We need to start a SAVE THE 3000 Picture files , for her even if that means paying PAy to fix it for her .

U guys are so sweet, thanks for all the help. As soon as we get back from vegas we will give it a shot.
So I can try using an xp disk even on vista?

Yep....you'll want to boot the computer from the XP cd. Turn on the pc, put in the XP cd, eventually on the black screen will appear "Press any key to boot from cd." Press any key, it will look like your going to install windows as you go through the whole setup process.

Then you'll arrive to a point where it asks to install a new installation or repair an exisiting installation using recovery console. Select "R" (usually it's R) then it should take you to a black DOS looking screen.

You MAY have to choose and installation - you should see something like
1. C:\Windows

AND it may ask you to enter the "Administrator's Password" - this will be the password for the local "administrator" account.

Once logged in, you'll see the "command prompt"
C:>_

type: help

and you'll get a list of commands

type C:>chkdsk /?
and you'll get all the chkdsk help and switches. You'll look for the switches for repair errors and fix files etc
usually the syntax is C:> chkdsk C: /R /F

Good luck and let me know if it works!

Still no luck, but I haven't given up just yet.

Be brave and give Pay's advice a try. He definitely knows what he is talking about.

Well tried doing the repair without the disk typing in repair and all that. But not working so no computer and no new pics. :,-(

Unfortunately in Vista you can't try what would be called a "2nd repair" like you can in XP. The best way to save all of your data/information would be to do like pay was telling you.

Connect your harddrive to a secondary machine and boot into windows. It would show your HD as another drive letter and normally you can access it and browse your files. You could then copy them all to another harddrive on that computer. For instance, create a new folder and transfer everything to it. Its time consuming sometimes, but effective. Then place the harddrive back inside the computer and reinstall Vista. Once Vista is correctly installed, take your harddrive back out and connect it to the secondary machine. Copy all of your data back to the original harddrive on a folder under the correct user name so you can find it later. Once again, take your harddrive out once it is finished transferring everything and connect it to the original machine. Boot back into Vista, look under the folder you transferred it to and voila!

I know all this technical stuff might be a bit over your head but that's the only way to save your data if repairing or chkdsk doesn't work : )

Hot damn! Laura is a IT wizard as well as and awesome babe! Bravo!

Looks like I'm going to have to try the swithing harddrive thing cause nothing else seems to work

Sorry to hear about your computer problems, I hope you come to an inexpensive solution.

Well it offical, all my stuff is gone. Have to start from scratch. Over 3000 itunes and way more pics,all gone.

Sorry u lost everything. But we'll be here to gladly look at all the new pics...

Damn!!!!! Sorry for your loss.

All those boobs gone....... but not necessarily. The drive can possibly be restored.

The drive could possibly be restored, or files could be salvaged if the sectors where the pics were saved have not been overwritten. There are programs out there to read hard drives and list salvageable files.

The issue as I understand, is finding someone they would be comfortable with doing the work. All that would have to be done is connect the old HDD to a working computer and then use the software to search files. BUT, whoever does the work is gonna eventually SEE the files.

It's not hard, and might be able to save alot of files. But if JD's hubby isn't savy enough, it's not something you wanna take to the local Geek Squad at Best Buy.

Let's admit it. Pay and Cman want to take a trip to Califoriania to save JD's hard drive and get to meet the lady herself!

Sorry guys actually paid to try and save it at a geek squad type place and they couldn't. So it back to 0. Ill just have to take all new ones.

I would have loved to see the look on the geek squad's face if they had been able to fix it and saw what was on the hard drive. There would be a lot of guys calling off with carpal tunnel the next day...

Oh boy if you only knew, all kinds of videos on there and pics of me and gal pals

awwww I KNEW there was vid!!!! And you never shared WAAAAAA