You try the freezer trick? If not, put it in a plastic bag in the freezer for a few hours. The cold can make some things work a bit better and maybe for long enough to recover what you need. Doesn't always work but it's cheaper than professional data recovery.
shadshack
joined 1 month ago
Echoing what others have said, a "gaming distro" really isn't necessary. I have used Ubuntu for years on and off. When I switched my gaming PC to Linux earlier this year I went with Kubuntu, because it's just Ubuntu and I like KDE Plasma better than Gnome. I do feel like Ubuntu is one of the easiest to find support for when you're looking online.
My Gmail account has the Inactive Account Manager thing turned on so if I don't use my account for 6 months it'll email my wife my Bitwarden master password and instructions to get my self-host nerd into it where he can then do whatever he wants with it.