++@stephan98++ I would refrain from messing around with activating Windows etc. Go the easy route and “Plug into my portable hard-drive’s adapter and into a new PC to get my files out. “ That way it’s a straight forward access without having to mess around with Windows. We all know how well Windows functions and it’ll ask you 101 different questions, reinstalling stuff etc,. The less you mess around with your HDD, the safer your files are for retrieval.