How can i get data from a dead disc?

[jim5000]

I got home last night and turned on the computer only to be told that I had an invalid system disc. Ive reinstalled windows on another drive, and i was hoping that i could then connect the drive that died and get all my documents (including a years worth of my girlfriends phd work) and all our photos etc. which i dont have backed up anywhere....

When i plugged the drive back in, windows recognises its there but cannot open or read it. Is there any (preferably free) programs you can get which will read from the disc and recover any files which are still intact?

Thanks,

 

[ByteJuggler]

What do you mean "Windows recognizes it" but you cannot open it or read it? Does it show up with a drive letter or not? If it does, what happens when you open/access it? Any error messages?

 

[raf]

Maybe you can access the files using knoppix.

I had a storage drive do the same thing on me a while back, after a hardlock windows would take about a minute or two to boot with the said drive plugged in and although I could see the drive there under my computer I had no means of accessing it and even if I attempted to format it xp would reboot on 1%. Everything was still accessible in knoppix strangely enough though so I hope it'll allow you to get to some of the lost files.