fixing the problem. If it works, the PC will boot back up into Windows normally.

Step 2: Manual Boot Recovery Commands (via Command Prompt)

If the Startup Repair doesn’t work either, go to the Windows Recovery Options menu, select Advanced Options, and then select Command Prompt. Type the following commands one by one, and hit Enter after each one:

• “bootrec /rebuildbcd”: Rebuilds the Boot Configuration Data
• “bootrec /fixmbr”: Fixes the Master Boot Record
• “bootrec /fixboot”: Fixes the boot sector
• “bootrec /scanos”: Scans all drives for Windows installations

• For GPT Disks (UEFI Systems): The majority of contemporary PCs running Windows 11 utilize a UEFI system with GPT partition arrangement, as opposed to the outmoded MBR format. Then you cannot use Bootrec /fixmbr. Instead, bcdboot C:\Windows /s X: /f UEFI (where C:\ X: is the disk letter of your EFI system partition). You’ll need diskpart to find it. Enter “list vol” at the diskpart > prompt to see this.

Step 3: Check and Repair System Files

• sfc /scannow – Checks and repairs corrupted Windows system files
• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth – DISM Repair (if SFC fails)

Method 5: Restore from Windows Backup

This is the quickest recovery if you had a backup prior to failure. Generally, there are three different ways of backing up Windows (a little different from one another).

Option A: File History (Windows 10 and 11)

• Plug in the external drive to which your files are backed up in File History.
• Once the Windows boot repair has been completed (Method 2) or Windows is reinstalled, set it in Settings, Backup, and More options.

• Then proceed to restore individual files and/or folders back to any previous version.

Option B: OneDrive Cloud Backup

• Log in to onedrive.com on any device that functions.
• If Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders were synced to OneDrive, you’ll find those files are all online there.

• Download as per your requirement right to a working device. No software to recover is necessary.

Option C: Windows System Image Restore

• You can do this using a full system picture backup. In Windows 10 or 11, go to Control Panel > Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
• Put in your Windows USB/installation media and then proceed to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Image Recovery.

Important: A system image restore replaces everything on the drive. Do not do this unless after taking all critical files and backing them up in another way.

Technical Note: SSD vs HDD Recovery After Windows Boot Failure

This section has one of the most critical aspects of data recovery following Windows boot problems.

One big difference between SSD recovery and HDD recovery is how lost data is dealt with. When an SSD is turned on, the TRIM feature often causes deleted files to disappear permanently. Since HDDs don’t have TRIM, lost data can be found and recovered until new data overwrites it. This gives HDD users comparatively more time than SSD users to recover their data. Actions must be taken swiftly with SSDs.

When to Stop DIY Recovery and Call a Professional

Using recovery software might make things worse in some situations, especially if the problem is caused by a broken piece of hardware. This might reduce the likelihood of a successful recovery. When you detect any of these indicators it’s time to stop attempting to repair things yourself and get aid from a data recovery service provider.

If you see any of the following, stop all DIY work right away:

• Clicking, grinding, or repeated beeping noises are occurring during the drive
• The drive itself isn’t detected in BIOS, even when attached to another PC.
• The PC was dropped into the water and was physically damaged by water or heat.

Professional Recovery Note: In-lab recovery of physically damaged drives, encrypted drives without keys, RAID, and NAS systems is done in Stellar’s ISO-certified labs. They have a “no data, no charge” policy as well as providing free remote evaluation to ensure that the data is recoverable before you sign anything!

Prevention: How to Avoid Data Loss from Windows Boot Failures

Some simple tips may help you avoid Windows boot failures altogether.

1.    Enable File History

On Windows 10: Click Settings > Update and security > Backup and then setup File History to an external storage device.

On Windows 11: Open Control Panel > System and Security > File History, connect your external drive, and click Turn on.”.

Create file history on external storage devices. You won’t have to worry about Windows backing up items in important folders, as they do it automatically every hour.

2.    Back Up to OneDrive

Select “Sync Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders” in OneDrive settings. Restore access to files without having to reboot your Windows system when there was a problem trying to boot.

3.    Create a System Image

Create a full drive image using Backup and Restore (Windows 7) in Windows 10 or 11. Keep it on a separate external drive that you have plugged in from time to time and have updated every couple of months.

4.    Keep a Bootable USB Ready

Now create a WinPE recovery USB before it fails. Keep it in a place that’s easy to access and keep it secure. For example, if your one functioning computer is the one that just died, it’s simply impossible to create a bootable thumb drive at that time.

5.    Monitor Drive Health

Check your drive’s S.M.A.R.T. status every month or two so you get advance warning before a failure. You can do this for free with Stellar Data Recovery — the built-in Drive Monitor reports drive health, temperature, and S.M.A.R.T. attributes at no cost. A “Caution” or “Bad” status is the drive telling you it’s on its way out: back up your data immediately and plan a replacement before it takes your files with it.

Save Your BitLocker Recovery Key

If your drive is protected with BitLocker encryption, make sure you have access to the BitLocker recovery key before attempting any recovery steps. You may need this key to unlock the drive and access your data. Without it, neither Windows nor most data recovery tools can read the encrypted contents of the drive. You can often find the recovery key in your Microsoft account, on a printed copy, or wherever it was saved during BitLocker setup.

Conclusion                                                                                                       

A Windows PC that won’t boot is stressful, but it rarely means your data is gone. The operating system broke, not the drive. Your files are almost certainly still there.

Quick recap: WinPE bootable USB when Windows is dead, Safe Mode when it partially loads, drive removal when the PC has no power, and Startup Repair for MBR or BCD issues. Call a professional if physical damage is involved.

If you are looking for a reliable tool to recover data from a non-booting Windows PC, Stellar Data Recovery Software for Windows is worth starting with. It handles the WinPE bootable USB creation directly, supports deep scans on both SSDs and HDDs, and lets you preview recoverable files before saving anything.

SSD users, do not keep restarting the machine. Every power cycle works against you.

Frequently Asked Questions