Your Computer Died. Here's How to Get Your Files Back

What you will need: A phone or another computer with internet access, a few minutes, and a pen and paper for notes.

Your computer won't turn on, or it turns on but never reaches the sign-in screen. That's stressful, but your files are often safer than they seem right now. This guide covers what to do, what not to do, and when to hand it off.

Step 1: Stop and take a breath

Right now, doing less is better than doing more.

• Don't keep turning it off and on. If a part is failing, every restart puts more strain on it and can make your files harder to recover later.
• Don't run "fix it" tools or download recovery software yet. Some of these write data to the same drive you're trying to rescue, which can overwrite the files you want back.
• Write down what happened. Note anything you saw or heard just before it died, such as an error message, a strange noise, a spill, or a power outage. Whoever helps you will want to know.

Step 2: Find out where your files may already be

Many people have more copies of their files than they realize. Check these places from your phone or another computer before you worry about the dead one.

• Cloud storage that syncs. "Syncing" means a folder on your computer is copied to an online account automatically. Examples include OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud. If you use one, sign in on its website from another device and look for your files.
• Your email. Search your sent and received mail for attachments. Searching for a client name or "invoice" can turn up more than you'd expect.
• External drives and USB sticks. Check your desk, drawers, and bag for a portable drive you may have used for backups and forgotten.
• Your computer's built-in backup tool. Windows has File History and Mac has Time Machine. These only help if they were turned on before the computer died. They usually save to a separate drive that plugs into the computer, so look for that drive.
• Other devices. Think about whether you ever sent files to your phone, a tablet, or a coworker's computer.

If you find everything you need, skip ahead to Step 5. You can deal with the dead computer later.

Step 3: Try the simple checks

Sometimes a "dead" computer has an everyday problem. Go through these in order, and try each one only once or twice.

1. Check the power. Plug the charger into a different wall outlet, or straight into the wall instead of a power strip. Make sure the cable is pushed in firmly at both ends.
2. Look at the charger and cable. Check for a charging light on the laptop or the charger, and look for bent connectors or frayed cables. If a coworker has the same model of charger, try theirs.
3. Unplug the extras. Disconnect USB sticks, printers, docks, and anything else plugged in, then try again. Sometimes a connected device stops the computer from starting.
4. Drain leftover power (laptops). With the laptop off, unplug the charger. Take the battery out only if it's designed to come out; most newer laptops have a built-in battery, and that's fine. Hold the power button down for about 15 to 20 seconds, then plug the charger back in and try once more. Some models do this a little differently, so if it doesn't work, search your manufacturer's support site for "hard reset" and your model.
5. Check the screen. The computer may be running and only the screen has failed. Look for lights, listen for fans or startup sounds, and try turning the brightness up. If you can, connect it to an external monitor or TV. If a picture shows up there, your files are probably fine and the screen needs repair.

If it still won't start, stop here. Don't keep retrying.

Step 4: Know when to stop and get professional help

Stop and get professional help if any of these apply:

• The computer is clicking, grinding, or beeping. The drive is the part that stores your files. Older drives have spinning parts, and noises like these can mean something inside is physically damaged.
• Something spilled on it. Water, coffee, or anything else. Turn it off, unplug it, and don't turn it back on to "see if it works." Power running through wet parts can cause more damage.
• It was dropped, hit by a power surge, or physically damaged in some other way.
• Your files aren't backed up anywhere. If Step 2 turned up nothing and the files matter to your business, treat this as urgent.

Why not try to fix it yourself? Repeatedly powering it on, running recovery programs, opening the case, or trying tricks you read about online can all make things worse. On a damaged drive, each attempt can make files harder, or impossible, to get back. Data recovery professionals use specialized equipment for exactly this reason.

What to do instead:

1. Turn the computer off and leave it off.
2. Unplug it and keep it somewhere dry and safe.
3. Contact a professional data recovery service, and share your notes from Step 1.
4. If you're not sure where to start, send us a note through our contact form. We'll help you work out your next step.

Step 5: Get back to work on another device

You can usually keep working while the computer gets sorted out.

• Use a spare or borrowed computer. An old laptop or a coworker's computer works. Sign in only to the accounts you need.
• Use the web versions of your tools. Email, calendars, cloud storage, and many business apps work in a web browser. You just sign in.
• Use your phone for the essentials. Email, calendar, and messaging apps can cover you for a day or two.
• Be careful on shared or borrowed computers. Sign out when you're done, don't let the browser save your passwords, and don't leave sensitive files on someone else's machine.
• Plan for two-step sign-in codes. If your sign-in codes came through an app on the dead computer, you may need your backup codes or to reset the sign-in method. Check each account's help page.
• Let people know. If clients or coworkers are waiting on you, a quick note about a short delay goes a long way.

Step 6: Make sure this never hurts again

Once you're back up and running, the best protection is a simple backup plan that runs without you having to think about it. The most common approach is the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your files, on two different kinds of storage, with one copy kept somewhere else.

Read our guide: Backing Up Your Business Files: The 3-2-1 Rule in Plain English