[SOLVED] Saving files prior to clean install.

[silversmithy]

Getting ready to do a clean install of Windows 10 using media creation tool because my computer will no longer boot to Windows, and repair not working at all.
Anyway will try to salvage what files I can by going to command prompt from advanced options in troubleshoot, and using notepad.
I am in file explorer and see the different folders like desktop, libraries, system, downloads, etc...
At the bottom it has 3 areas you can select:
File name, files of type, encoding. I have never done this part before, but since files of type shows Text Documents (*.text) I changed that to all files as I am trying to save photos specifically. I am probably mistaken.
When I do this and double click on documents for example I am not finding some items I am pretty sure we're not deleted prior to this whole fiasco.
Do you think there is any chance to save anything that might still be there.
The last thing I was wondering about is will some be save automatically to the Windows old folder after the clean install even though it's staying Windows 10?
Thanks for any help/advice.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

to create a backup of these files you can use a backup software that has it's own bootable option like Acronis True Image.
boot with their software and choose to backup whatever directories or files located on the disk that you want to another location.

or you could create a bootable USB Linux OS and just copy/paste your files on that disk to another location.

will some be save automatically to the Windows old folder after the clean install even though it's staying Windows 10?

after a "clean" install the drive will be totally wiped and a new OS will be installed so everything on that partition or drive will be formatted and gone.

 

[kanewolf]

Getting ready to do a clean install of Windows 10 using media creation tool because my computer will no longer boot to Windows, and repair not working at all.
Anyway will try to salvage what files I can by going to command prompt from advanced options in troubleshoot, and using notepad.
I am in file explorer and see the different folders like desktop, libraries, system, downloads, etc...
At the bottom it has 3 areas you can select:
File name, files of type, encoding. I have never done this part before, but since files of type shows Text Documents (*.text) I changed that to all files as I am trying to save photos specifically. I am probably mistaken.
When I do this and double click on documents for example I am not finding some items I am pretty sure we're not deleted prior to this whole fiasco.
Do you think there is any chance to save anything that might still be there.
The last thing I was wondering about is will some be save automatically to the Windows old folder after the clean install even though it's staying Windows 10?
Thanks for any help/advice.

Rather than mess it up worse, get a USB adapter, connect that disk to a functioning computer and save your files. Or buy a new SSD, install Windows on it, then connect your current drive.

 

[kanewolf]

Getting ready to do a clean install of Windows 10 using media creation tool because my computer will no longer boot to Windows, and repair not working at all.
Anyway will try to salvage what files I can by going to command prompt from advanced options in troubleshoot, and using notepad.
I am in file explorer and see the different folders like desktop, libraries, system, downloads, etc...
At the bottom it has 3 areas you can select:
File name, files of type, encoding. I have never done this part before, but since files of type shows Text Documents (*.text) I changed that to all files as I am trying to save photos specifically. I am probably mistaken.
When I do this and double click on documents for example I am not finding some items I am pretty sure we're not deleted prior to this whole fiasco.
Do you think there is any chance to save anything that might still be there.
The last thing I was wondering about is will some be save automatically to the Windows old folder after the clean install even though it's staying Windows 10?
Thanks for any help/advice.

Rather than mess it up worse, get a USB adapter, connect that disk to a functioning computer and save your files. Or buy a new SSD, install Windows on it, then connect your current drive.

 

[gardenman]

If I remember correctly, the Documents folder and Pictures folder (and others) are created by reading 2 locations: Both the User location and the Public location.

For example:
C:\Users\silversmithy\Documents
and
c:\Users\Public\Documents

Same goes for Pictures:
C:\Users\silversmithy\Pictures
and
c:\Users\Public\Pictures

...and other folders (Videos, etc). So be sure to check those Public folders too.

 

[DSzymborski]

Rather than mess it up worse, get a USB adapter, connect that disk to a functioning computer and save your files. Or buy a new SSD, install Windows on it, then connect your current drive.

And after you do what Kanewolf suggests and you're in Windows, put together a proper backup plan so that this doesn't happen again. Failures happen and quite often are out of control of the user, but loss of data due to not backing things up properly almost always is the fault of the user.