PC hardware forum: Retrieving data from dead laptop harddrive

If the drive is dead, there is not much that you can do for it outside of trying some of the professional services in your area or sending it in to IBM. If it's your old laptop that's dead, you may have a spot in your new laptop for a second drive (some do some don't) and you can just install your drive in the new laptop (or have a shop do it as laptop modifications aren't for the faint of heart). Then retrieve the info you want and either remove the old drive, or format it and use it as extra storage (but 6.5G is pretty small IMO.)

I'd seen some enclosures for IDE drives with IEEE 1334 connectors and one that used USB (txfer rate was very slow), but they were pricey, and they used normal desktop IDE connectors not laptop IDE connectors.

Sabrent (item SBT-EKU25 around $10) available thru Tigerdirect.com and some other manufacturers make 2.5" hard drive enclosures for Laptop harddrives. Take the drive out of the dead laptop, put it in enclosure and connect to your new computer with included USB cable. You will be able to drag and drop the data you want onto your new computer as long as the old hard drive still spins. Then after you have recovered your data you can reformat the old drive in the enclosure and you will then have a 20gb or more USB drive for back up storage.

What the hell are you talking about???????

Here's what I've done provided the new laptop has USB port. I have a 2.5 adapter for *desktop* use whicj allows installing the laptop HD(w/adapter) to the desktop system. The laptop Hd is seen as another HD, thus retrieve data. You swap data in order to burn to CD or flash drive. If flash drive using data retrieved place into laptop USB and retrieve, repeat if necessary. If CD, use that method provided the new laptop has CD drive as well to retrieve data. I use the 2.5HD adapter method more often and can reformat 2.5HD to install back to problem laptops if HD poblem.

As for ext. USB enclosure, yes you can do that as well. Once brought, get then reformat x-days provided happy with results. You now have an ext. HD for later usage.

tada -----Willy

Here's some info:
http://www.casecooler.com/3drto2dr.html

You can get it also at:
http://www.newegg.com

This adapter allows you to connect the laptop HD to a std. IDE connection provided by your desktop. Be sure to change the 2.5HD ID plug to slave as most come setup as master for laptop use. Here's a better pic of it:
http://www.addonics.com/products/io/aa25ide35.asp

tada -----Willy

I don't know quite how "dead" your laptop is, but if you're at all comfortable with Linux, you can use a slax or Knoppix CD to access info on the drive. Then copy to an external. just if you're lookin for other options.

-jon

Four out of six reviewers of this adapter wrote in and stated that the power supply fried itself the moment it was first plugged in, destroying (in one case) a very expensive hard disk. You do get what you pay for in many cases. Can you recommend a higher-quality adapter?

I've used such things and have come to call these items a "commodity." As to the naysayers that call cheap solutions bad and tell of stories of fried drives what can we do? Never happened to any of us at the office and there must be 100 of these boxes we bought from newegg.com or geeks.com and slipped a drive into.

Bob

Get this enclosure:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817146035

I have 3 of them and they all work great.

They are very simple to use. Just connect the drive to one end of the connector, put it in the case, connect using USB 2.0 without any power outlets. All bus powered.

It also doesn't require drivers if you are running Windows XP on the computer your are recovering TO.

On occasions a dead hdd can be revived by putting it in a plastic bag and shoved in the freezer for a short period of time,then drag everything you want from it to the new hdd before the components get up to temperature and go fizz again ,tho that's if theres a circuitry prob and it's 50/50 whether it will work, also if the hdd can't be started the only other way to retrieve all the data is to open the case up and transfer the discs to a known good casing

How Hard is it to fix a hard drive? I have 1 that just whizzes when the computer tries to bootup.