HP laptop with Win 7 upgrade to 10 crashed, want to access the drive.

My Dell computer running 10 with Winver 2004.

Sister in another state (I just returned from there) had a Toshiba hdd in an HPpv6 Pavilion with Win 7 upgraded to 10 which crashed all of a sudden. Repairs by a shop attempted but not successful. They did take files and folders off, but she had an installation of Microsoft Office which was not saved.

She does not have the S/N or the email from when she purchased it through Microsoft. She can find an older Office version in her Microsoft account purchases asking her to renew...but not the new one. They won't give her the information to reinstall it on her new computer without the S/N, etc.

I brought the drive home and am not able to boot the drive when connected by itself to my Dell.
There is no installation disk.
I have used the Microsoft Repair tool on startup, several Boot Repair disks, it always reverts to the screen with options to repair or start.
AOEMI Partition Assistant, G-Parted, can see the partition but can't access files.
The Terminal can't be accessed to fixmbr because when you pick Command Prompt in Recovery, it can't find it and returns to the Recovery screen with 2 options.
Can't put in a Win 7 recovery disk and boot, it wants the data from the original Win 7 in order to repair, same with trying Win 8.1 on boot.
Linux Ubuntu 16 and 18 won't reveal the file, nor Mint 20, or Knoppix.
If I load Belarc on 10 with 7 installed, it won't show 7s software. I can't load it on the 7 drive if installed by itself.
When I have both drives installed and boot into 10, I can see the 7 drive and files, but can't access.
I love a challenge...but brain getting a little mushy!

Try3 said:

It sounds ["she had an installation of Microsoft Office which was not saved"] as though the shop reinstalled Windows so the MSOffice product key will no longer be on it.

Does she have a system image from before the repair? Restoring to an earlier state is the only way I've heard of to recover an MSOffice Product key [using something like Belarc if that works for modern versions].

You might get somebody who knows more than I do if you start an additional thread called, "Cannot find MS Office Product key [subscription-based Version NNNNNNN] after Windows reinstallation".
- I always thought that MSAccounts saved the relevant factors for any MS subscription products so somebody else might see a solution that I don't.

[I don't have a modern subscription-based MSOffice & I only use an MS Account for email]

Best of luck,
Denis

Thanks for the note, it sure sounds like something was blanked during the process. I did find System Restore but the only one was from 2017 so I didn't run it. Just now my sister sent a note and said that from what I'd sent her today regarding her Microsoft account, she could go in and find the older account that wanted to be renewed, and now cancel it (couldn't before I assume). So, she thanked me and that's the end of it for her I guess! Maybe she got tired of me asking her so many questions in order to help her...some people have no patience for this kind of thing!!! I'm not sure if she can access her new Office 365 or not, and not sure I care at this point...yee haw!!!!

The "My Computer" section has room for two computers.
Please update the specs with the second computer:

System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums
In the left corner below in your post you find 'My System Specs'.
After clicking it you can find a link a little below that says 'Update your System Spec', click on this link to get to the page where you can fill in your system specs.
System Info - See Your System Specs - Windows 7 Help Forums

Include PSU. cooler, case, peripherals and anything attached to the computer by wired or wireless (mouse, keyboard, headset, printer, xbox, USB wireless network card, etc.)



For possible recovery of the Microsoft Office product key see this link:

How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

[QUOTE=Try3;2030831]Do you by any chance mean a "system image" rather than a "system restore" point?

If it's a system image then that could provide a solution.
- Make a current system image so you can get back to the current state of the computer.
- Restore the 2017 system image.
- Run Belarc or whatever can retrieve the MSOffice product key [as I said, I know nothing about subscription versions].
- Restore the current system image.
- Use the retrieved MSOffice product key to reinstall & reactivate MSOffice.

I realise you might not pursue the matter any further but thought I ought to point out this possible solution in case you do decide to take it further.

Hi Denis, yes, I'm going to take it further whether she wants me to or not! I like these challenges!

Her hard drive won't start up either by itself in a working computer, or in a dual boot. How can I get to a System Image? I can see a lot of her files when I access the drive booting into a working drive, then seeing her drive. Would the Image be in there? Thank you VERY much for the tidbit, let me know a little more how to do that but I will be looking online also. I've been repairing computers for several years, but this is outside my little realm.

- - - Updated - - -

zbook said:

The "My Computer" section has room for two computers.
Please update the specs with the second computer:

System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums
In the left corner below in your post you find 'My System Specs'.
After clicking it you can find a link a little below that says 'Update your System Spec', click on this link to get to the page where you can fill in your system specs.
System Info - See Your System Specs - Windows 7 Help Forums

Include PSU. cooler, case, peripherals and anything attached to the computer by wired or wireless (mouse, keyboard, headset, printer, xbox, USB wireless network card, etc.)



For possible recovery of the Microsoft Office product key see this link:

How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

Great to have another brain involved...mine is a little iffy sometimes! Thanks.
I will get the info off the internet for the other computer, since I can't start it, and post under the Windows 7 section.
I've looked at several links similar to what you sent, but...NirSoft says PruduKey can find the information.
BelArc couldn't get the info. from an unbootable drive, but NirSoft says it can. So will try that ASAP! I'll let you know.

From the produkey link:

ProduKey is a small utility that displays the ProductID and the CD-Key of Microsoft Office (Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office 2007), Windows (Including Windows 8/7/Vista), Exchange Server, and SQL Server installed on your computer. You can view this information for your current running operating system, or for another operating system/computer - by using command-line options.

Try3 said:

Do you by any chance mean a "system image" rather than a "system restore" point?

If it's a system image then that could provide a solution.
- Make a current system image so you can get back to the current state of the computer.
- Restore the 2017 system image.
- Run Belarc or whatever can retrieve the MSOffice product key [as I said, I know nothing about subscription versions].
- Restore the current system image.
- Use the retrieved MSOffice product key to reinstall & reactivate MSOffice.

I realise you might not pursue the matter any further but thought I ought to point out this possible solution in case you do decide to take it further.

Best of luck,
Denis

It was a System Restore, not Image.

- - - Updated - - -

SIW2 said:

From the produkey link:

I've tried to use command-line to do this by booting into my working 10 drive, and accessing the non-working one hooked to the same computer. I'm not that swift at using it, but since they quit putting all of the Product Key on the computer after 2013, it only shows the last 5 numbers: i.e. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx59599. When I tried to access command prompt booting the old drive in a working computer by itself, I can get to the Repair screen with a choice to use Command prompt, but if that is selected, the screen reverts to the Repair screen again and can't access it. Do you know the prompts for accessing the ID in the old hdd when mounted as a 2nd drive in a working computer? That would save me time from trying to figure it out, but I know that's asking a lot. Thank you very much, I'll look into that after maybe trying NifSoft.