or there is the newer Ubuntu Live CD.
Download it, and burn it to CD as an ISO. Insert it into the CD drive, and boot up. It should load as an OS from the CD and allow you to search the drive for all her private files.
However if you can get to the Safe Mode options, did you try "Last known good configuration"? Or the Command Prompt option so you can log in to her Admin account and use System Restore? (More about the System Restore option here; http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449 ).
If everything fails, then a complete reinstall after saving those files seems the only way.
Mark
Hey Guys,
My friend told me that her laptop is really slow and I offered her that I can take a look to see what I can do. I noticed that she had some junk programs (yahoo toolbar, google toolbar, etc). so I removed those and then I did a disk defragment and used ccleaner to delete cache and stuff. I was so glad that her laptop got fixed and worked faster! so I could give it back to her. Then I don't know why but I decided to do a windows update checking that crashed the windows.
I feel terrible now...
after I installed Windows updates I restarted and I was about to call her but windows stuck on the black screen and didn't boot up. I tried safe mode, same thing ctrl+alt+del did not work either. I tried windows repair to do some recovery before the windows update but it failed at recovery as well. I don't know what to do now. I can re install windows but I'm scared about her personal files (she had a lot of pictures and folders on the desktop)
Its a toshiba sattelite A 205. can you guys please help me?
I'm thinking about KNOPPIX so at least I can save her files, but I never used it before. any suggestion?

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic