Need help from the smart computer people!

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by optimegatron, Feb 23, 2012.

  1. optimegatron

    optimegatron Not over, not finished.

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    Hey, thanks for trying to help. My laptop died recently, and I got a temporary replacement laptop. Problem is, I had some major stuff on my dead laptop. I still have it FYI. Now, why don't I repair it? Because that laptop is a BEAST! Instead, the replacement I have is an old cow... So now we come to the question: is there some way to transfer the data from the dead laptop to the replacement one, extract my files by, say, sending them to my email, then return to my replacement computer's data?
    Yeah, you have to be a REAL computer nerd to pull this one off...
    EDIT: Yeah, kinda forgot to mention it so obviously-
    The laptop is dead. I can't boot it up.
     
  2. GFH

    GFH The G Squad

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    You could use a big flash drive and save all your important shit on it and transfer it like that? That's what I do when iTunes deletes all the songs I uploaded from CDs instead of pulling out my CDs again.

    EDIT: I'm assuming you can boot the thing up. Am I wrong?

    I'm probably wrong.
     
  3. Aernaroth

    Aernaroth <b><font color=blue>I voted for Super_Megatron and Veteran

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    You can get adapters that basically convert the bus off a hard drive to a USB port. Sort of changes it from an internal hard drive to an external hard drive.

    Or swap the hard drives (if they're compatible), burn the data you want, swap back.
     
  4. optimegatron

    optimegatron Not over, not finished.

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    You guessed it. If I could boot the fucking thing we wouldn't be having this thread... lol but nice try.
     
  5. Optimus1138

    Optimus1138 Well-Known Member

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    I'm hardly one of the "smart computer people", so I could be completely wrong about this, but I'd think that as long as the files on your old laptop are still accessible, you could a) email them to yourself, b) put them on a flash drive or external hard drive, or c) upload them to a file sharing/storage site and then put them onto your new computer. If your old laptop is broken to the point of not being able to access files on it, you'd probably need to get it fixed (again, I don't know that for sure).
     
  6. TFW10

    TFW10 Well-Known Member

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    Try to boot the machine up and try emailing the information to yourself?

    Don't know if that will work but it sometimes works for me
     
  7. optimegatron

    optimegatron Not over, not finished.

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    Hm, worth a try, but is it even possible to get one of those magic- USB to hard drive sticks? isn't it just USB to USB?
    Good god! Everything that goes on INSIDE the monitor, even advanced programming, I'm a proffesor. Even the most simple hard drive work on the outer shell, I go DEEEERRRRPPPPPP, WHAT'S A HARD DRIVE? WTF is wrong with me!?!?!?!
    And, scene.
     
  8. Smashs

    Smashs Internet: Pure Truth Moderator

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    The easiest was to do what you're wanting is to buy one of these:

    http://goo.gl/zSUgC

    Pull the hard drive out of the laptop, plug it in to this, then plug this into your new computer. If the old hard drive isn't dead, it will show up under 'My Computer'. Then you just have to find the files you need.
     
  9. GFH

    GFH The G Squad

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    T'was a valiant effort, sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
     
  10. lildevilchick

    lildevilchick what the doctor ordered

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    Even if a computer crashes, there are still ways to get into it. A place like Geek Squad should be able to extract the files you want. Keep in mind that programs cannot be extracted. Only files.
     
  11. Smashs

    Smashs Internet: Pure Truth Moderator

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    Stay away from anything like Geek Squad. Find someone local. You'll pay a fraction of the cost, and the work will get done properly.
     
  12. Tripredacus

    Tripredacus K-Mart-ian Legend

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    I agree. If I was on Cybertron (like the OP) I'd do it myself... but I've got 1-2 notebooks lines up in my future as it is.
     
  13. TacomaPrime

    TacomaPrime Cybertronian Tacoma

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    Yep. we use these at work to do exactly what your problem is. pull hard drive from dead laptop, get data off of it.
     
  14. Aernaroth

    Aernaroth <b><font color=blue>I voted for Super_Megatron and Veteran

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    Oh yeah, most computer stores have them. You could try swapping out the hard drive first (assuming it's not the problem), but the adapter would basically turn your old hard drive into one big flash drive.

    It's a cable that hooks onto your hard drive, and instead of a plug at the end that goes to your motherboard, it ends in a USB jack instead.

    Or if you're hysterical about working on your computer, find a computer shop you like and ask them to do it. If your hard drive is slagged you're essentially boned though.
     
  15. Wreck n rule

    Wreck n rule Well-Known Member

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    Basically, pick up a device to allow you to plug your old hard drive into said device, plug the device into the new laptop, and then save what you want from the old hard drive to the new. You need one of these or something similar, exactly what you need depends on the hard drive.

    ThinkGeek :: USB to SATA/IDE Combo Kit

    Hope this helps.
     
  16. Bruticon

    Bruticon The DVJ Veteran

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    Yep these guys nailed it. Get an adapter and plug your old HDD into the adapter and access it like an external HDD. Unless it was your HDD that failed but even then "most" of your data "should" be recoverable.
     
  17. optimegatron

    optimegatron Not over, not finished.

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    Okay guys, I think I'll try buying that thing evergamer suggested I do. Plus, I know Geek Squad, and I would never try it anyway. Plus, I'll try my luck at the nearby computer store for that cable, persuming they can do the work FOR me :) .
     
  18. Aernaroth

    Aernaroth <b><font color=blue>I voted for Super_Megatron and Veteran

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    If they do repairs, they most definitely can, and if they're doing the repairs/data transfer, they might just use a cable THEY have and you won't have to buy one. You're not planning on using the hard-drive afterwards, are you?

    You could also offer to sell them the old lappy as scrap for parts, as parts on many older laptops are surprisingly expensive.
     
  19. tikgnat

    tikgnat Baweepgranaweepninnybong.

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    Huh, I didn't even know about these adaptor things... wow.

    'In my day' I would have pulled the drive out, changed the dip switches on the HDD to slave and then attached it to another computer and grabbed all the data that way.

    LOL.