Computer problems - help?

I was using my computer yesterday when suddenly it just turned itself off - as in it was on one second, and the next it wasn't working. Then it restarted about a minute later and brought up the page I had been on, but it had frozen. Then I tried re-starting it with the re-start button on the computer but it wouldn't boot up - on the first part of start-up where it checks system health is ok, it doesn't load it and where the hard disk drive usually spins, it doesn't now. On some occasions it went as far as checking some of the memory and that was all. It has stopped like that once last week but it restarted fine then. Has anyone any idea what the problem is? I think it might be the hard disk drive itself, it's seven years old now and I think I've read they have a limited life. Is there any way of getting any of the things stored on the hard disk drive out? Any advice?

I had lots of pictures of our dogs on the computer and the computer crashed.. My son bought something which was not expensive, a thingie, lol that he was could get everything off my computer that crashed.. It took only a few mins to get everything off my computer. I will email him and find out how he did that..

Please overlook the choppy writing. I cleaned my keyboard and popped out all the keys, and seems I put some keys in wrong place. Maybe not some keys, seems like lots of keys.. took forever to write this .. shakes me head at meself..

Yes, sounds like it could be the hard drive, controller, or even the fan; if things aren't cool enough they'll shut down. I'd find somebody local to you who has testing equipment and can figure out just what the problem is and fix it and/or get a new machine since you say yours is so old. Did you take it apart at all, look and see if there was anything obvious (burnt smell, etc.)? Sometimes it can just be "gunk"/dust or bugs (real ones :-) or something like engine buildup/sludge in a car making things grind to a halt.

Sounds like your hd is biting the dust. If you can bring it to a repair shop, they should be able to install a new harddrive if your computer is upgradeable. They should also be able to get stuff off the old hd and put it on your new one.

good luck!