Using Linux to retrieve data from WinXP/NTFS Drive?

Ok, well, a few days ago my harddrive started clicking while it was operating, and I thought that death might soon come upon swift wings. Well, being a procrastinator, I kept putting off installing the new HD I had recently bought for more space. Well, today I'm using the computer and all of the sudden it randomly reboots, and I get a blue-screen which says an error has occured, and that something attempted to write to read-only memeory. Now it won't boot into windows, says something about a missing required dll file.

So, back to what really matters.

I've got this other harddrive to which I can backup all of my music/pictures/word documents. Is there any way that I can use some version of Linux to copy, or at least attempt to copy, all of these files from my dying HD to an NTFS partition on the new HD, and then install XP on the new HD and have all my files be there, safe and sound? One thing that might make this easier is that all of the files I need to backup are on a separate partition on the HD. Can I transfer an entire partition somehow? Is there any easier way to do this.

Also, I've got basically no experince with Linux, so, if this is possible, I'd need to know what version of Linux would be the easiest for me to use.

I'd appreciate any help anyone can give.

Just mount the partition from that disk. Any version of Linux can easily to that. Use knoppix it's easiest

I actually did think to use Knoppix right after I posted this, so I downloaded it and ran it. It was able to see the partitions on my harddrive and I was able to view and modify files. Biggest problem was that I couldn't get my mouse to work. It's a USB mouse, are these supported by Knoppix? If so, what do I need to do to get it to work? Then, once I get the new harddrive put in, and partitioned, will it be as easy as just copying the files straight over?

Knoppix supports USB mice but it might be your USB controller it doesn't like. Knoppix isn't always good for getting NTFS data off NTFS since no one really can assure you the support for NTFS like they can for FAT32. I would recomen SUSE if you have another hard drive lieing around nad some time on your hands. SUSE seems to be GREAT for reading and writing NTFS as far as I have seen.

I have actually recovered data from some NTFS drives using Knoppix.

Pop the drive in the freezer for a few and then try to boot it up. Just be sure to put it into an anti static bag and seal it good.

You know, I've actually heard of the freezer trick before with harddrives. I'd try it, but it now seems that I have larger problems. Got back to school today (I was home for spring break when this all happened) and now when I try to boot, I get a CPU Fail or Overclock Error message after the system goes through it's POST. I went into the BIOS and checked all of my settings and they were all the same as they had previously been, but when I exit the BIOS, I get a message like it's flashing the BIOS telling me not to shut down the system. It then reboots, POSTs again except it's recognizing my CPU as 600 Mhz, and hangs up at the CPU Fail or Overclock error. Has my Mobo fried? What's going on?