Anyone Know Anything About Computers?

UsernameInUse

I could really do with some help.

My old comp is busted (won't turn on/seen better days) - but I do have photos from years ago saved on it. Is there any way to save them at all?

Raging_Ninja

If the hard disk is ok then the information should be recoverable. Could be as relatively straightforward as pulling out the HDD and slotting it into another computer.

Could also be as simple as getting a new power source/motherboard for your existing computer.

Get a professional to do it for you though. Unless you are a professional that is (I take it that because you're asking the question you aren't).

bonzodog2

You can remove the hard drive and either plug it into another tower, or get an external enclosure for it, to plug it into another computer by USB. First step is to find out if it is IDE or SATA. Wikipedia has pictures of those connections.

WoollyRedHat

UsernameInUse wrote: »

I could really do with some help.

My old comp is busted (won't turn on/seen better days) - but I do have photos from years ago saved on it. Is there any way to save them at all?

Open up the CPU,the photos should be stored in there.
You can take them right out.
( As a precautionary measure, and I know it's obvious but still, make sure computer is switched off fully before you attempt this!)

stretch00

You could try connecting it by double ended USB lead to another computer and accessing the hard drive as an external device. So long as the disk isn't too damaged you should be able to recover photos. Alternatively take out the hard disc and put it into another pc as a slave drive and access it that way. Failing all the above, go to your local independent pc centre, there are a few other options, though the tend to cost a bit.

Hope some use

Super-Rush

Moved from After Hours.

UsernameInUse

Thanks for the responses.

I just took my HD out of the old tower.

Is there a piece of equipment I can buy so that I can plug it into my new computer without actually inserting it into the tower itself? (kind of like a USB or something) All I want are the pics.
Also, if the old HD has a virus (not that i know), would that transfer onto the new comp if I transferred the files?

bonzodog2

One of these or similar will work for IDE and SATA, includes power supply

mach1982

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Open up the CPU,the photos should be stored in there.
You can take them right out.
( As a precautionary measure, and I know it's obvious but still, make sure computer is switched off fully before you attempt this!)

The CPU is the processor, intel, Atlon , what are talking about is the case, and hard drive. OP, remove you HD , and go in PC world and ask for an external caddy, you will be able to insert the hard drive in the caddy and connect via usb to another PC.

mordeith

If the old hd is SATA then it'd be less hassle to just pop it into the new tower and you wouldn't have to go to the expense of buying a caddy. Of course it its IDE then it will be highly unlikely the new PC will have those connections so a caddy would be the best way to go.

yoyo

mach1982 wrote: »

The CPU is the processor, intel, Atlon , what are talking about is the case, and hard drive. OP, remove you HD , and go in PC world and ask for an external caddy, you will be able to insert the hard drive in the caddy and connect via usb to another PC.

Never understood how people get the two mixed up, seems many people do though! The mainframe is another gem! :P :pac:

Nick

Sean^DCT4

It's AMD and not Athlon in fairness.. Athlon was a model of AMD (x86 architecture).

UsernameInUse

It's an IDE - so I was thinking about getting an external caddy so that I can plug it into my new comp (does it make a difference whether or not I'm transferring files stored on a PC to a Mac?) - anyone got any idea if I can get one in Argos as I'm on my way right now with the missus.

Hal Emmerich

The Dynamode 3.5" Hard Drive Enclosure can receive SATA/IDE hard drives of up to 800GB.

Hijpo

UsernameInUse wrote: »

It's an IDE - so I was thinking about getting an external caddy so that I can plug it into my new comp (does it make a difference whether or not I'm transferring files stored on a PC to a Mac?) - anyone got any idea if I can get one in Argos as I'm on my way right now with the missus.

I dont think the mac will read the data on the hdd. Two diffrent file systems (how the data is organised on the disc) ye see.

yoyo

Hijpo wrote: »

I dont think the mac will read the data on the hdd. Two diffrent file systems (how the data is organised on the disc) ye see.

Macs can read NTFS (I think you need to buy an software to do this, open to correction though) but can't write to it, without a further expensive NTFS driver,

Nick

Hijpo

yoyo wrote: »

Hijpo wrote: »

I dont think the mac will read the data on the hdd. Two diffrent file systems (how the data is organised on the disc) ye see.

Macs can read NTFS (I think you need to buy an software to do this, open to correction though) but can't write to it, without a further expensive NTFS driver,

Nick

Does that mean that macs can read ntfs straight off or do you need software?

yoyo

Hijpo wrote: »

Does that mean that macs can read ntfs straight off or do you need software?

I think you need to buy software to do it, lol as with anything Apple. Ubuntu et al. can read NTFS no issues, as its a proprietry FS obviously Apple don't include it

Nick

eleven1

UsernameInUse wrote: »

I could really do with some help.

My old comp is busted (won't turn on/seen better days) - but I do have photos from years ago saved on it. Is there any way to save them at all?

my comment is coming 3 days after you posted your question , i hope by now everything has been fixed, if not , then let me start by telling u dont worry , i had a similar problem , i formated "by accident" a memory card , i got in touch with a computer company in Dublin they got me everything i had in that card back for a small fee .€20 . sorry i cant remember the name of the company this was a couple of years ago , i think you should get professional help , in your case your drive is still good, u have nothing to worry about ,and i guess u wont have too pay big money . gooood luck

Hijpo

eleven1 wrote: »

UsernameInUse wrote: »

I could really do with some help.

My old comp is busted (won't turn on/seen better days) - but I do have photos from years ago saved on it. Is there any way to save them at all?

my comment is coming 3 days after you posted your question , i hope by now everything has been fixed, if not , then let me start by telling u dont worry , i had a similar problem , i formated "by accident" a memory card , i got in touch with a computer company in Dublin they got me everything i had in that card back for a small fee .€20 . sorry i cant remember the name of the company this was a couple of years ago , i think you should get professional help , in your case your drive is still good, u have nothing to worry about ,and i guess u wont have too pay big money . gooood luck

I think they charge by the size of the drive or how much data they retrieved so of its a sizeable chunk it could cost a fair bit.

UsernameInUse

Hi folks,

Thanks for all the help. I have managed to buy myself an external caddie to put the Hd into which I've removed from the old tower. My problem is that the HD from the old tower is such a monster sized piece, it will not fit into the caddie. So I'm removing the top of the box (to make it smaller) and see this green thingymajig - I'm not sure what exactly to take off (it all looks so important and I dont want to damage anything). YouTube has nothing....

EDIT: HD will definitely NOT fit into caddie.

yoyo

eleven1 wrote: »

my comment is coming 3 days after you posted your question , i hope by now everything has been fixed, if not , then let me start by telling u dont worry , i had a similar problem , i formated "by accident" a memory card , i got in touch with a computer company in Dublin they got me everything i had in that card back for a small fee .€20 . sorry i cant remember the name of the company this was a couple of years ago , i think you should get professional help , in your case your drive is still good, u have nothing to worry about ,and i guess u wont have too pay big money . gooood luck

There is a big difference between recovering from a formatted memory stick (which can take less than 5 minutes with free software) than to recover from a failing mechanical hard disk. Sometimes its a simple process, others its very complex.
Those external caddies are a waste of money imo. Some just don't work well, you must know a family member or a friend with a pc tower, just mount the drive in that and if windows recognises it pull the files onto their hard disk and then onto whatever, external HD, USB key etc. If the computer itself failed the HD is probably alrite, although if the PSU fried the mobo the HDs circuit board may have suffered similar faith

Nick

GowlBag

Hard drives come in 2.5 and 3.5 inch sizes. 2.5" for laptops 3.5" for desktops. Assuming you haven't bought a 2.5" caddy for a 3.5" drive then it should fit. My best guess at what a green thingymajig is in this case would be plastic mounting pieces that may be screwed to the drive to enable it to slide easily into the particular make of PC. Is it a Dell? Dells very often have two green slides screwed onto either side of the drive so that it slides in easily and then clicks into place inside the PC. These can easily be removed.

Failing all that can you post a pic of said HD?

yoyo

GowlBag wrote: »

Hard drives come in 2.5 and 3.5 inch sizes. 2.5" for laptops 3.5" for desktops. Assuming you haven't bought a 2.5" caddy for a 3.5" drive then it should fit. My best guess at what a green thingymajig is in this case would be plastic mounting pieces that may be screwed to the drive to enable it to slide easily into the particular make of PC. Is it a Dell? Dells very often have two green slides screwed onto either side of the drive so that it slides in easily and then clicks into place inside the PC. These can easily be removed.

Failing all that can you post a pic of said HD?

2.5" IDE connectors are very different to 3.5" connectors, OPs best bet is to find a family member or friend with an older pc, pull the molex and IDE from the DVD/CD drive, boot up and see if the files are viewable.
Make sure to set the jumpers to Slave or Cable Select (Assuming the optical drive would be Slave, some manufacturers kept HD and Optical drives seperate which is better).
A 2.5" IDE caddy will not work with a 3.5" IDE drive, even butchering the caddy!

Nick