My laptop is stuck in a boot loop on Windows 10. I want to reinstall but I need my Documents folder first. I have no backup. Is there a way?
Windows will not start. How do I copy my files off first?
Resolved
Data Recovery
OY
Owen Young October 19, 2026
2 replies
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Yes, you can reach the files without Windows starting.
Option 1: take the drive out and connect it to another PC with a USB drive enclosure or adapter. It appears as an external drive and you copy the files.
Option 2: boot from a Windows installation USB (create it on another PC with Microsoft's media tool). At the first screen press Shift + F10 for a command prompt, type notepad, and use File > Open in Notepad to browse the drive in an Open dialog. Right click a file or folder there and use Copy, then paste it to a USB stick. Drive letters can differ from normal, so check which one holds your Users folder.
Option 3: boot a Linux live USB, which shows the Windows disk in a file manager and lets you copy files.
If the drive is encrypted with BitLocker you need the recovery key first.
Used the drive enclosure method on another PC. Got everything. Thanks.