My oldest computer is no longer working. I can read articles but I can't access any information stored on my computer.

Please note that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to hide your personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data.

Hi Jean Birdsall,
Thank you for the information. When you say the computer is no longer working, could you clarify whether the PC will not power on at all or if Windows is unable to start?

Also, do you know which version of Windows was installed on the computer (Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, etc.)?

If the hard drive itself is still functioning, it may be possible to recover your files by connecting the drive to another computer using a USB hard drive enclosure or adapter. Once connected, you should be able to browse and copy your personal files from the old drive.

If the drive is encrypted with BitLocker, Windows may ask for a recovery key before allowing access to the data. In that case, the recovery key may be available from your Microsoft account.

Please let me know:

1. The make and model of the computer.
2. Whether the computer powers on.
3. Whether the hard drive makes any unusual clicking or grinding noises.
4. Whether your files were stored locally or synchronized with OneDrive.

With that information, I can suggest the most appropriate next steps.

If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.