If not tips to save the drive, what sort of tips are ye looking for?
I'd try loading an alternate OS and see if it can read the drive.
Knoppix for instance, is always handy for that sort of thing. Ye might be able to recover the boot sector with Ultimate Boot Disk or standard Winderz recovery methods. Once you do have access to the disk, scan the puppy for viri. Ye can also stick the puppy into a USB drive enclosure if that fails, that sometimes bypasses some HDD issues.
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"On over-indulgence with drink, to the extent of becoming a beast: He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." Anecdotes of the Rvd Percival Stockdale
Thothie