Laptop died - hard drive still viable, but how to read it?

Ok, that's good news...now, educate me, please. Where do I find a 'caddy'? and should it be the same maker - Hitachi?

As for finding them - don't know where you're from. Do you have a local PC shop? - they can advise. Failing that, an internet search should turn something up.

No, it doesn't have to be Hitachi.

I agree - you don't need an expensive "data recovery" service (if your hard drive hasn't crashed) - just take it to a good computer shop (not necessarily a "Big Box" store - but probably a local Mom & Pop store)

I don't know where you are located. In the USA, we call this ('caddy') an external enclosure. If the HP was 2004 vintage, it was probably a 2.5 inch PATA (Parallel ATA) drive. Most any on line computer place will have an external USB enclosure for 2.5" PATA drives, as will any large electronics outlet. Such a box will allow you to continue to use the drive as a backup for whatever you replaced the HP with.

I believe it was Hendrick who mentioned that you can also get (for about half the cost) a USB cable and adapter interface, if all you want to do is to transfer the data once. Pretty much the same availability...

To add on to dkwarner's comments, such an enclosure known as ATA or PATA 2.5in external hard disk enclosure is around 20Sin$( 12US$) in Singapore retail outlets.

Please check whether your hard disk is SATA (serial ATA) or PATA and buy the correct type of enclosure.

Does this work with an XP home edition 32-bit HD and can I read it on a Vista 64bit Machine too?

Hello guest,

Sorry I cannot be more definitive but I am really busy.

Vista should be able to read the XP files as long as they both have like for like files.

I found this on an advice site, so bear that in mind when reading it, though it is not very long!

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Re: Can Vista read XP files/folders from second hdd?

Yes vista should read the files you are after

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Hope it works for you.

Any PC shop should have it. I bought a USB to IDE / SATA interface and can connect a wide range of drives similar to a flash drive / memory stick.

at worse try e-bay, I bought mine there

I had a similar problem and used a 2.5in Hard Disk USB enclosure (caddy is not a term used in this part of the world-Asia). It worked well but had a problem with access to files as the hard disk when it was in laptop had an administrator (Windows XP) password protection. When you connect same hard disk as a USB drive I did not have a prompt for password. Still could not resolve the problem. LUCKILY i had backed up all my important data before the crash!

I have a device here that is made by VANTEC it is a cable that is 2.0 USB to SATA, PATA & ATA for all drives to be run as plug in for testing and data retrival here at home. Have a lot of old drives that I have removed from old equipment that still has some data and old applications on them. If I remember correctly it was purchased from Micro Center here in Cincinnati, Ohio USA for around $19.00 and includes the power supply for the drives that plugs into a normal house plug (US).

That sounds perfect! What do I call this cable when I search for it?

USB to Hard Drive cable. Manufacture is Vantec See Below. Cost is a little higher than when I bought mine. See Microcenter.com for this item. Ric

Vantec SATA/IDE to USB Drive Adapter Share this product with the world Our Price: $29.99 SKU: 919977 Mfr Part #: CB-ISATAU2 UPC: 844767003641 Availability: Usually ships in 1-3 business days.

The SATA/IDE-USB Adapter gives you the flexibility of connecting almost any type of drive to your computer via USB. SATA, 3.5" IDE, 5.25" IDE, and 2.5" IDE drives are all supported and can be easily hot-swapped to your system. The included external power adapter will allow you to power your drives outside your system giving you the ability to quickly add or swap between drives without opening your case. The SATA/IDE-USB adapter incorporate 3 interfaces to one USB adapters. Product Specifications Supported Drive Interface IDE Ultra ATA; Serial ATA Supported Drive Type 2.5" Hard Drives; 3.5" Hard Drives; 5.25" Optical Drives Number of Drives Supported 1 Data Transfer Rate USB: Up to 480Mbps Supported Windows Operating Systems Microsoft Windows 98se, ME, 2000, XP Supported Macintosh Operating Systems Mac OS 8.6 or Later Power Supply AC Adapter Included Software Drivers & Utilities Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year Limited Warranty

My apologies for being so dense, but much of this is just greek to me. This is what I have, shown below. The overall dimensions are 4.75"x3"x.5":

Where do I attach the cable shown in the post above?

Hello samouw,

can you tell me the digits on the small what square please. It is not a very clear pic sorry.

You have shown a pic of your hard drive where everything on your computer is stored. You should have disconnected this from the Mother board or a cable from the power supply in the computer. They are often near each other. Where you removed the computer cable you should be able to attached the cable 'above. You then attach the other end to your new computer and the new computer should recognise it and if so it will show up on a list of your drives under 'computer'.

Take care

Okay, the numbers in the small white square are:

SPS-350212-001

Date code: 7J04A4

Other info from the label:

Model :IC25N080ATMR04-0 4200RPM

5V 1.0A DC ATA/IDE

MH17951 Oct/O4

P/N: 08K0864

OEM: 312954-002

MLC: H71515

FR: D5A

A141111

CT: *2669201F3QW12X???(covered by small white label)

Thank you all for your patience and advice!

Hello samouw,

I thank you for your quick response I will get back to you ASAP. It will be tomorrow unfortunately, but, there is not that much urgency as, you do not have to use it for the moment do you?

Take care.

Hello samouw,

Yes you can attach this, to your next computer and read it and or copy and save/transfer the info'.

I do not know how old your Laptop was, but you will still be able to use it's hard drive as an external HDD. Just find the appropriate cables and connectors of course.

I assume the rest of your Laptop is kaput as well? If not, and you like a bit of a fiddle check out the details of the MB (Mother Board) which I suspect is what died? And measure the size, L =W =thickness and see if you can find another on-line? You could look for a web site which deals with say, 'Laptops', or your particular make of computer and check on the forums what to look out for?

Good luck whatever though, OK?

Take care.

Ok, I went to our local computer store (I live in a very small town) and no one knew what I was talking about. I had the hard drive with me to show them and all they could think of was how to take it apart to put it in a new computer.

I do appreciate all the help so far and hate to ask for more; but I am just a lil old lady (really) and I need to purchase this cable on-line. I can't afford to buy one and get the wrong one, so - could anyone direct me to the right one?

Thank you so much...again

Hi, samouw - can you post a photo showing the connector(s) of your drive?

I can take another picture if this wasn't isn't clear enough.

Hi samouw,

The pic' JohnDG wants is of your connector which is probably on the very end of your HDD.

Take care

The one RicinCinci showed in post#11 is correct.

Here are two more, if you are in the USA,

In case you can't read it, it is part number 1266325, and

is part number 1302082.

Both of the above are from cdw.com, which I have known as a reliable company. (usual disclaimer)

It is interesting that the second one is slightly cheaper, yet includes a power supply. You do NOT need the power supply; it is for powering the larger 3.5" drives used in desktop machines. Your 2.5" drive gets its power directly from the USB connector. NOTE that many computers have more than one USB connector, and it is common for one connector to have limited power. If the unit does not work when you first plug it in, then try a different USB socket.

I know nothing about the quality of either above unit.

Good luck!

Hi dkwarner,

Just to say you have written a very helpful post with good specific advice for her needs! Including "Part #'s", that is good help!

GA to you Sir.

Take care.

Thank you Thank you Thank you !!!

I found the cable online for only $15.95 here:

When will your items arrive? Not Yet Shipped: 1 item - delivery estimate: September 17, 2009 - October 2, 2009 Order Placed: September 10, 2009 Amazon.com order number: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Order Total: $20.94 Shipment #1: Ordered from columbusquilter Shipping estimate: September 11, 2009 - September 14, 2009 Delivery estimate: September 17, 2009 - October 2, 2009 Shipping Address: Shipping Speed: Standard Shipping Shipping Preference: Group my items into as few shipments as possible Items Ordered Price 1 of: Cables To Go USB To Ide Or Serial Ata Drive Adapter [Electronics] Condition: New Sold by: columbusquilter (seller profile) $15.95

Excellent! That does appear to be the same device.

If you need more help when it arrives, come back here...

Dick

Hi samouw,

Patients and care always wins!

Congrats, and my thanks for your thanks.

Take care.

Hello Samouw,

From details you posted later it is obvious what you have is a PATA 2.5 in Hard Drive.

Take the advice of dkwarner & babybear, best I saw in this thread.

Buy a PATA (also sometimes called just ATA) to USB external enclosure. Then put your hard disk inside the enclosure, plug the USB cable in.

For a person who is not very familiar with computer hardware I believe this is the best approach. If you buy the enclosure from a PC component shop probably you can ask the people there to do it for you. It is very simple anyway.

If you still have problems do not hesitate to come back. We will be there to support you.

Hello samouw,

I thank you for your reply post, and I am sorry you had such terrible service from your 'local' PC store! I would not buy anything from them again. They seem to have given you bad advice and do not deserve your respect and patronage.

dkwarner has given an answer in reply to your request as to which connector to get, and I think it is JohnDG who has asked for a pic' of the actual socket on the hard disk? I am going through a whole lot of emails in the order I got them and may not have reached any others you may have sent to other poster's. Can you tell me if what has been posted so far has help you choose the connector?

I know for the price of a connector it would be far cheaper to get one sent by mail than looking for a PC store which may not have one anyway. Though I fail to understand why they do not carry these things. It is something which is very small and would take up virtually no space, but, then, they have to fit what ever they can into the store and things of a very much higher value, IE, NEW computers are their main choice for obvious reasons.

Get back to me, us?

Take care and hope you get sorted ASAP!

If you have another computer (desktop), take off the sides. You should see a spare plug on the cable connecting your hard disk.

Plug this in and you can read the old disk and transfer it onto one of the other hard drives.

It should be possible to make an adapter frame to mount it inside your desktop computer and continue using it.

If you only have a replacement laptop, it is a little more difficult and and mounting in an external drive case may be the easiest way (as described by others).

Good luck

Sorry, but all the cables I've ever seen inside desktops were for 3.5" disks, with a separate power connector. This is a 2.5" disk, where power is included on the ribbon cable. There may exist a 2.5-3.5" adapter, but I've never seen one...

Sounds like adding an external enclosure inside the case to me

I ascribe to a rule which keeps components of failed systems outside until tested.

Hi dkwarner,

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=36945

http://www.1topstore.com/product_info.php?products_id=1

Now you have seen two!

Your other posts #6 & #16 on this matter are excellent.

Hello Sisira,

Hope you are well.

Just a few words to apologise for posting details of the 2.5/3.5 connector.

I read I notifications in the order they arrive and dkwarner mentioned about the connectors, and I did a search on spec' when you had already posted details. Sorry

Take care.

Thanks three times!

I have indeed! Is 1topstore in the UK? At that price I'd buy a couple just to have on hand. Obviously a clearance item, since everybody has switched to SATA.

Dick

I got one a couple of years ago from my local (independent) PC shop, to do a recovery job on a friend's laptop. Think it cost about £7.50. It's come in handy for doing fast backups on 2 or 3 other old laptops since I got it.

That's quite a bit less than I paid for any of mine! But did you see the one from the second link - $1.09!? I have the USB to PATA adapter (partly pictured in post 16), and I have several external enclosures for both 2.5 and 3.5" drives, both SATA and PATA. Since I do a lot of Mac repair on the side, most of my enclosures are Firewire rather than USB, or both (most Macs can boot from Firewire externals, but not from USB).

Hi dkwarner,

I think it could be an ebay company and the main owners are Indian.

Check out this page, near the bottom you will see that India is mentioned. It hardly matters where they are if they are part of ebay I suppose.

I was accused of non payment when I bought something from China, so, out of malice amongst other stuff I just do no business with ebay any more.

My total order was almost 1100 Dollars and I paid it all, including the ten bucks I was told I had not paid. The order was between 20 dealers.

I have no respect for the site whatsoever............... Or the people who run it.

Sorry 'got into it there'!.................

Take care.

Hi BB

When You say "Check out this page", did you forget to do a link, or were you referring to your previous post? Not that it matters for me - I very rarely use desktops any more. I have two, but they are both loaned out right now. I have at least 5 working laptops, having vintages of about every 3 years. This one will be 3 years old in March, and my colleague/boss has already hinted that I need to get a new one, so maybe he will help pay for it...

Since I use laptops, all my HD adapters are either USB or Firewire based, so I have no need for ribbon cable adapters. But it is very nice to know they exist...

Keep up the good work!

Dick

Hi dkwarner,

Please forgive me. I did actually mean to post a link and forgot, sorry.

The link was:

http://www.1topstore.com/affiliate.php

The main site does not seem to have a 'normal' address as in 'brick building, you know?

Take care

Hi dkwarner,

Actually that post by you was an eye opener for me too. Even I did not existence of such a gadget. Curiosity in me lead me to do a web search and so I thought of posting it for the benefit of others in CR4.

To be honest I have no idea where they are based and whether they are genuine or not. You know about internet companies, so always take care when you do business!

Have a good day.

I am off to a lunch party, in fact an alms giving of a relative. We have this peculiar habit of an alms giving on the 3rd month remembrance of a dead person.

Thanks BB!

Interesting search - not a single company that is familiar to me. Obviously the search engine takes your location into account.

Dick

Hello dkwarner,

I do hope the searches I do are, or I try to make them more useful by trying to do a worldwide, or Country specific search?

I change the search criteria yesterday Wednesday. And hope it does provide more useful info to those in the US?

Let me know if this is not the case please my friend, OK?

Take care.

Hello BB

It appears that the search engines take into account your location, so it is impossible to do a world-wide search. I did a similar search this morning, and did not see any of the companies of your search, among the many results provided..

Dick

Hi dkwarner,

Yes you are right, of course the search engines DO take into account your abode.

Frustrating, but I sometimes try to get round this by entering "USA" or "INDIA" for instance? Not by any means always successful though! You may get the same result or similar by searching under UK rather than USA (Home)? You have a whole lot more experience than me so please forgive me for 'teaching my Granny (Grandpar) to suck eggs", OK?

BTW, I would be interested to hear what results you got on the first page?

Take care

does it have an ide cable , if so you should be able to go ide to usb port

Hello samouw,

I do not mean to confuse the issue of your current request to be able to read you 2.5" HDD. However if you know it works fine and want to fit it in your (I presume) Desktop computer you can.

I would suggest it be used via your USB connection, after you have the connector, but, if the old HDD works, and you want to use it in your new machine you will need a 3.5" mounting bracket. I show the bracket type which is one of the two on the left, black or white. AAMKHD25W or AAMKHD25B.

Take care And do not hesitate to ask anything else.

Ignore everything I say about this of course if you have another Laptop!

We recommend you a new model with only $66dollars for a brand new laptop in China.

www.engineeringship.net

You need to just plug it into an external hard drive which will be able to read all your data. No point wasting money on data recovery.