Want to test out a desktop hdd

[townsendigital]

START with HDTune Free, use a flash drive to get it on the computer if the browser isnt working, and use it to at least try to verify that the hard drive is still running correctly. If your drive is bad, you may as well transfer whatever you can, and then chuck it in the trash.

THEN worry about windows installation / reinstallation and virus hunters depending on whther or not you hard drive is broken.