Simply pull this adapter off so that the interface is accessible later.

If your laptop has an IDE hard drive, note that there is a detachable adapter sitting over the hard drive interface.

Consult the user's manual or manufacturer's website if you need help locating the hard drive on your laptop.

Where the hard drive is located is different from one laptop model to another.

Some models will pop upwards, some will slide outwards, etc. Unscrew the hard drive cover and remove the hard drive. Locate the panel that houses the laptop hard drive and remove it. Remove the hard drive from the dead laptop. Be warned that this can be very expensive. If this is the case, you will need professional assistance if you wish to continue the salvage.

If the hard drive is not readable, it’s likely that the hard drive itself (and not your computer’s software) failed.

If the hard drive isn’t recognized at first, try ejecting it and plugging it back in.

It's in the Dock at the bottom of the screen. The Finder has a icon that resembles a blue and white smiley face. It's in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. File Explorer has an icon that resembles a folder with a blue clip.

If your computer doesn’t automatically prompt you about the new external storage unit, simply open File Explorer on Windows, or the Finder on Mac and click on the old hard drive.

The computer might also open the drive for you automatically. Once the drive is connected, an icon should appear on your desktop (Mac) or a notification should pop up (Windows). If you are using a second external hard drive, use a USB cable to connect it to the working computer. Hard drives formatted for Mac's HFS file system can only be read by another Mac computer.Ĭonnect a second external hard drive to the working computer (optional).

Mac computers can read hard drives formatted for Windows default NTFS files system, but they cannot write or transfer files to a NTFS hard drive.

A Linux computer will be able to read files off of a Windows computer (but not the other way around) unless you understand both systems, however, it is best to use a Windows computer to recover a Windows hard drive.

Alternatively, you can hook a second external hard drive up to the working computer and simply use the computer to transfer files from the old drive to the new one.

Make sure the working computer's hard drive has enough free space to accommodate the files you want to recover from the dead laptop. If your old laptop was a MacBook, you will need to borrow or purchase a computer that runs MacOS. If your old computer ran on Windows, you'll need to borrow or purchase a new Windows computer.

Borrow or purchase a new computer with the same operating system as your old computer.

How to recover files for a dead mac ssd