[Uri’el-2012]

This virus has been pretty stressful and stress and its accompanying headache are tiring.

Worst case scenario to recover the data only.

Remove the disk drive put it in a USB enclosure
and mount it on a Linux or Unix_© machine to recover the data.

After the data is saved off replace the disk drive back
into the Windows machine and reformat and reload the op/sys.

[MichiganMan]

Remove the disk drive put it in a USB enclosure and mount it on a Linux or Unix© machine to recover the data.

Whoa, hold the screwdriver! You don't need to do all that. Download, burn and boot from a Ubuntu Linux LiveCD and boom, you're on a Linux machine. No cracking the case open or purchase of a usb case enclosure required.

Choose the first option to run Ubuntu without installing (or some wording  like that...) Once the shell comes up you can access the hard drive through the Places menu, plug in your usb key and copy over your important files.  When you're done, right click the usb drive icon on your desktop and choose Unmount, Eject or Safely Remove (doesn't matter which) before you remove the usb key to make sure its done copying files.

Hardest part of the whole operation is figuring out how to burn an iso CD image if you're running Windows XP. 

[CharlieOK1]

advice I may have to use...