Please Help: this is a hard drive question

toreysheline · 16-07-2012

alright, I thought I'd get a straight up answer if I'm the one who asks, so I'll start with the fact that my recently bought laptop a Toshiba satellite with windows seven had a severe boot error and needed to scrap a large amount of files I didn't get to see what these files were. It only managed to boot windows and log in once but it was very very slow. It seemed I didn't lose any files I need now, just scrapped alot of windows files. but I don't know for sure. Now, it won't really do anything but stay idle for hours. I used boot manager but the operations were not set up to the right key so I just gave up before I could reformat.
I have here in front of me another laptop it is also a Toshiba satellite however it runs windows vista.
I need to know if and how I can gather some of the files by switching my hard drive between laptops. I just checked and physically, they are compatible.
and also if I can reformat windows from this device and have the hard drive work another time. thank's for your help i have been taking my time with this one.

**Seán** · 16-07-2012

Welcome to Myce

The best way to get your data off the hard disk is to get a USB to SATA adapter kit (example) to atach it to the other laptop running Windows Vista. It will then appear like an external hard disk and from here you can copy off the files you need to recover.

Once you have the files copied off it, I would then recommend running HDTune's surface scan on it, which you can download here. This test will take a few hours and if it all shows green, you can place this hard disk back in the newer laptop and reinstall Windows 7 or run the recovery media (if you have these discs). If the HDTune surface scan shows any red dots, then the hard disk is defective, in which case you will need to get a replacement. As you mention you just bought the laptop, it should still be within warranty.

alchav21 · 16-07-2012

If it's still in Warranty send it back and get it fixed. Like Sean said, get your Data off the HDD. If it's out of Warranty, it's not hard to change out the HDD and reload Windows 7. If the existing HDD is not WD or Seagate, I would replace it for sure with a good big HDD.

*eric93se* · 16-07-2012

If your lucky enough to get the data off the HDD with an external enclosure you shouldn't bother trying to re-use that HDD, it will just fail again.

16-07-2012	#1
toreysheline New Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 1	this is a hard drive question alright, I thought I'd get a straight up answer if I'm the one who asks, so I'll start with the fact that my recently bought laptop a Toshiba satellite with windows seven had a severe boot error and needed to scrap a large amount of files I didn't get to see what these files were. It only managed to boot windows and log in once but it was very very slow. It seemed I didn't lose any files I need now, just scrapped alot of windows files. but I don't know for sure. Now, it won't really do anything but stay idle for hours. I used boot manager but the operations were not set up to the right key so I just gave up before I could reformat. I have here in front of me another laptop it is also a Toshiba satellite however it runs windows vista. I need to know if and how I can gather some of the files by switching my hard drive between laptops. I just checked and physically, they are compatible. and also if I can reformat windows from this device and have the hard drive work another time. thank's for your help i have been taking my time with this one.

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16-07-2012	#2
Seán Senior Administrator & Reviewer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Republic of Ireland (North West) Posts: 9,644	Welcome to Myce The best way to get your data off the hard disk is to get a USB to SATA adapter kit (example) to atach it to the other laptop running Windows Vista. It will then appear like an external hard disk and from here you can copy off the files you need to recover. Once you have the files copied off it, I would then recommend running HDTune's surface scan on it, which you can download here. This test will take a few hours and if it all shows green, you can place this hard disk back in the newer laptop and reinstall Windows 7 or run the recovery media (if you have these discs). If the HDTune surface scan shows any red dots, then the hard disk is defective, in which case you will need to get a replacement. As you mention you just bought the laptop, it should still be within warranty.

16-07-2012	#3
alchav21 MyCE Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 363	If it's still in Warranty send it back and get it fixed. Like Sean said, get your Data off the HDD. If it's out of Warranty, it's not hard to change out the HDD and reload Windows 7. If the existing HDD is not WD or Seagate, I would replace it for sure with a good big HDD.

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16-07-2012	#4
eric93se MyCE Resident Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 3,622	If your lucky enough to get the data off the HDD with an external enclosure you shouldn't bother trying to re-use that HDD, it will just fail again.