my laptop is dead but I want to get the info off my harddrive

[mollymoo]

Hi my laptop has finally give up the ghost and no longer powers up. I have stuff on my hard drive and want to get it off.... is it possible to get it out the laptop and plug it into say a computer i have?

any ideas.. thanks

[snags]

You could remove the Hard Drive, place it in an appropriate USB Hard Drive enclosure (caddy), connect it to another laptop/PC and copy the data off...

[VHG]

You need a caddy that takes 2.5" drives (laptop drives are 2.5" - desktop drives are 3.5").

Sorry to make it sound complicated, but a hard drive can either have a PATA connection or a SATA connection, so you need to find out which yours has before buying the enclosure.

Here is an example of what you need from PC World (note this is for a PATA hard drive)

http://tinyurl.com/yzcy2ey

[Old_Geezer]

If you have a little knowledge, and I accept that your question suggests otherwise, then you may find you have enough spare capactiy in your next PC to connect the laptop drive directly to it. Saves on the caddy, but would need opening up the new PC to connect the laptop drive.

(Alternatively, maybe the shop where you get your next PC is capable of adding the laptop drive for you if you broach the subject during the browsing for a new PC stage ?)