How to retrieve data from a laptop hard drive?! *update, need help*

hey, was wondering what i can use to retreieve files from my laptop's hard drive. my laptop's systemboard is screwed and i cannot turn on the machine. a technician advised me to get a USB key or something? can those storage drives access the laptop's harddrive without turning the laptop on?

Does anybody know anything about this? Any help is appreciated, thanks

The best way is to take out HD. I think you have to buy an adapter to convert to IDE pins. Just plug it into your desktop and start backing up.

I don't think there are any other ways since it does not power on.

Pick up a cheap USB external enclosure for laptop hds, and you can use it for external storage also.

You can use the adaptor. I did, but the only problem with the cheap adaptors is that you don't know witch side the pins go in, and when I tried it.... I SMOKED IT! Lost a 60GB drive

As the others have stated, this would work too...


http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...225711&CatId=0

Originally Posted by Traian2003

You can use the adaptor. I did, but the only problem with the cheap adaptors is that you don't know witch side the pins go in, and when I tried it.... I SMOKED IT! Lost a 60GB drive

Sorry to hear about your loss. This is DEFINITELY a potential problem. Since the adapter also supplies power to the drive if you reverse the 44 pin "IDE connector" you will send 5V DC through the drive circuitry. Even on a cheap adapter you can usually figure out either where Pin 1 is or where the power pins are (the 4 pins beside Pin 1). However, if you are not 100% sure then do NOT experiment.

Originally Posted by Jim123

Sorry to hear about your loss. This is DEFINITELY a potential problem. Since the adapter also supplies power to the drive if you reverse the 44 pin "IDE connector" you will send 5V DC through the drive circuitry. Even on a cheap adapter you can usually figure out either where Pin 1 is or where the power pins are (the 4 pins beside Pin 1). However, if you are not 100% sure then do NOT experiment.

We use the adapter here and have plugged in the adapter and cable in every possible orientation without ever burning everything. Whenever I draw a little diagram showing the orientation, someone throws it away.

Originally Posted by Mr Nobody

We use the adapter here and have plugged in the adapter and cable in every possible orientation without ever burning everything. Whenever I draw a little diagram showing the orientation, someone throws it away.

As always, YMMV. Myself, I prefer to hook it up the right way rather than toast somebodies drive.

Okay

So i got the USB->IDE cable...

However, when I went into the hard drive, my Windows XP user folder is locked and cannot be accessed!!! The thing requires a password and must be done when logging in... I cant figure a way to access it

Is there anything I can do?

Thanks

Originally Posted by mingcourt

Okay

So i got the USB->IDE cable...

However, when I went into the hard drive, my Windows XP user folder is locked and cannot be accessed!!! The thing requires a password and must be done when logging in... I cant figure a way to access it

Is there anything I can do?

Thanks

you have to take ownership of the folders. make sur eyou don't have simple file sharing enabled, and change the security on the folders.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...308421&sd=tech

Originally Posted by goofball

you have to take ownership of the folders. make sur eyou don't have simple file sharing enabled, and change the security on the folders.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...308421&sd=tech

I dont really understand? It doesnt seem to work... is it possible to somehow get through the password problem?

Probably the best way is to remove the HD and put it into another laptop of the same make.

Originally Posted by mingcourt

I dont really understand? It doesnt seem to work... is it possible to somehow get through the password problem?

You encrypted the folders when you created your password.

It asked if you want to make folders private and you said yes.

So you have to be carefull not to change or remove the password, otherwise the encryption will be lost and so will your data.

Take ownership of the files from your desktop computer and you should be able to copy the files out of c:\Documents and Settings\user_name\

Are you familiar with Linux? You could boot into a Linux Live CD (meaning the entire OS boots from the CD, no installation required), and with both your PC hard drive and laptop drive connected, copy the files from the laptop drive. Note that Linux can easily read/write to FAT32 partitions, but there are problems WRITING to NTFS, reading is ok.

A good Linux live CD is Knoppix: www.knoppix.org

what about using a drive imaging program like Norton Ghost to clone the drive to another one?