How to Recover Data from an Old Disk Drive

When you buy a new computer, it comes with a new hard drive required to run it. If you still want to retrieve information from your old hard drive, you can do so by using an external hard drive enclosure. This enclosure will turn the old, internal hard drive into an external drive accessible through the new computer's USB drive.

Things You'll Need

• Phillips head screwdriver
• External hard drive enclosure

Instructions

1. Place the old hard drive into the external hard drive enclosure.

2. Connect the enclosure's two cables to the old hard drive's rear compartment.

3. Lock the old hard drive into the enclosure by screwing the four corners shut using the Phillips head screwdriver.

4. Connect the enclosure's power cord into the electrical socket and feed the enclosure's USB cable into a computer's USB cable.

5. Open the old drive by clicking the "Start" button, then "Computer." Double-click the drive when it appears. Hold the left-click button on any file and drag it to the desktop of the new computer.

Tips & Warnings

• Move as much information as possible at one time so that you will not have to do this again.

• If the old drive is clicking, then some files may not be accessible.

References

• Tech Republic: How do I... Build and Configure an External Hard Drive Enclosure?
• XPC Gear: How to Install an External Hard Drive Enclosure

Resources

• Data Clinic: Hard Drive Failures