Error 0cx0000098 and System Restore issues

Hi, as very basic initial preparatory steps I suggest you
a. Get a copy of Minitool's partition manager boot disk so you can examine your partition layout
Bootable Partition Manager| MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition
b. Get a copy of @Khiyi's boot disk (from the top of the Software and Apps section here. (DVD or USB disk).
This boots up as a mini Windows with many utilities.
You could use that, for example, to examine and recover files from your disk.

(I understand you to say you have no backups- please confirm).

c. You may wish also to get a copy of Macrium Reflect (free) and create its boot disk.
It may prove useful to be able to create a disk image of your disk as a backup from which you can recover files, if your disk is still functional. (You usually cannot image failing disks).

Please post a screenshot of your partitions using Minitool's Partition Manager.

Please advise if you can read the files in the Windows partition and any other partition you have created and recognise.

Attachment 118825
Attachment 118826

You can use DVD's or DVD-RWs if you prefer..

Given that you have no backups, I would strongly recommend you save what you can before attempting any remedial actions.

Hi, if I were in that situation, I guess I'd prefer to create a disk image of your existing hard disk, assuming I'm intending to reuse it as my boot disk.

Why? Because it's a copy of everything. That means if at some point later I had forgotten some obscure bit of data I wanted I could always extract it from the image.

On the other hand, if you know exactly what files and folders you wish to save, and where they are, you could copy them off the disk.

There's another approach: You might consider setting that hard disk aside, and upgrading your PC, say to use an SSD. That depends on how old the PC is, what you use it for.

Another factor is whether your HDD is failing. If it is failing, you will probably not be able to image it, and you are left with copying what you can.

I wouldn't wish to try putting a bootable disk into another PC.

With the HDD installed as at present, you can
a. Boot using Kyhi's disk and copy off what you can to a USB disk or over a network
or
b. Boot using the disk imaging boot disk and create an image to a USB disk

That avoids fiddling around removing it and putting it in a case.

Once you have booted the disk, it's similar to the various older disks like Hiren's or Falcon's boot CDs.

You will be in a familiar Windows environment with a desktop, shortcuts, a start menu. But Windows is running basically from RAM not disk. You can use explorer, for example. So your HDD is seen as just another disk. You may well find the drive letters are not as you normally see them when booting Windows from your HDD.

So you can plug in a USB drive and copy files from your HDD to the external drive, for example.

Many questions can be answered from the extensive Tutorial section, mostly by Brink- do have a look:
USB Drive - Boot from in Windows 10

Also see #6 here:
https://www.tenforums.com/installati...tml#post924240

No, it's just to check what partitions you've got.

Using Kyhi's boot disk, you can run Crystal Diskinfo to check your disk's SMART params - I can't recall if that's already on the disk, if not I expect there's sthg else, or you can download the (free portable) version.