Getting files from a hard drive

[Tuktuk]

(skip to third paragraph for question)

My desktop broke a month ago and I didn't really care as I'd bought a new laptop. The problem is the desktop had a bunch of important info on the hard drives (pictures, word files, etc.) that I do not want to lose. I may have backed up these files but to be honest, I am probably not in possession of the CDs anymore.

I gave away the working parts of the desktop and kept the hard drives, which are still working the last time I checked. I tried recovering some files off of one of them, but I mistakenly only copied SHORTCUTS over and found that out after I'd lost access to the desktop I had been temporarily installing them on.

My question is: I have two hard drives sitting in a leather bag at home. Is there any way I can transfer their contents onto my laptop? Are they in great danger of being destroyed by just sitting in a bag by themselves?

 

[Ricemarine]

If they're in an anti static bag, you're fine (although I'm not sure how good your hard drives would be if they were in another kind of bag).

The easiest way to recover the info is to buy an external enclosure and hook it up via USB.

 

[Lord Evermore]

No great danger as long as you aren't tossing the bag around. Putting them in anti-static bags would be a good idea (if that's not what you meant you'd done).

There are only a few ways to get the data transferred. A USB or Firewire enclosure is handy to have around no matter what, and they don't cost much, and give you an easy backup solution, and make use of those drives instead of them sitting around. Or put the drives in a friend's computer and that and your laptop on a network, and transfer the files. Or put the drives in the friend's computer, take the hard drive from the laptop, plug it into the friend's computer (using a pin adapter for the 44pin laptop connector to 40 pin desktop connector, or a standard SATA cable if your drives use it). Or use a CD/DVD burner to copy the files from the friend's computer.

 

[Tuktuk]

Originally posted by: Ricemarine
If they're in an anti static bag, you're fine (although I'm not sure how good your hard drives would be if they were in another kind of bag).

The easiest way to recover the info is to buy an external enclosure and hook it up via USB.

They aren't in a static bag But they aren't being tampered with, just sitting there, so maybe I have hope.

I didn't even know about external enclosures, thank you. I planned on buying an external hard drive anyway and it looks like the cost of an enclosure + a hard drive is about equal to just buying an external hard drive, so I can use the enclosure to get my files and then put something with more capacity in there.

Are there any downsides to having a hard drive w/enclosure versus an external hard drive, or are they the same thing?

 

[Tuktuk]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
No great danger as long as you aren't tossing the bag around. Putting them in anti-static bags would be a good idea (if that's not what you meant you'd done).

There are only a few ways to get the data transferred. A USB or Firewire enclosure is handy to have around no matter what, and they don't cost much, and give you an easy backup solution, and make use of those drives instead of them sitting around. Or put the drives in a friend's computer and that and your laptop on a network, and transfer the files. Or put the drives in the friend's computer, take the hard drive from the laptop, plug it into the friend's computer (using a pin adapter for the 44pin laptop connector to 40 pin desktop connector, or a standard SATA cable if your drives use it). Or use a CD/DVD burner to copy the files from the friend's computer.

That is what I originally tried (installing in another desktop) but the hard drive with the most important info did not want to be recognized. The problem came with booting, I didn't have much time to look into it besides switching every combination of hard drives I could and seeing if it would work.

At this point it sounds like the enclosure is the best solution, thanks guys

 

[Lord Evermore]

All that name brand external hard drives are is a standard enclosure with their logo on it, perhaps sealed shut to prevent you changing the drive, probably some "one step backup" software, and a high price slapped on it. An OEM hard drive plus an enclosure should be significantly cheaper than a pre-made external drive.

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
An OEM hard drive plus an enclosure should be significantly cheaper than a pre-made external drive.

depending on size of hard drives and sales. for large drives, yes, a self-made one is cheaper. if you're getting an 80GB external drive, it's cheaper than self-made.

 

[Tuktuk]

Originally posted by: alimoalem

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
An OEM hard drive plus an enclosure should be significantly cheaper than a pre-made external drive.

depending on size of hard drives and sales. for large drives, yes, a self-made one is cheaper. if you're getting an 80GB external drive, it's cheaper than self-made.

I'll be getting a big one (300gb+).

One final question.. since I don't have the hard drive with the important files in front of me, I'm not sure the specs on it besides that it is 7200rpm. Are basically all hard drives going to fit in these enclosures, or do I have to specific as say, RAM, when finding compatibility? I'll be able to match up specs with the new drive but want to know what my chances are in getting the old one to work too

And am I correct in assuming I can get the cheapest drive with the most space, because this is all going through USB anyway so the speed and cache size are somewhat irrelevant?

 

[Old Hippie]

Are basically all hard drives going to fit in these enclosures,

Yes. Just make sure the hard drive interface matches the one in the case...IDE or SATA.

And am I correct in assuming I can get the cheapest drive with the most space, because this is all going through USB anyway so the speed and cache size are somewhat irrelevant?

I always buy mine with an eye for using it in my computer if I needed or wanted to add or swap case drives.

 

[Tuktuk]

Thanks, I don't have a desktop right now so I won't be swapping it anytime soon.

Looks like that SATA/IDE thing is going to screw me, I am sure my old drive is IDE Thanks for all the help!

 

[ShawnD1]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

Are basically all hard drives going to fit in these enclosures,

Yes. Just make sure the hard drive interface matches the one in the case...IDE or SATA.

Also make sure the hard drive and the enclosure are the same size. Desktop hard drives are 3.5 inches, and laptop hard drives are 2.5 inches. Hard drive enclosures come in both 3.5 and 2.5 inch sizes. It's probably not the kind of mistake you would make when buying one in a store, but that's something you could easily miss when buying from a website.

 

[Tuktuk]

Originally posted by: ShawnD1

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

Are basically all hard drives going to fit in these enclosures,

Yes. Just make sure the hard drive interface matches the one in the case...IDE or SATA.

Also make sure the hard drive and the enclosure are the same size. Desktop hard drives are 3.5 inches, and laptop hard drives are 2.5 inches. Hard drive enclosures come in both 3.5 and 2.5 inch sizes. It's probably not the kind of mistake you would make when buying one in a store, but that's something you could easily miss when buying from a website.

Thanks, I just noticed this and was coming back for another question

If I have a 3.5" compatible enclosure am I going to be able to put a 2.5" drive in there real quick to get the files transferred? I am assuming my old 70gb drive is a 2.5".

 

[jkresh]

2.5 is laptop (or some rackmount servers) not desktop so it is highly unlikely you 70gig desktop drive is 2.5 (unless it was a really strange desktop).