Hi,
First of all, if the data on the drive is very important, by far your best chance of retrieving it is to seek the services of a company that specializes in data retrieval, however this is a pretty expensive route.
Other possible options are as follows.
- One possible way to try and retrieve your files from a non-booting drive is to follow the process detailed in the link below. The Ubuntu operating system CD you create can run from the CD alone ( ie it doesn't have to install on the Hard Drive ) and I've often found it to be successful in retrieving data even from a failing Hard Drive. When you've created the CD, follow the instructions and see if you can back up your existing files. Note: you will need to diable Secure Boot and enable legacy devices in your bios menu in order to boot from the disc.
- Another option would be to remove the HDD, place it in an external caddy - an example is on the link below - connect this to another PC and see if you can access your files.
**********************************************************************************************
Regarding replacing the damaged HDD, an example of what you require can be seen on the following link.
The procedure to replace the Hard Drive starts on Page 52 of your Maintenance & Service Guide.
***********************************************************************************************
To reinstall Windows 8 on your notebook, here are a couple options.
- You can order a replacement set of Recovery Media using the link below - this will reinstall the operating system, all required drivers and nearly all of the original software ( the exception often being trials of MS Office ). They will also re-create all the original partitions, including the Recovery Partition.
- Download the Windows 8 Image file on the following link - note that this Image file is subject to a download cap, so you may need to try over a period of a few hours before the download starts successfully.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0W9PBigPy94aVJWSndyTFNFMzg/edit?pli=1
If you need a utility to create a bootable Flash Drive for this Image, try the free application below.
The product key for Windows 8 is encrypted in your bios chip and will be automatically read during installation.
Additional software and drivers you may require can be found Here.
Regards,
DP-K