Laptop hard drives?

[dbminter]

I admit to knowing virtually nothing about the specifics of hardware used in laptop computers. So, when someone presented this problem to me, I thought I'd see if anyone could help me out with it.

 

 

Basically, what happened was a fit of rage that smashed the liquid crystal display, thus, rendering interaction with the device impossible because there's no way to see what's going on. So, how to get the data off the hard drive? With my limited knowledge, I could only think in terms of a big picture; and maybe others can fill in the details.

 

 

Is there a way to connect a laptop to a standard PC monitor?

 

Is there a way to connect a laptop to a PC for data transfer where you don't need to manually set the laptop as a "sever" basically, sitting there waiting for requests to send files?

 

How are hard drives connected inside of laptops? By what cables? Is there an extender/bridge/convertor/enclosure that works to take a laptop HD and connect them to a PC by USB, Firewire, serial, parallel, or IDE?

 

 

Thanks!

[spinningwheel]

DB;

 

Can't you just hook up an outside monitor to the laptop using the little monitor hook up serial port thingy on the back...or side...or in a closed compartment somewhere on the machine?

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

How are hard drives connected inside of laptops? By what cables? Is there an extender/bridge/convertor/enclosure that works to take a laptop HD and connect them to a PC by USB, Firewire, serial, parallel, or IDE?

Thanks!

Laptops are absolute bastards to work on. You almost need a shoehorn to get the bits back into the case. The problem you have though is different. Most critically, a standard 3.5" IDE HD has 40 pins. A standard 2.5" IDE laptop drive has 44 pins. What you need to do to retrieve the information off the laptop drive is use an adapter that allows the smaller drive to interface with a standard PC. (44 pins on one side to connect to the HD and 40 pins on the other side to connect to an ordinary IDE ribbon cable in your desktop PC).

 

<searches Google>

 

Found one.

 

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/directron/nbadapter.html

[Kenadjian]

Is there a way to connect a laptop to a PC for data transfer where you don't need to manually set the laptop as a "sever" basically, sitting there waiting for requests to send files?

You could just network it to your PC if it has a network card, depends how old this thing is.

And of course you need to hook it up to a monitor in order to see what's going on, (as per spinners post) most laptops will give you the second display by pressing Fnc + F2, but again it depends how old this thing is.

[Groundrush]

As spinner said, and like mine, most recent machines have monitor ports for that very purpose...

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

True. However, the chemicals used to produce LCD screens are highly toxic. In particular, barium and arsenic, which are both used to extract oxygen bubbles during the production process. Regardless of whether or not the rest of the machine is functional, I wouldn't be using it. Removing the drive entirely is the safest option.

[lfcrule1972]

I didn't know the broken displays were toxic - you live and learn....

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

In all fairness, it could be (and probably is), still safe but I wouldn't trust it. I suppose if you don't mind using a laptop without the top cover it'd be easy enough to disconnect the thing and use an external monitor as suggested above.

[lfcrule1972]

Ah I thought you could connect the laptop to the PC monitor whilst still intact via the cable connector for a projector or similar ? Are we saying that db would need to dismantle the bugger first then ? Sorry bit early here and I think I may be confusing myself.....

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

Ah I thought you could connect the laptop to the PC monitor whilst still intact via the cable connector for a projector or similar ? Are we saying that db would need to dismantle the bugger first then ? Sorry bit early here and I think I may be confusing myself.....

You can use a nomal monitor without pulling it to bits but it doesn't change the fact that the display is damaged to an unknown extent. Not being a chemist I'd prefer to be safe.

[dbminter]

DB;

 

Can't you just hook up an outside monitor to the laptop using the little monitor hook up serial port thingy on the back...or side...or in a closed compartment somewhere on the machine?

 

 

Well, I should have explained that in addition to knowing next to nothing about laptops, I am troubleshooting this problem via e-mail. So, I don't even HAVE the laptop, or a laptop at all, to use a reference. Which was why I was asking for any possibilities on the choices I came up with. IF it was possible to connect a laptop to a monitor, then, someone could tell me and that would be the easiest solution. However, I wasn't aware IF that could be done, if a laptop had a port for that reason. So, I was acting only what I knew, which would be that the monitor surely was directly connected to the laptop because of their design. Hence, operating on only what I knew and with that being the case, I figured the best bet would be to remove the drive and try to connect it to a PC. But, I didn't know how they were connected. Now, it seems one can get a 44 to 40 pin adapter and, if one has an external enclosure, just connect that to the IDE to USB bridge and connect the power, or, open the PC and connect it internally.

[dbminter]

Laptops are absolute bastards to work on. You almost need a shoehorn to get the bits back into the case. The problem you have though is different. Most critically, a standard 3.5" IDE HD has 40 pins. A standard 2.5" IDE laptop drive has 44 pins. What you need to do to retrieve the information off the laptop drive is use an adapter that allows the smaller drive to interface with a standard PC. (44 pins on one side to connect to the HD and 40 pins on the other side to connect to an ordinary IDE ribbon cable in your desktop PC).

 

<searches Google>

 

Found one.

 

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/directron/nbadapter.html

 

 

Thanks! This was something like what I was wondering if they made! This would make the idea I had work.

[dbminter]

I didn't know the broken displays were toxic - you live and learn....

 

 

In fact, here in the US, there are strict laws governing the dispoal of hardware. Same with batteries. We throw them away all the time when they're dead, but, we really can't. And, some batteries like those in UPS backups contained lead acid in them.

[Pain_Man]

I admit to knowing virtually nothing about the specifics of hardware used in laptop computers. So, when someone presented this problem to me, I thought I'd see if anyone could help me out with it.

 

 

Basically, what happened was a fit of rage that smashed the liquid crystal display, thus, rendering interaction with the device impossible because there's no way to see what's going on. So, how to get the data off the hard drive? With my limited knowledge, I could only think in terms of a big picture; and maybe others can fill in the details.

 

 

Is there a way to connect a laptop to a standard PC monitor?

 

Is there a way to connect a laptop to a PC for data transfer where you don't need to manually set the laptop as a "sever" basically, sitting there waiting for requests to send files?

 

How are hard drives connected inside of laptops? By what cables? Is there an extender/bridge/convertor/enclosure that works to take a laptop HD and connect them to a PC by USB, Firewire, serial, parallel, or IDE?

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

My laptop has a 15-pin VGA output; any laptop so equipped can be connected to a CRT monitor.

 

I know people who've used laptop hdds inside small form factor desktops so it can be done. I wasn't aware, as Shamus informs us, that there's a difference in the connectors.

 

Most of the laptops I've seen have the VGA output; I'd try that first.

 

Also, I think your friend could replace the laptop's screen. Not sure about the cost though.

[Pain_Man]

I didn't know the broken displays were toxic - you live and learn....

 

 

In fact, here in the US, there are strict laws governing the dispoal of hardware. Same with batteries. We throw them away all the time when they're dead, but, we really can't. And, some batteries like those in UPS backups contained lead acid in them.

 

 

In California, it's a felony.

 

Funny story: I don't remember where, but some nitwit middle school teacher decided she was going to "save the environment" (and she's at least officially a grown up ).

 

So she and her brainwashed skulls of mush, er, students, collected hundreds of pounds of batteries.

 

Now this dumbass teacher has created a major hazmat (hazardous materials) situation for her school. It's illegal to store them at the school but its also illegal to transport the batteries and, as minty points out, you can't just throw them in the dump (10 million bazillion gazillion years from now some fish might catch a cold!!!).

 

And paying a company to move them is hugely expensive.

 

I love it. I laughed so hard when I saw this story. This is what you get trying to be a do-gooder when you have a double digit IQ.

 

It's also an excellent example of environmentalist whackos caught in a Catch-22 of their own making! How can you not love this conundrum?

Edited May 9, 2006 by Pain_Man