Hi everyone. HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I got a question.
Is their a way to hook up a hard drive from a laptop to my desk top. Using USB port.
I need to get some information from it. The screen went black, so i have to change the top. Let me explain a little. When i turn it on i can barely see the icons. So is it possiable?

John

Yes. Go to your local CompUSA. Tell the salesperson you need a 2.5" USB laptop hard drive case

Should cost between $25-50.

CompUSA has several different brands, while Circuit Chitty and Beast Buy are going to have smaller selection. CompUSA store brand will work fine.

If you need pictures or instructions on how to remove hte hard drive from the laptop, post the model number and I'll try to pull up your user manual online.

Thanks Shifty, I knew you'd answer this question. I need to get some company expense form off the computer. I know how to take the hard drive out of this computer.
Thanks again,

Hay Shifty, Can i use this??

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=HD-108&cpc=SCH


John
( Big Blue )

That would probably work if you want to mount it internally in one of your current machines.

I presume it is an IDE 2.5" drive, they also make Serial ATA 2.5" drives, found this out when I went to swap out my laptop hard drive with a spare I have laying around the house (I swear, I have a spare everything :D)

I was talking about something like this though:
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=cat3&product_code=306130&Pn=USB_2_0_Aluminum_Enclosure_For_2_5_inch_Hard_Drives

$20 at your local CompUSA. It should handle all of your needs. You can find something cheaper on NewEgg probably, but after shipping it will be more expensive. This case is a better choice IMO because you can tote the drive everywhere.

JUST BE VERY CAREFUL USING CASES LIKE THIS. Laptop hard drives are exceptionally sensitive to drops and shocks. I killed one a while back by dropping it 12" onto a carpeted concrete floor (classroom carpet).

Thanks again,
I have a compusa 32 miles from me. Later i will go get one. Not to bad on price.

Thanks,
John

CompUSA store brand items are very respectable and typically a good price. I think you'll be happy with it.

If you need any help getting that thing up and going, let me know. Will be happy to help.

Thanks, I will do that.

John

Hi Shifty,
I purchased the 2.5 USB 2.0 Aluminum Externa Enclosure.
However the pins on the (downed Hard Drive ) will not work.

The pin set up on the storage unit is the pin hole type. I think 40 pin.
While the hook up on the hard drive is the type that looks like the memory stick.
Hope i said that right.

Do they have the type i need?

John

Please see this post above:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showpost.php?p=1981616&postcount=4

There are two types of laptop hard drives. 'IDE' and 'Serial ATA'. You bought the IDE case, but you have a Serial ATA hard drive. This is what I was warning about :D

Thanks Shifty, Just got back from NY, BUSINESS.
Sorry, i missed that part. Sometimes we read to fast and miss key information.
I stopped off at at COMPUSA on the way home and he had know idea what i was talking about. He said i have to remove the " BRACKET " off the hard drive.
So what do i get now?? Again thanks,
John

I am sitting here thinking about what the kid is saying, and the date your laptop was probably made, and he may be right. Can you please tell me how wide the connector is? If it's less than 1" wide, he is wrong. If it is almost as wide as the drive, he is correct and I will try to post pics of what he means.

Meanwhile, if you can just post a picture of the ass-end of the drive, that will be confirmation enough and leave things as clear as pie.

Hi Shifty,
I 'll try and post pic off my cell phone later.
I took the hard drive out of the lap top. It does have a bracket on it,that hold the hard drive . I was able to remove the drive. and it has the PCI type of connection. So can i get the USB CASE in the format?

John

Take a picture of the back of the drive. Do you mean "IDE" and not "PCI"?

i think he tried to get the drawer from the laptop with the harddisk in it to hook up to the external drive

Thanks Shifty and watahyahknow,
I tryed to get the picture off my cell. Could not do it so here is the next best thing. Now what?? I would like to get my expense forms off before i send the computer back for repaires. I think the vid card took a dump.

John

Please read this entire post BEFORE you dork around with it :D

Ok, that's a standard cage used on a lot of laptops. The one on the right looks like the kind Dell uses.

Flip the hard drive over with label facing down. You should find 4-6 phillips head screws that are holding the drive in. When you take those out, carefully lift the drive out of the cage. The adapter with copper pins in the back MAY be fixed to the case - if so, be careful to pull the hard drive up and away from that adapter.

Once out of the cage, if the adapter is not attached to the cage, you can carefully and evenly pry that connector off the end. BE VERY CAREFUL to take it off evenly and DO NOT force it off. It will come off like this (see both pics):

http://www.mikeshardware.com/howtos/sonyhdswap/pcgf630-018.jpg
http://www.mikeshardware.com/howtos/sonyhdswap/pcgf630-020.jpg

Here is a decent display of the process (sometimes the screws are in the side -and the adapters are often different):

http://www.memorysuppliers.com/laphardrivgu.html

I hope this should help. Sorry I cannot find better pictures. Without hacking apart one of my laptops and shooting photos, I can't give you pictures. All of my laptops use Serial ATA drives, so .... :D won't do much good.

Thanks Shifty,
Perfect......It Worked. What you did to help me can not be said in plain words. Thanks for all you do on this board. Where else can you get truck information and get your computer fixed too.
I got the information from the computer. When i send the computer back to the company for repaires i know it will be down for awhile.
You are a great invisable friend.

Again Thanks, John

Thanks for the kind words :) Glad you got up and going.