Windows files from Linux live CD
There are many operating systems in the internet created on the basis of Linux, also called Live CD, which may be booted just from CD, DVD or even USB disk drive or USB flash card and can access windows files. We are not going to discuss this variant for this time as you must make special preparations for booting from USB storage device. We would offer to use Knoppix (not lower that version 5.1.1), Ubuntu (the most recent version available - version 8.10). Knoppix is the operating system, created on the basis of Gnu/Linux, for special booting from CD, DVD, allowing to perform the majority of necessary operations. Recently Ubuntu has made especially great progress.
It is not only the operating system of real value, allowing to use all possible opportunities immediately after booting from CD or installing it to the hard disk drive of the computer, but also the one overtaking Windows in many aspects. Ubuntu is user-friendly and easy to use.
How to access windows files
Use another computer for downloading the image of the most recent version ISO from the manufacturers' website of the selected system, write it into CD or DVD and boot the system. Certainly, after getting into BIOS environment according to the above method, you must set the "First boot device" to be CD/DVD, i.e. set that the system would boot firstly from CD or DVD device.
The system will automatically recognize the hardware of your computer and will boot the necessary drivers. 
In the Linux user environment that is clear and easy to use you may review files of hard disk drive, edit, make copies or even print them after connecting a printer. But if the file windows system has logical errors, or parts of it reside on unreadable, bad sectors, then Linux too won't be able to access and read the windows files on the hard drive disk. Problems with the partition table can also prevent Linux from seeing any of the windows partition and windows files on the hard disk. In this case, you can try to use method described in the article "Hard drive recovery" or copy files using "Copy hard disk drive data to additional computer".
Depending on the internet speed of the computer being used, the performance of the abovementioned actions will last from 30 minutes to 2 - 3 hours.
