Chosen Solution
I have had many windows computers over the years, after XP, it was a $*$%@ to change hardware completley, you needed to reactivate it and we may not have any luck with Microsoft(it’s a 50/50, screwed over or reactivated, thanks pirates!) If we get lucky, here is the plan We will install the drive in a different computer, boot into the drive from the laptop, log in and see what comes up update I got the computer, I did this and windows needed a new activation so we called to activate the OS again, no luck and they told my they are anal about backup, so they should have it, but, I seen a 2nd HDD bay and investigated it, a 2nd drive! I will possibly give them the first one and write the COA down so they can reactivate windows if I take this route, otherwise I will make it the 2nd and burn the files in Linux
Take the hard drive and install it as a secondary drive in another system. you can use a 2.5 to 3.5 adapter for sale on ebay at a reasonable price ( I use a USB to IDE adapter for my older drives). Then you take all the data and burn it to DVD or a USB drive.
