PC won't boot with SATA drive connected - is it toast?

[hp01jpc]

As title really. My computer wouldn't get past POST this morning and after a bit of elimination I have isolated an SATA hard drive to be the problem. It's not the drive with windows installed so I can use the PC, but all my photos and music are on this drive. Some of it is backed up, but not all of it.

I don't think I can even get the PC to boot with the drive connected so it's not like I can run any diagnostics software on it.

Anyone suggest anything I could try to revive it? It's not too old - I think it's within it's warranty period, but ideally I would like to get the data back from it.

Cheers

 

[hp01jpc]

Thanks for your help. I cannot boot the PC at all when the defective drive is hooked up. I take it I would be unwise to try to boot the PC with it unplugged then plug it in 'hot' so to speak?

I've ensured the boot priority in the BIOS is set to use the working drive first, but the bloody thing just won't boot

 

[hp01jpc]

Thanks for the suggestions. An external caddy thing would be handy to have anyway so I will give that a shot first. I will try reinstalling windows as a last resort I think.

Cheers fellas