Problems with friend's HD [NTLDR Error + lost space]

I have a conspiracy nut friend's computer crashed and was displaying a NTLDR error, so I hooked it up to my computer to grab some files off of it, and I couldn't find where he put them. He says he put them in the "my documents" folder, but I can't see it. It's a Samsung 160G taken out of an HP, A good chunk of it made completely inaccesable by HP's recovery program. His computer started having issues, than afterr a few blue screens and a few days, it started up and stopped, explaining that the "ntldr.dll" file was compressed (I could be mistaken on that filename). Now, not only is the "My Documents" folder missing, the hard drive registers as having only 20-some GB full, even though I know it has over 50 gigs used. He desperately needs the missing info, can anyone help? I'll elaborate as necessary.

 

I did. Absolutely nothing I tried worked, and that's why we're trying to salvage the info. Google is my friend. Any ideas on the missing data? Even if it were corrupt, wouldn't it at least be there?

 

Hello alonelymuffin,

What's the nature of this HP recovery program? Does it take the system back to the factory settings? That's usually what "recovery" means on OEM systems.

Regards - Charles

 

As i understand it, it's basically a glorified backup/system restore point, but whatever it is, it's real big and doesn't work. Again, I stress that the information on the hard drive is first priority; I include the background for, well, background, and on the possibilty that the error has something to do with the missing info.

 

K, I'll try that and see what happens. I'll post again if that doesn't work.