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Converting old laptop HDD to External Drive, Windows 7 won't read it

  • 16-04-2011 3:24am
    #1
    Xiney
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,085 ✭✭✭


    I had a laptop that, after months of threatening to do so, up and died. Just wouldn't turn on anymore.

    Anyway, that was over a year ago and I've finally gotten round to getting a case for the HDD to convert it into an external drive. Problem is, when I plugged it into my computer, the stupid thing wanted to format it (obviously I said no) and won't read it.

    The laptop was running vista (I know...) and the new computer is running windows 7.


    Any ideas?

    I do have the option of getting my dad to pull the files down using Linux, but if there's an easy way to do it in windows I'd like to know :)


Comments

  • #2
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 93,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    if you are sure the hardware is OK then try a linux live CD, you can copy files off the USB and then let windows format it to it's liking

    it could be windows getting confused with the geometry of the disk, the USB drive may be using a different translation than the old laptop

    perhaps try again on a different computer ?


  • #3
    xsiborg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,635 ✭✭✭xsiborg


    sounds more like the hard drive itself alone has died, and the rest of the laptop you took it out of might be in perfect working order!

    the reason windows asks you do you want to format the hard drive is because the drive may be physically damaged or the file system is corrupted.

    try using data recovery software like easus to read the RAW data off the drive, using that handy new usb caddy you got, then you could buy a new hard drive for the old laptop and re-install vista again from your recovery cd's.

    http://www.easeus.com/download.htm


  • #4
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 93,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    xsiborg wrote: »
    sounds more like the hard drive itself alone has died, and the rest of the laptop you took it out of might be in perfect working order!

    the reason windows asks you do you want to format the hard drive is because the drive may be physically damaged or the file system is corrupted.

    try using data recovery software like easus to read the RAW data off the drive, using that handy new usb caddy you got, then you could buy a new hard drive for the old laptop and re-install vista again from your recovery cd's.

    http://www.easeus.com/download.htm
    windows will always ask you to format if it doesn't understand the partion table :mad:

    as for data recovery - testdisk will try to sort out the prtition
    photorec will pull files off raw disk - both free


  • #5
    norbert64
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,192 ✭✭✭norbert64


    I think you should just go with the easiest option, and have your dad recover things with linux.

    That way, you can start anew and re-format the HDD for proper use with Win7. :cool:


  • #6
    Puggle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6 ✭Puggle


    Same thing happened me recently. I took the hard drive from my old laptop (running Win 7) and tried to use it as an external hard drive on my new laptop.

    Firstly I connected the drive to my work PC running XP. I was able to read the drive. Then when I got my new laptop running Win 7 I connected the drive and got the "need to format the drive " message. Then I was unable to read the hard drive. At this point I thought I had fried the hard drive. Then the next day I connected to my work PC agin and everything was fine.

    Just a pain in the a$$ that I had to transfer files from hard drive to PC then onto USB stick then onto new laptop but it worked and nothing lost.


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