Computer Question?

Hey folks!

Ok I need a little help - my laptop’s hard drive died the other day. Rand all the tests and confirmed that a couple of sectors are bad (boot sectors of course). Anyway I’m trying to recover the data on it and wanted to attach it to another computer as a slave unit. Problem is it’s a laptop HD and the connector is different on the back that a standard HD has that you normally see in a desktop PC.

I did find a hard drive adaptor 44 pin to 40 pin IDE (Ribbon type) with a pig tail power connector (4 pin) Molex attached. But again the connector on the back of the Laptop HD is a slot type connector not a pin type?

Any ideas where I might be able to find an adaptor or a connector that will work? Or have any other ideas on how I can do this?

Considered dumping it on a server, and using the host PC to recover?

Problem is how do I get in on the server in the first place the laptop won't even boot up.

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Problem is how do I get in on the server in the first place the laptop won't even boot up.

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I was able to recover data from an unbootable laptop drive a few weeks ago using a bootable Windows distribution CD - maybe try that?

just fixed a similar problem on a laptop this weekend.

I downloaded a linux distro called Knoppix that runs directly from the CD. https://www.knoppix.org/

It is super user friendly and there are good instructions here. (read these first and see how easy it might be for you)

https://www.shockfamily.net/cedric/knoppix/

It's worth the download to see if you can get to the files on the HD. Don't be intimidated by the "linux" word. I was able to do all of this with ZERO configuration changes. Straight out of the box it found the hard drive, connected to my network, etc. etc. etc.

I was able to plug the network cable into a router and then connect to a mapped folder on an XP box. I then transferred the files I needed to save in about 30 minutes and I was done.

Worst comes to worse I'd be happy to try it for you if you want to drive it up here.

Hi Bret,
I agree with John on using the windows CD to boot from. You may have to go into the BIOS to make the computer boot from that drive (DVD). If you can network to the desktop computer you were going to put the laptop drive in, that may be the easiest solution. Otherwise, if there is a Fry's Electronics near you, they will have it.

Depends on how much you want to spend. Your friendly neighborhood computer/electronics shop should have 2 1/2" Hard drive enclosures. Buy one, slap that drive in, and plug it into a USB or fireware port (depending on what your other system and the enclosure has) and you're in business.

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I did find a hard drive adaptor 44 pin to 40 pin IDE (Ribbon type) with a pig tail power connector (4 pin) Molex attached. But again the connector on the back of the Laptop HD is a slot type connector not a pin type?

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Brett - I know exactly the problem you're talking about. Are you absolutely sure the back of the HD (with the card/slot connector) doesn't pull off of the HD? I've never seen a small/laptop HD with the card/slot connector as part of the design, they are always an adapter that slides over the pins that are an integral part of the HD. The adapter is usually supplied by the laptop manufacturer (dell used to use them, for example).

I had a guy at work go ballistic because the HD he ordered was "the wrong kind" for his laptop, until I slipped the adapter off. Nobody at the office had ever seen that before.





Once you get the adapter situation resolved your connector with the molex power connector will work fine in the desktop.

Hey Bret,

A freind of mine uses an external USB hard drive kit to recover data from his laptop harddrives. I believe he found his kit at Fry's. It's really neat. It was designed to use Laptop Hard drives. So all he has to do is remove the drive from the laptop, put it into the USB drive housing, and connect it to another computer via USB.

It's about the size of a hip flask so it's not combersome to tote around with ya, and since you can put any size laptop hard drive into it that you want it's very handy as portable storage or as additional storage for a desktop or laptop. I wish I knew what brand it is... but if you know about it maybe a sales rep can help ya locate one?

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but if you know about it maybe a sales rep can help ya locate one?

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AT FRYS ???? HELP YOU AT FRYS ????

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

HE SAID "HELP YOU AT FRYS" !!!!!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif
MUUHHHHWWWAAAAHAAAHAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAHAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAAA

You're smoking crack son.

If you know what you want, can make a bee-line to it without making eye contact with anyone, and can navigate the cattle-call to a register.... Fry's is your place.

Keep your expectations low.

OK... I'm better now.

but actually Fry's might be your best bet for some sort of adapter cable. I know the kid who works on the hardware here has one but I think he got it from Dell.

I'd still say boot it to a CD and see if you get anywhere first.

oh yeah... i forgot about that customer service at Fry's.... err... the lack there of... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif I never go in there without knowing what I'm after before hand, personally /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Jim has the best "first try" suggestion. Knoppix is ~slick~ and if the boot sector is the only data damaged you can ferret the rest off the HD to about any storage device you can connect to the beast. Knoppix will "see" about anything there is out there for data storage.

"LINUX... Load it, learn it, LOVE it!" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

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"LINUX... Load it, learn it, LOVE it!" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

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amen brother!