Gettings docs off of old hard drive

TraceyB_2

My faithful pc died recently - major problem is that all my husbands work invoices are on there as word docs and I need to print them off for the tax man!

I have hardly any IT skills - how easy is it to get the stuff off of the hard drive and onto a disk or onto my new laptop?

If its too complicated - anyone have any idea as to how much it'd cost me to take it in somewhere and get them to do it (assuming they can?)

Also, anyone know of anywhere decent in the Hornchurch, Essex area?

Cheers

nickmack

TraceyB wrote:

My faithful pc died recently - major problem is that all my husbands work invoices are on there as word docs and I need to print them off for the tax man!

I'm sorry to hear that! My condolences!

When you say 'died', how do you mean? I ask this because if it was the Hard Disk that is damaged then you may require specialist help to recover data.

I have hardly any IT skills - how easy is it to get the stuff off of the hard drive and onto a disk or onto my new laptop?

If the Hard Disk is still in good condition then it's possible to recover data by plugging it into another PC.

It's not very difficult, but it will require another PC with a spare IDE connector and you opening that PC up to plug the new drive in and configuring it in the BIOS if necessary. You can then boot into Windows and 'see' the old Disk partitions as drive letters.

If its too complicated - anyone have any idea as to how much it'd cost me to take it in somewhere and get them to do it (assuming they can?)

If you don't feel comfortable trying the above (we can help you with advice!) then you can ask someone to do it for you. Shouldn't take them more than an hour if they know what you're looking for, so no more than £50 really.

Someone on here recently offered to recover some data for someone else if they paid a nominal fee for time and of course paid for postal costs. I'm sure they will make themselves known again if they feel they can help you in this case.

timm_2

A lesson for all of us - back up regularly! How many of us do. These days with cd writers, it takes just a few minutes to burn all those important files to a CD.

It's sods law - a hard drive will always fail at the worst possible time!

GreenNotM

Hi Tracey

Provided the hard disk is not the reason for the PC dying then if you can get the hard drive out of the PC you can put it in to a "hard disk enclosure" such as this one sold via PC World http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1632644736.1142474564@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdjaddhfgmejgmcflgceggdhhmdgmh.0&microsite_id=Component_Shop&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=655192&category_oid=-24780 (You will find cheaper elswhere no doubt - this is just an example.)
you will be able to connect it to a USB port on your laptop ( as you clearly mentioned in your OP) and read the files off the PC's disk that way. I am sure a good PC shop will fit the disk into the enclosure (and sell you one too) - if you are not able.

Warning when you go to pull the cables off the disk - pull the ribbon cable straight off - do not twist it as you may bend the pins. HTH....

A parting thought is --- have you confirmed why the PC died - if it is just the PSU (power supply unit) then the PC shop may be able to breathe some life into the PC and save you money -- sorry cannot recommend any one in the Hornchurch area and not sure that PC World have a good rep.

Joe_Bloggs

@TraceyB
It is nothing major. You could try a USB disk caddy to interface with the IDE drive to your laptop. Some ideas here.
The drive could also be a SATA interface rather than IDE . This has a data connnection as wide as your little finger.
J_B.(DVD writers are as cheap as £25. )

TraceyB_2

Thanks everyone, not sure why it died, it lights up so there is power getting to it but nothing happens - it just sits there idle (bit like myself!!)

It has been unplugged for about a month so might just set it all up again just to make sure - many moons ago I had a TV that would stop and then once we took it to the repair man - it worked again - it got to the stage where we would just unplug it, put it in the car, take it round the block and then take it back indoors!!

Thanks for the advice on the gadgets to plug in - that sounds fairly simple enough.

Once again, thanks for all your help - will shout again if I need help.

:beer:

CIS

If the powers getting through, it sounds like its your CPU thats died. If it was the hard drive then usually the computer will boot to a point where it tries to access the drive and then give an on screen warning error.

If its the cpu , its good news as your hard drive should be okay.

Bagger

One further thought to add to the mix. Some laptops charge the battery and consume power from the battery. If the battery is "dead", the laptop may not be able to get any power. The solution is to remove the battery. This is a remote possibility since most of the laptops I know do not work like this. However, there may be manufacturers who still do this.

Just a thought.

Bagger