How to Recover Data From a Dead Hard Drive

Retrieve data from your dead hard drive

The death of a hard drive eventually affects all computer users. Frustration soon kicks in due to the loss of pictures, music, documents and other files--files that you can't always replace. Unless corruption has occurred within the files, the files can actually be saved. Read on to learn how to rescue those stranded files.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Tweezers
• Working computer
• Anti-static wrist strap (recommended)

Instructions

1. Demagnetize your hands by rubbing them again any flat metal portion of the computer case. It's important not to shock the hard drive. You could lose more data.

2. Open the case of the computer that contains the dead hard drive, there should be two to four screws at the back of the computer. Remove these screws to open he right panel of your computer. Computer cases vary. Open the paneling that offers the easiest access to the hard drive.

3. Demagnetize your hands again. Disconnect the two cables that are connected to the hard drive. The cable with the wider connector is called the IDE cable. The cable with the thinner connector is the power cable. Remove the screws from the hard drive, then remove the hard drive itself from the computer. Place the hard drive on a surface that cannot hold a magnetic or electric charge.

4. Open the paneling on the working computer to reveal the hard drive. Look along the IDE cable of the working hard drive. There should be an unused connector spot on the cable. Plug the dead hard drive into this connector. There should be an unused power connector that resembles the power connectors of the non-working computer. Find a place to rest the hard drive.

5. 

   Locate the jumper and pins to the power and IDE cable on the back of the hard drive. Use your tweezers to remove the jumper from the pins. This will cause the dead hard drive to be the "slave" drive. It will function as the secondary hard drive.

6. Boot up the computer. In the My Computer menu of your computer, you should see an new hard drive. Scan the dead hard drive for viruses with any anti-virus software that you have before copying any of the information off of it. You can copy the information from hard drive to hard drive, or you can burn it to DVDs and CDs.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the anti-static wrist strap to reduce the chance of shocking the hard drive.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish