What can I do to get the data off my harddrive?

Hi there, Muffin.

There are various ways that you can try and retrieve the data yourself.

USE A LINUX CD

If your old PC still performs the Power-On Self-Test (POST) where it tries to start normally when you turn it on but stops when it cannot load the operating system from the hard drive, you can use a Linux "LiveCD" to try and retrieve your data.

This is basically an OS which runs from a CD or DVD in a PC's optical drive. If you do not have a LiveCD, you can use your new PC to download the necessary software for free and burn it to a recordable disc. It is also possible to use a USB flash drive in the absence of a working optical drive, as long as your old PC is capable of booting up from a USB storage device.

You then need to make sure your old PC is set to boot from its optical drive instead of the hard drive. As soon as your computer starts up, quickly tap the relevant key to gain access to your motherboard's BIOS (usually "Delete" or possibly one of the function keys, it should briefly display a message like: "Press DEL to enter SETUP" on screen).

When the BIOS Setup screen appears, set the "1st Boot Device" to "CDROM" or "DVDROM“ instead of "HDD" in the "Advanced BIOS Features" menu. (The exact terminology and menu could vary depending on the model of motherboard but I am sure you can figure it out.) With a flash drive, you will need to set it to "USB-HDD". Save the changes and exit.

Restart your PC with the LiveCD inserted. When Linux boots up, be careful to select the option to "Try" Linux, not "Install" it; you do not want to erase the contents of your hard drive!

After the Linux OS has detected your hardware and finished loading, you will see a desktop with various icons. Your old hard drive will (hopefully) appear as a storage device. If this is the case, you can browse through the various folders and copy your photos and documents onto a USB flash drive or external hard drive.

USE YOUR NEW PC

If your old PC is totally dead then the above method will not work. You need to remove the hard drive and connect it to your new PC either by using a USB disk caddy or installing it directly inside your PC if there is a spare slot, although opening up the case might invalidate your existing warranty.

Depending on its age, the hard drive will probably either use an IDE/Parallel ATA connector (a very wide, oblong connector) or a smaller Serial ATA (SATA) connector.

The most common difficulty with unplugging a hard drive is not being able to get a firm enough grip on the connector to pull it out. A small pair of pliers could be necessary. To avoid any risk of electric shock, first make sure your old PC is switched off and unplugged from the mains socket and in the case of a laptop, remove its battery as well.

When using pliers, considerable force could be required, so be careful that you do not injure yourself or damage the hard drive! Grip the connector itself, not the cable. If you have unplugged the drive but still cannot remove it, check that there are no small screws holding it in place.

Once you have successfully removed the hard drive, you can install it in a USB disk caddy. Make sure the caddy has the right type of connector. If you are using an IDE/Parallel ATA disk then the drive's jumper settings must be set to “master” not “slave”, otherwise your PC will not recognise it.

Once your old hard drive is connected to your new PC, if it appears as a USB storage device with a drive letter then you can browse through the various folders and copy your photos and documents onto a flash drive or external hard drive.

If your PC does not automatically assign a drive letter, you could try to set one manually via your operating system's Disk Management functions.

USE DATA-RECOVERY SOFTWARE

If the contents of the old hard disk are unreadable or the drive is detected as being unformatted or empty, you might still be able to retrieve some of your files by using free data-recovery software from EaseUS. I have successfully rescued the contents of a damaged flash drive this way but cannot vouch for its effectiveness with hard disks. Proceed with caution.

If none of the above methods work or your old hard drive is not detected at all by the operating system, then unfortunately you need to send it off to a specialist data-recovery company. This is an expensive solution which could cost you as much as a new PC.

There is also the issue of giving a third party unlimited access to your personal data, with the potential risk that a corrupt employee could use it to commit fraud or identity theft. So it really depends on how valuable your photos and documents are to you.

I hope my advice helps. Good luck.

I'm confused about what the other guy is saying... But here is my perspective.

I have no idea why your hard drive wouldn't be able to be unplugged, your going to have to figure that out by yourself, sorry.

What you can do is put the pictures, videos, documents, and what ever else you want to move onto the external hard drive and just plug it into the other computer. Then move them off the external hard drive onto the new computer.

Ask me if you need further help.

Transferring the data from the old hard drive depends on if the hard disk isn't the component that is broken/dead connect the old hard drive to your new computer and see if it shows up on your computer there is a way to get the data if it is broken but you'll need a professional