My Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 running Windows 11 has started crashing shortly after booting, especially when I open File Explorer or try to copy files. The problem began after a Windows update and became worse after BitLocker was disabled while attempting a BIOS update. The laptop remains stable in the BIOS, and the RAM appears to be fine, so the issue may involve Windows or corrupted system files.
I need to recover a small number of writing files, including a nearly finished manuscript, before considering a clean installation. My normal cloud backup is no longer available, and our external backup drive has also failed. The laptop has 16 GB of RAM, a Ryzen 7 7735HS, and a 512 GB Samsung PM9C1a NVMe SSD. I have been told the SSD is soldered and cannot simply be removed and placed in an external enclosure.
Is there any way to access or copy files from the drive through the BIOS, or another low-cost method that might work before reinstalling Windows? I am especially concerned about BitLocker encryption and do not want to make the data unrecoverable.
3 Answers
The BIOS itself cannot browse or copy your personal files. The safest approach is to avoid reinstalling Windows for now and boot the laptop from a Windows recovery USB or a Linux live USB. From that temporary environment, you may be able to mount the internal drive and copy the manuscript to another USB drive.
If BitLocker is still involved, you will need the BitLocker recovery key. Check any Microsoft account or saved recovery-key printout before changing partitions or formatting anything. Do not keep repeatedly booting Windows or running repair tools if the drive may be failing; every write can make recovery harder.
Before assuming the files are gone, try starting Windows in Safe Mode or use a recovery environment and copy only the most important files first. Prioritize the manuscript and notes rather than attempting a full disk copy while the machine is unstable. If the drive disconnects, reports I/O errors, or the laptop powers off during reads, stop experimenting and use a reputable data-recovery technician; a clean install would overwrite information you may still be able to recover.
Also, disabling BitLocker does not instantly make the files freely accessible. The drive may spend time decrypting data, and an interruption during that process can create additional problems. Find the recovery key and avoid formatting the disk until the files have been copied.
Double-check the hardware description before paying for an expensive repair. The Samsung PM9C1a is an M.2 NVMe drive, which is normally a removable module rather than storage soldered directly to the motherboard. Some laptops have soldered storage, but that model and drive combination should be verified by opening the service panel or checking the exact machine variant.
If it is removable, the drive can be placed in a compatible USB NVMe enclosure or connected to another computer. That would let you copy the files without booting the unstable Windows installation. Make sure the enclosure supports NVMe, not just SATA M.2, and expect to enter the BitLocker recovery key.
We already checked the laptop and were told the storage is soldered, so removing it does not appear to be an option for this particular unit.