How do I retrieve data from my old laptop Hard Drive?

JoelllH · 26 Nov 2017 at 12:34

Ok so my previous laptop is dead (water damaged) and the hard drive from that laptop survived. PC World removed the hard drive for me, and now I want to some how get the data from that old hard drive and transfer it to my new laptop. What’s the easiest way to do it? I’ve seen different docking kits and hard drive enclosures on eBay, but I’m not really sure what they all do (my computer knowledge is very basic)

Any help would be appreciated, thanks

joey1211 · 26 Nov 2017 at 13:37

Could you post a pic of the connectors on it if you're unable to identify them

JoelllH · 26 Nov 2017 at 17:08

JoelllH · 26 Nov 2017 at 17:09

joey1211 said:
Could you post a pic of the connectors on it if you're unable to identify them

Hopefully that helps

bremen1874 · 26 Nov 2017 at 17:11

If you only have a laptop to work with get hold of a USB to SATA adapter.

This sort of thing:- https://www.overclockers.co.uk/icyb...blue-illumination-ib-ac603l-u3-cb-001-bt.html

JoelllH · 26 Nov 2017 at 17:14

bremen1874 said:
If you only have a laptop to work with get hold of a USB to SATA adapter.

This sort of thing:- https://www.overclockers.co.uk/icyb...blue-illumination-ib-ac603l-u3-cb-001-bt.html

Oh thanks mate and is it straight forward? Like just connect the hard drive and then plug straight into the new laptop?

Rroff · 26 Nov 2017 at 17:15

Used to use a Sharkoon DriveLink for that kind of stuff but sadly they don't really exist any more and the odd place still selling them are silly prices.

A USB SATA adapter should do the job but read up on them first as some can be cheap and nasty with a risk of actually doing damage to the data :s

bremen1874 · 26 Nov 2017 at 17:18

JoelllH said:
Oh thanks mate and is it straight forward? Like just connect the hard drive and then plug straight into the new laptop?

More-or-less. The externally connected drive will appear under a new drive letter much as a USB memory stick does.

JoelllH · 26 Nov 2017 at 17:21

Thanks all, think I know what I’m doing now