Creating data backup on bad harddrive ?

[Ranger379]

hey guys, wondering if anyone in here knew how to save all the data on my laptop before i reinstall windows.
i just got off the phone with dell, and there is a problem with the my operating system (windows 7) they want me to re-install windows, whitch iv done before on other computers, and you lose all of your stuff. i have alot of important files i can really afford to lose (more than just a ton of music, lots of business related stuff) dell told me to call GeekSquad, or a local computer tech and they can tell me how to do it. hopefully someone on here could tell me how to do it rather than pay someone local to do it (they are expensive!) i had a problem with my harddrive once before. so they said they are going to send me a new one, but either way i still lose my stuff. anyone help me with something like that? thanks alot!

 

[fishwish3]

you could purchase a external hard drive and do a total backup onto that

 

[celly]

Are you able to access your PC? If so, why not just copy onto an external drive?

Have you tried using system restore to bring the operating system back to an earlier time? Can you get into Safe Mode? Have you tried any of the diagnostics built into Win 7 itself?

You may not need to do a full reinstall.

Are you sure it's a bad HD? What leads you to that conclusion?

 

[Joe Dirt]

Agreed- plug in external drive or a flash drive would be your best bet if you can access the system...

 

[celly]

Further to what Joe said, if you can access the system (and the drive is indeed bad), buy a copy of Acronis True Image (great software and not too expensive) and "clone" the old drive to a new one. That way you don't have to reinstall all your applications. It works great with Win7 (used it a month ago when I wanted to swap one Raid 0 setup to another).

 

[Ranger379]

no i cant access the computer at all. dell said that a backup can be made, but had to call a service tech to have them do it. im very computer-literate, but iv never made a backup before. come to think of it. they replaced the motherboard a while back. during a diagnositc test we did the hard drive passed the one test, but the other test had a error message. they said re-installing would fix my problem so i can still use my laptop for the time being. they wanted me to send my laptop in, but then they said they could just send me a new one and i can put it in instead.

thanks for all the fast replies! im using my old junk laptop right now.... i should have the new HD in a few days they said

 

[Blee1099]

So basically the drive won't boot to 7 right? If so, you'll need either a 2nd computer and connect the HDD to it and copy the files over. Or use a linux boot disk like knoppix or similar and boot using the boot disk and copy the files over to a external drive.

 

[Ranger379]

blee, i do have a 2nd laptop. do you mean i could take the harddrive out of the latop, put it in this one. then using this good laptop, put the files on an externalHD ? that would work great. my brother does have an external HD i could use.... thanks!

 

[celly]

blee, i do have a 2nd laptop. do you mean i could take the harddrive out of the latop, put it in this one. then using this good laptop, put the files on an externalHD ? that would work great. my brother does have an external HD i could use.... thanks!

I agree with Ben. That would be my next choice. External enclosures come in VERY handy for issues like these (I've got several for both laptops and desktops crossing several interfaces). Best of luck.

 

[Blee1099]

If you have the usb adapters to connect it you can plug it in. Like this.. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812197009

 

[Ranger379]

tried swapping HDD's in my laptops...didnt work... do both computers need to have same opeating system? the HD in question is from a Windows7 OS and my old laptop witch i am using now is a Winsows Vista.... local computer shop says they can do it...they charge a labor rate of $50 bucks an hour....!!! i really hate to lose all the data on my old laptop...it has vehicle maintenance reports for both my explorer....as well as business related files. thanks for the help guys! i guess im going to be backing up all my important stuff from now on...why do i always have to lean the hard way? lol

 

[Joe Dirt]

If you get one of those cables, you can just plug it into the old hard drive, then plug that into a USB on your other laptop and get the files needed off the other one. It just treats it like an external drive.

 

[Ranger379]

If you get one of those cables, you can just plug it into the old hard drive, then plug that into a USB on your other laptop and get the files needed off the other one. It just treats it like an external drive.

OH, ok i got ya. sorry, i dont know alot on the harware side of things about computers... well one of those would be cheaper than paying local computer shop labor, are they all the same? or are they specific to each HDD? i wont need an encloser or anything? ill have to check the local wallyworld after work tonight....im finally using my good laptop, fedex just brought me my new HDD... one thing i can say about Dell, they do have an amazing tech support/warrenty program. everything is shipped overnight, and tech support is 24/7 free of charge while under warrenty. ill check into those cables tonight thanks!

 

[Joe Dirt]

I don't know if they'll have them anywhere like WallyWorld. I got mine on Amazon. Same premise, but I can use it as an external this way...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AAVA08/ref=oss_product

 

[willindsay]

Just make sure you get the right one there's SATA and IDE. Some do both but just make sure.
I screwed up and ordered the wrong one a while ago but luckily it worked for our other laptop that had issues.

 

[Joe Dirt]

It will be on the label of the laptop hard drive, btw... Mine was a SATA drive.

 

[willindsay]

It will be on the label of the laptop hard drive, btw... Mine was a SATA drive.

Duh should have added where to look lol. And another plus since you got a new one from Dell just format the old one and then you have a External Hard drive for backup or whatever.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Yep- and backup your laptop often- saves from situations like this. If mine crashed, I wouldn't want to lose all of the pictures of me eating, laying on the floor after my chair broke, or rusty Explorer rockers...

 

[Ranger379]

http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-2-0-2-5-SAT...C_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item1e5c1951e0

so this would work then right? mine is a SATA drive

 

[Joe Dirt]

Yep, looks like the same one as mine. On your drive, that black plastic thing may already be on there. You'd just pull it off, then snap the one attached to the cable on to your drive.