User blog comment:Explorer 767/Crappy Birthday/@comment-1024726-20101008121725/@comment-1297940-20101008123041

Linux time.

Burn a Linux CD, plug in a USB mass storage device, mount, backup, and maybe install once you've done it.

If Linux fails it's something a lot more. Your best bet is to get a SATA/IDE USB enclousure, yank out the drive, put it in, and back up using another PC