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Solve : Recover data from hd through a USB enclosure w/o formatting?

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The title basically says it...I still have my old Dell Dimension L933r desktop with Windows ME as its OS, and it has not been able to boot and couldn't find a solution to it(the motherboard was going out) so i decided to see if i could salvage the data from the HD through a usb enclosure...and copy the data to my main comp's HD(specs are shown in my profile)

how can i do this without formatting it?
Connect it, and dont format it...

Unless theres a horrible problem with the drive, it should work fine, and should just display the contents of the drive as if it were in its own computer. Does the CD-Drive work? Can it boot a Live Linux? I would boot Puppy, mount the drive and the USB thing and copy the files.The last 3 data recovery jobs i did i used a USB enclosure .
I will have to SAY that if the data is important...as it usually is this is the wrong way to go.
File transfers are less reliable...the machine may or may mot recognise the device etc. etc. etc.

Do yourself a favor and use the http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/2007/04/23/how-to-slave-hard-drive/  method here...
If it's a laptop drive the procedure is the same but you will need an adapter. Quote from: Geek-9pm on February 21, 2009, 03:09:57 PM

Does the CD-Drive work? Can it boot a Live Linux? I would boot Puppy, mount the drive and the USB thing and copy the files.
look i can't even boot into BIOS on the Dimension...and the motherboard is going out so a USB transfer is out the WINDOW...so is booting with linux.

and the Master-Slave deal wouldnt work on my NEW rig, since there isnt an extra bay..

and yes the files are important(letters, xcel SHEETS, other personal document, etc.)

but the enclosure seems to be the only way to go.

But thanks for taking your time to help though Quote from: macdad- on February 21, 2009, 05:20:40 PM

and the Master-Slave deal wouldnt work on my new rig, since there isnt an extra bay..

Open the case, have the drive in a plastic bag, dangling on the ribbon cable, perched on a pile of Robert Ludlum* novels. You're only doing this once.

* That is all they are good for IMHO.

Am I the only person who has never seen a motherboard "go out" without visual indications such as leaky capacitors?Leakey capacitors do not come with visual indicators. Quote from: Geek-9pm on February 21, 2009, 09:27:01 PM
Leakey capacitors do not come with visual indicators.
aside of course the leaking of fluid... Quote
and the Master-Slave deal wouldnt work on my new rig, since there isnt an extra bay..

Find or make one...
This is a flimsy excuse. Quote from: patio on February 21, 2009, 10:43:13 PM
Quote
and the Master-Slave deal wouldnt work on my new rig, since there isnt an extra bay..

Find or make one...
This is a flimsy excuse.

I mentioned the "pile of paperbacks" solution.
alright get an extionsion Ribbon cable that CONNECTS to the Slave connector on the cable then get an pwr splitter cable to connect to the dimesion HD for power.

but when i connect it in this fashion wouldnt i have to format it and partion it, and lose the data already on it? Quote from: macdad- on February 22, 2009, 12:58:26 PM
alright get an extionsion Ribbon cable that connects to the Slave connector on the cable then get an pwr splitter cable to connect to the dimesion HD for power.

but when i connect it in this fashion wouldnt i have to format it and partion it, and lose the data already on it?

*censored* are you talking about? Quote from: BC_Programmer on February 22, 2009, 12:59:55 PM
*censored* are you talking about?

I was wondering that.if i connect the HD that i take out of the old Dimesion and connect it through the Slave connector on the Ribbon cable for the HD in my new rig...wouldn't i be required to format it?


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