Saving files (mostly pictures) in Safe Mode.
 

Can it be done or am I fucked.

Windows XP wont boot up from hard drive or CD (We had to borrow a friends, because we dont have the original), so I have been operating in safe mode where very little works.

Chances are your drive is fine, pictures still on it, but something else is broken in your system. You could buy a new system and install your current drive as the D: drive or whatever.

You mean a new windows (system)?

Let me think here...

You actually have many options.

-- You can probably reinstall to see if that works, without destroying the entire drive and its contents.

-- You can remove the drive from the system, put it into an external cabinet, and read it from a friend's USB port.

-- You can install another hard drive and see if you can install Windows to that, making your current drive the D drive or whatever.

Safe mode means some more complex functions are disabled. You probably cannot access the network interface (RJ-45 or Wifi). Either you could try what UT has mentioned. But other functions - ie USB memory sticks - may still operate. If yes, then copy those picture files to that USB stick (using Windows Explorer).

Chances are that a CD-Rom write function will not operate. If it does, copy files to a CD-Rom.

You might also try the system repair function on the install disc first. That worked for me once. It just fixes what it deems broken or missing w/o a complete re-install.

Bootdisk.com

think it might be a done issue now, mr oldthreaderman

I had once to repair the notebook of a friend to rescue his picture files.

I booted the PC with a Ubuntu CD, copied every relevant files to an external drive, and then did a system reinstallation complete with disk formatting.

ultimate boot cd or use USB
 

I've burned CDs and DVDs in Safe Mode. It works.

The Ultimate Boot CD works even better.

Taking out the HD and putting it in a Linux box or Mac works well too, and gets past the Access Control List issues you get with drives these days. Putting it in a Windows box means that you will not be able to access My Documents or other directories that are locked down by user easily.

However, any of those ways will work to get the data off the drive.