My old laptop is so dead, it won't even switch on. Is there any way that I can use my new laptop to get hold of the information stored on the hard drive of the old machine.
The laptops are different makes.
2006-09-08 12:36:13 · 16 answers · asked by saddler21 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
The simplest way would be to put the drive from the dead pc into a working one and transfer the data. Also, Circuit City and others sell a kit to let you use your old drive as an external (USB) drive.
2006-09-08 12:38:52 · answer #1 · answered by sethsdadiam 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have done it once when my old laptop 'retired'. See if this is helpful.
What I did was turning the old hard drive into an external hard disk. I bought a cable which at one end the plug connects to the hard drive, and at the other end it is an USB adapter. The USB end goes into my new computer. There is also a power adapter for the stand-alone hard drive so that it has enough power to work. The transfer was not fast, but I was happy that I could get the data back.
This is similar to what I bought / used:
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/106521
Unfortunately, I know that it is rather difficult to remove the hard drive from some laptops. For example, the hard disk may be embedded under the keyboard and makes it a challenge to take it out. (you will have to take the HD out to connect the cables)
If you are unsure of anything, I think the safest bet is to go to the yellow pages and find a pc recovery service.
Good luck.
2006-09-08 15:18:17 · answer #2 · answered by dealer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but in order to do that the dead computer hard drive must function. You will need to take the hard drive out of the laptop. Read the manual if you don't know how. Then you will have to buy an external hard drive case, just the case. You have to make sure it can support your latop hard drive. The cases are usaully 20 bucks or so. Once you do that you will install the notebook hard drive into the external hd case. You will then plug in in via usb/firewire. You will have to buy a power supply for the case as well.
2006-09-08 12:41:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy a 2. 5 inch external hard drive enclosure, usb connection makes a great portable storage solution when you've transferred old data off.
Sell the dead laptop minus the hard drive on ebay for spares you could recoup up to £100
2006-09-08 12:58:29 · answer #4 · answered by ME*UK 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The laptop Hard drives use the same pin layout and protocol as normal IDE harddrives in a smaller form factor. Either you should buy a converter cable to convert the power and IDE cables to small form factor and connect your laptop hard drive to a desktop machine; or if you have access to another laptop which you can remove the hard drive from with a CDRW then you can install you own hard drive to that notebook, boot from a live Linux CD or a Bart PE recovery CD ( http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ ) and write the contents of your hard drive to CD's.
Loren Soth
2006-09-08 12:42:11 · answer #5 · answered by Lord Soth 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is a tricky one becuz laptops are made differently then desktops you may find it easyist just to pay someone to remove the hard drive and copy everything on to disc's for you. or you could try and get someone to remove the hard drive from your old computer and put it into an external case and copy it that way but thats the price you pay for having a laptop
Good luck
Peter
2006-09-08 12:40:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The stressful force is used to hold counsel that should be saved whilst the flexibility is off, so unplugging it won't get rid of the information on there . The workstation will have not any documents that is accessed because of the fact it desires that stressful force to study from. you ought to purchase USB stressful force cables so which you should apply that force on your different computer, according to possibility for some better storage.
2016-10-14 11:48:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
how old is your laptop? is it 2 years old and just past its warranty?. old ploy the laptop makers do is to have the machine break down not long after the warranty is up. take the battery out and unscrew the bottom screws leave it for a week and then rescrew the screws in and re-install the battery. i don't know what they do but i'v fixed a lot of laptops which go dead after the 2 year warranty is up. go figure why?
2006-09-08 12:52:04 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
very easy to do , take out the old harddisc from dead laptop ( normally one of the panels under laptop , or slides out from side with a clip ) and get an adaptor for a USB , its easier then it sounds as i got one from EBay www.ebay.com and it was only £2 for it , the harddisc fits inside a case and it becomes a movable storage device , just plug it into a free usb socket and the laptop will see it as another harddisc , you can get all the files , pictures, photos etc off it , then format it so its clean , you now have a large storage device, i use mine to store all my pictures one so i dont use up valuable disc space , hope this helps !
Garry
2006-09-09 00:01:48 · answer #9 · answered by garryabrown 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a Mac and PC tech. I simply pull out the drive, put it into a 'sled' (a 2.5inch external drive case, without the case, just the backing board with it's electronics and the PSU), and plug in the USB or FireWire cable, and copy it all to a folder on the new system.
Cases sell for $21 to $69 at http://newegg.com or http://tigerdirect.com and other fine vendors on the Internet.
2006-09-08 12:59:16 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋