Is an external 2.5IN enclosure my only option?

[Turbonium]

I have a laptop HDD that I want to recover some files from. However, I don't have a working system that's free that I can hook it up to. This means the only option I really have is to get an external HDD enclosure for it, right?

I'm reluctant to spend 20 dollars I don't really have, so I'm just making sure before I consider pulling the trigger (though having a tiny and super portable 500 GB HDD could come in handy).

 

[tynopik]

I have a laptop HDD that I want to recover some files from. However, I don't have a working system that's free that I can hook it up to. This means the only option I really have is to get an external HDD enclosure for it, right?

I'm reluctant to spend 20 dollars I don't really have, so I'm just making sure before I consider pulling the trigger (though having a tiny and super portable 500 GB HDD could come in handy).

what connector does the drive have?

 

[Turbonium]

SATA or SATA2 I'm assuming (they're the same thing in terms of connectors, right?).

 

[blastingcap]

If you're gonna blow $20+ you might as well get something more versatile than a 2.5" enclosure. Something like one of these two:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817388034

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812119475

 

[Turbonium]

If you're gonna blow $20+ you might as well get something more versatile than a 2.5" enclosure. Something like one of these two:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817388034

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812119475

Thanks. I checked the prices of those on Newegg.ca, and they're like 15+ dollars more than a good 2.5IN enclosure I found (for 11 bucks): http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...=nextstar%20tx

I'll probably just get the enclosure.

 

[blastingcap]

OK, that's your call. I would personally not pay that price plus shipping for a single-purpose USB 2.0 device. That's like 30-40 MB/s which is unacceptable to me. But if you can run it overnight then that should be less obnoxiously slow-seeming.

 

[Turbonium]

OK, that's your call. I would personally not pay that price plus shipping for a single-purpose USB 2.0 device. That's like 30-40 MB/s which is unacceptable to me. But if you can run it overnight then that should be less obnoxiously slow-seeming.

After shipping, it's under 20 bucks. That's a pretty cheap price for Canada. Tech stuff here is generally a bit more expensive than in the US.

 

[tynopik]

I don't have a working system that's free that I can hook it up to.

okay . . .

This means the only option I really have is to get an external HDD enclosure for it, right?

but what are you going to hook the external drive to? you said you don't have any systems available . . .

 

[corkyg]

Tynopyk brings up a good question. If you have a working system that you can connect an external drive to, why can't you just connect it internally?

 

[Turbonium]

Tynopyk brings up a good question. If you have a working system that you can connect an external drive to, why can't you just connect it internally?

I have this thing where once something is "set up" and working, I don't like to mess with it.

Also a minor point: I'm not sure how I would access the files on the HDD on a different system anyway. Wouldn't the HDD boot up and not know what it's looking at, given it won't be it's normal system (mobo, etc.)?

 

[corkyg]

If it is a SATA drive, it can be connected to any SATA port on any PC. The drive contents can be easily read by whatever file manager you use. SATA drives are numbered - in BIOS you can set which is thew boot drive, and make sure that drive is not in the boot chain.

If you really want to stick to your laptop, then, unless you have a 2nd drive option, the external is the best solution. It is a useful tool to have around in any case.

 

[Turbonium]

Well in that case, the only working system I have is a netbook, and that obviously has just 1 SATA port; it can only have 1 SATA drive attached to it at any given time. Thus, I don't think I could accomplish what you're suggesting anyway.

Unless I'm missing something.

 

[tynopik]

Well in that case, the only working system I have is a netbook, and that obviously has just 1 SATA port; it can only have 1 SATA drive attached to it at any given time. Thus, I don't think I could accomplish what you're suggesting anyway.

Unless I'm missing something.

remove original drive

insert other drive

boot from usb stick, recover files to stick

remove other drive

put original drive back

profit $20

 

[Turbonium]

remove original drive

insert other drive

boot from usb stick, recover files to stick

remove other drive

put original drive back

profit $20

Time is money, and I don't have a bootable USB key at the moment.

Meh.

 

[tynopik]

Time is money, and I don't have a bootable USB key at the moment.

Meh.

good opportunity to create one, everyone should have one

http://4sysops.com/archives/build-a-bootable-windows-pe-3-0-usb-drive-with-rescue-tools-part-1/