HP Pavilion a1110n - get disk boot failure when started.

[Gw_9-Apr]

Old HP Pavilion a1110n computer, product # PX743AA-ABA.  Have not used in years but wanted to bring it up to make sure no personal files left on desktop.  Only get Disk Boot Failure-insert system disk and press enter.  I no longer have the system disk.  Any way to get it to bring up desktop to access files?

[TheOldMan]

That is a pretty old PC.  There are choices to investigate the process of retrieving the data or at least looking to see what is there.  Since that is a IDE hard drive, and adapter will be needed if you remove the drive and try to look at it.  Similar to this

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BIE996S/ref=sspa_dk_hqp_detail_aax_0?psc=1

This adapter will allow you to connect that drive or most any other drive to a host via USB and this one does have a power supply to power the hard drive, also.

Another way to try is to use a Linux Live OS and try to boot the problem PC to the live OS.  It will not require that old PC to boot Windows but has its own OS, so no need to worry about reinstalling Windows.  As long as the hardware is working you can then look at the hard drive using the Linux OS.  I usually use Ubuntu or Knoppix for that task.  Either of those methods will access the hard drive and then data can be moved elsewhere using Linux.