I am not (repeat not) very computer literate. I have a gateway laptop that dropped and has no screen and just beeps. I want to get the data off the harddrive and don't want to go to a repair place as it contains sensitive info. I have the harddrive out and was told there is an adapter that will connect the harddrive to a usb port. if so what is it and where do I get it? be kind. I said I wasn't real good at this. thanks

Hi, just identify(google) the type of hard drive, IDE or SATA.
look on ebay or local PC shop for USB to SATA/IDE adapter (some do both)

Then you just connect a power supply to the hard disk, a cable from the hard disk to the adapter, and plug the USB cable in.

If there is no encryption, and if the HDD did not get damaged, you should have access to files, similar to a USB stick.

BUT, if you are not computer literate, you might not know all the nooks and crannies where windows stores your data, or folders you have your data in. Or posibly may not know what you need to keep until an "oh crap" moment when you realised you needed some credential or file.

best option: get someone to creat an image of it for you and store it for safe keeping.

then get your files you want.

Thanks for the answer. What do I use for the power supply?

If you buy an adapter then it should come with a power supply. Sometimes you don't even need a power supply with a 2.5" drive from a laptop because it might be powered through the USB port.

If you buy a boxed usb-sata adapter, they can come with the kit. I bought the kit for AU$25.
otherwise, look for a seperate one.
here is a picture of mine:

If it was dropped, then the drive is likely to have sustained some sort of physical damage. Powering it on, may cause irreversible damage. This very simple act is what can cause major damage which will not only make the recovery more complex, but also costlier.

Recommend a specialist with a clean room. Also, every reputable specialist has a strict confidentiality data policy.

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Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Solid State Drive (SSD, SATA, NVMe, etc), USB Flash Drive and RAID Data Recovery Specialist in Massachusetts

Got The kit you guys suggested but I cant seem to get my pc to open it. What am I doing wrong? Thanks

You may be doing nothing wrong, and the disk is damaged as was suggested. But details are scarce. Does your laptop encrypt? do you hear anything when it is all plugged in? are drivers installed if necessarry for the USB converter? Is there a power button on the power cable of the kit(this caught me out previously).
if windows can see *something* happening, try plugging it in, and with the free DMDE version, choose the drive if it shows up in the list apon startup of the program, and see if you can take an image of the drive.

otherwise It may need to go to a DR Shop. Shops are bound by privacy regulations and most I know of take it seriously. Unless it is illegal, or the obvious that would need police intervention, you should have no issue taking it to a reputable DR Shop.

The light comes on the power converter and I hear some clicking going on in the harddrive. No icon pops up when I plug it in to the usb port but if u think there is another place that it might appear I would be glad to know. Thanks for listening.

clicking is bad, I can only advise to stop doing anything and getting it seen to by a DR Pro. I know it isnt what you want to hear, but a tiny issue inside the disk can escalate to destruction extremely quickly.

No one cares what you have on your drive, and if it's data you need, you have no choice but go with a recovery company that has a clean room. End of options.

Exactly so. Stop fiddling with it, like a crack in a windshield it will get worse rather than better the more you keep powering it up.

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PC Image Data Recovery
http://www.pcimage.co.uk

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