Computer Techs????

[jttheclockman]

This is for computer gurus that work on them. The hard drive in my old computer that has been in discussion here, does not spin when jumper is applied and hooked to a new computer. It does not load when commanded. Does this mean that all hope is lost with retrieving data from this hard drive. My computer person who worked on old one said it could cost big$$$. I am guessing there is another way to retrieve. Do they sell these jumper cables that adapt to hard drive and plug into usb port? If so are they all the same or how do you know which one to get?? I was thinking of trying myself to see if I can play with this. I checked Amazon for these and there are quite a few. What is a good one to get?

Second question is the new computer did not come with Microsoft office installed. I have used this in the past and maybe something I would like to have again. I have an older copy on disc. Could I install on windows10 new computer and will it be compatible? Thanks.

 

[monophoto]

John

If the hard drive doesn't spin, then you would probably have to look to one of the data-recovery companies for help - they charge lots of money and can't really guarantee success.

As to reinstalling Microsoft Office, if you have the original disc and the key code needed to unlock it, you could try installing it. But that key code is critical - if you don't have it, you won't be able to do the install.

Microsoft has restructured the way they sell Office, and for home users, they are currently pushing a subscription plan. The cost of a two-year Office 365 plan is less than what I paid for a permanent license when I bought my previous computer, and it is a 'family plan' which means that we could put it on my wife's laptop as well. That was an attractive feature since wife was complaining about not having Office, and we all know what life is like when the spousal unit is complaining.

The alternative is that there are several clones that are available as freeware that probably would do pretty much everything you want - OpenOffice (originally developed by Sun Microsystems and now offered by Oracle) is one of the best, and as far as I know, documents created in Office can be transferred to OpenOffice and vice-versa. I've never actually used Open Office myself, but my son tells me that it is functionally equivalent - different, but capable of doing everything that Office does. Wife had it on her laptop, but the notion of 'different' was a show-stopper for her. Google also has a suite of office applications, and another package that I've heard good things about is LibreOffice.

One factor to consider - the full, commercial version of Office includes a drawing application called Visio. It's not included in the Office 365 family plan. I use the drawing application quite a lot (and I have never been able to wrap my mind around SketchUp). Fortunately, I have an old version of Visio on a disc along with the key code so I was able to install it on my new computer. OpenOffice does include a drawing application, and Isuspect that a drawing created in OpenOffice could be copied and pasted into a Word document created in Office 365, but I don't have the ability to actually test that theory.

 

[Curly]

John LibreOffice is another of the free suites Louie mentioned. I'm not a power user and I find it easy enough to use.

Home | LibreOffice - Free Office Suite - Based on OpenOffice - Compatible with Microsoft

Free office suite – the evolution of OpenOffice. Compatible with Microsoft .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx. Updated regularly, community powered.

www.libreoffice.org

 

[jttheclockman]

Very helpful Louie. Thanks.

 

[jttheclockman]

When using these open downloadable programs, am I opening myself up to malware or a bunch of ads and things that will slow the computer down? I am trying to keep this computer clean and running as fast as it is right now which is amazing compared to my dinosaur that I had.

 

[Curly]

When using these open downloadable programs, am I opening myself up to malware or a bunch of ads and things that will slow the computer down? I am trying to keep this computer clean and running as fast as it is right now which is amazing compared to my dinosaur that I had.

Nope.

 

[Curly]

To expand John. There is no way I would want anything like that on my computer so wouldn't recommend it to anyone if it did.

 

[leehljp]

When using these open downloadable programs, am I opening myself up to malware or a bunch of ads and things that will slow the computer down? I am trying to keep this computer clean and running as fast as it is right now which is amazing compared to my dinosaur that I had.

John, This is one area that I am very cautious and do not know what or how to tell others. I double check and triple check every time I am ready to click on downloads from most sites. Even some good download sites and some companies with good software get extra revenue for advertising other companies software. The problem is that these ads look like the "download" button. "Click Here" is not the download for the app you may want, but rather the fake button takes you to another site and makes you think you are getting one things, when in fact you are not, and in the end a lot of pop-up ads start.

You are right to mention this; and I wish someone would address how to avoid this issue. I have run into this with ZDNet, (CNET)- Download.com and softpedia. I forget which one I went to about 5 years ago to get some kind of "App Delete" and went through that, and then had pop-ups all over the place, including fake "download here" pop-ups to confuse as to which to click.

 

[monophoto]

John

I just did a little more research on OpenOffice vs LibreOffice. As I mentioned earlier, OpenOffice originally was a Sun Microsystems offering (I first learned about if from my son who worked at Sun for a number of years). Sun didn't actcually develop OpenOffice, but rather purchased it from another company for internal use, and later relabeled it and made it available as freeware. After Oracle bought Sun, the OpenOffice suite was turned over to a non-commercial software development collaborative; the software evolved and is now known as LibreOffice. This is very similar to what happened with the original Netscape browser software that was popular in the 1990's - it eventually morphed into the Firefox browser that is one of the most popular browsers in use today.

I understand your concern about picking up spurious software while downloading freeware. Hank's point is absolutely correct - - it is very frustrating to go to a site to get software only to find that there are several 'Download' buttons, only one of which is for the software you want. All of the rest are part of advertisements that are leeching onto that site. My approach is that when I want to retrieve software, I take lots of time to study the site and make sure that the link I'm clicking is the correct one to download the software.

The other possible concern is that software that is free could be less robust, and might provide channels for spurious software to get into your computer. That is a problem, but its not limited to freeware - Microsoft Office has a rather poor track record when it comes to security, and many of the frequent updates that Microsoft pushes out are patches intended to fix those problems.

I insist on have virus/malware protection on the computers in our house. Currently, we are using McAfee, but I also have confidence in Norton. I'm not as confident with Kaspersky even through it had a very good reputation at one time - it recent years, there have been a lot of questions about whether Eugene Kaspersky is truly independent of the Russian government.

 

[penicillin]

The advice above is very good.

If you are sure that installing the bad drive in a known working second computer showed the same error, AND you are sure that the drive was installed properly in that second computer, then buying a USB drive adapter (what you called "jumper cables") will not help.

The data recovery companies that @monophoto mentioned may or may not be able to recover your data. It will be expensive, and there is no guarantee of success. Recovery will cost far more than a new empty drive. Start at hundreds of dollars. You said that your drive does not spin, which may imply a more costly recovery. Only @jttheclockman knows whether his data is worth the cost and risk (of failure) for a potential recovery.

Like @Curly, I would recommend LibreOffice over OpenOffice. Both come from the same origins, but LibreOffice has been better supported since the split about 10 years ago. In my opinion, LibreOffice is a well-regarded office suite that will look familiar to most people and be easy to learn and use.

Your question about downloaded software bringing adware and malware is a good one. Programs like LibreOffice are very safe and do not display ads or slow down your computer, but ...

The danger from open source downloadable programs like LibreOffice is entirely about where you download it. Be sure you download software ONLY from the official website. Because the software is free and open source, there are many "download" websites that try to trick you by looking like the official one. Some are run by individuals, and others by big companies. They want to be the source of all your future downloads so they can display their ads and make money from you. Unlike the official sites, those unofficial sites often install modified software or unwanted extras onto your computer - adware, malware, proprietary "helper" software, and more. They can also make unwanted configuration changes to your computer. These "bad" download sites are often ranked high in your browser search engines, you may see many of them listed higher than the official website you want.
-> I wish I could teach everyone how to recognize the "official" site for a given program, but it is not always easy, and those alternate sites are deceptive. Be wary and pay attention. If you aren't sure, send me a PM with the link and I'll verify it for you.

Here is the official site for LibreOffice, which has been actively supported for a long time:
https://www.libreoffice.org

Just in case, here is the official site for OpenOffice, (now called "Apache OpenOffice"). I recommend LibreOffice instead; see above. The two programs are nearly identical, but OpenOffice is not as well supported:
https://www.openoffice.org

 

[TellicoTurning]

John, I've used Open Office for years... it works almost as well as Microsoft office which I used at work about 15 years ago.... Open office has a data base, speadsheet and a couple of other options.... never used the data base, tried once and it seems pretty simple, but really don't have a use... I use the spreadsheet constantly... I have all my turnings listed on a spreadsheet with a couple of formulas to aid in calculating my pricies for my bowls and pepper mills.... it works as well as Excel did, but has a few differences in its functions.... probably have forgotten how to use Excel by now as I've been on Open office so long.
I preferred Lotus123 for work and wrote an entire rate tariff on Lotus... but that seems to be gone now... I had to switch to Excel and did not like it as well, but was functional for what I was doing.

 

[crokett]

Trying to recover your data is worth taking a flyer on getting a USB enclosure for the old drive, IMO, Take a picture of the connectors on the drive and post it here and/or post the model number of the old drive , then I can tell you what kind of enclosure you need. The enclosures by themselves don't cost that much.

 

[jttheclockman]

Trying to recover your data is worth taking a flyer on getting a USB enclosure for the old drive, IMO, Take a picture of the connectors on the drive and post it here and/or post the model number of the old drive , then I can tell you what kind of enclosure you need. The enclosures by themselves don't cost that much.

I will do that tomorrow and will give me some practice in loading a photo to new computer so kill 2 birds with one stone. It was what I was thinking. I would like to see for myself there is no data or the hard drive just does not work and then I will move on. From the prices I seen on amazon for those jumpers it looks like a cheap investment.

I was going to ask for the direct link to that libreoffice site but like a good contributor here David supplied it. Thanks. The computer guy who set this computer up for me said the same thing about third party downloads. Look for Microsoft or the true home base of the material you want. That is why I asked about this because I know on my old computer it had so much junk from downloads.

I know I will become a pain in the butt with all these questions but there is some computer nerds here that are willing to help so hope I do not wear out my welcome. Do not want to make the same mistakes and this will probably be my last computer I buy.

 

[Curly]

I was going to ask for the direct link to that libreoffice site but like a good contributor here David supplied it. Thanks.

I supplied the same direct link John.

I'm surprised to learn I'm a bad contributor.

Won't happen again.

 

[jttheclockman]

I was going to ask for the direct link to that libreoffice site but like a good contributor here David supplied it. Thanks.

I supplied the same direct link John.

I'm surprised to learn I'm a bad contributor.

Won't happen again.

Sorry Pete I did not see it I will say this when I ask questions like this I save these threads so that I can easily go back to look for things because I can not remember much these days.

 

[monophoto]

I preferred Lotus123 for work - - - I had to switch to Excel and did not like it as well, but was functional for what I was doing.

Oh yes - I remember Lotus 1-2-3. And while I was using that at work, I used AppleWorks at home on my Apple IIe.

And then Lotus 1-2-3 was replaced by Symphony. Anyone else recall the advertisements at the time that carried the text - 'I'm going to learn to use Symphony even if it kills me' - along with a photograph of a grave marker in a cemetery?

Learning to use PC software in those days was a challenge. I was fortunate that my job always required that I use software through a time-share arrangement, so the user-friendliness of PC software was a refreshing change. But it was a challenge to wrap my head around spreadsheets for the first few years.

 

[jttheclockman]

Trying to recover your data is worth taking a flyer on getting a USB enclosure for the old drive, IMO, Take a picture of the connectors on the drive and post it here and/or post the model number of the old drive , then I can tell you what kind of enclosure you need. The enclosures by themselves don't cost that much.

Please bear with me. Have alot to learn about new computer. I do not have an idea what photo editing program is here so these are raw photos of the hard drive. Hope I can find them. If another photo is needed I can do that. Just tell what you want to see. Thanks.

 

[randyrls]

John; You have a standard SATA drive. There are two cables, one for data (narrow), the other for power (wide). It is possible to connect the drive to another computer. Check in your area for a computer nerd or a small computer shop. They will have a test rig and can verify if the drive is accessible in about 5 minutes. It looks like that is a 5" drive. Most enclosures are made for 3.5" and 2.5" drives and are not large enough for this one. You don't need to mount the drive in the enclosure though. To use the USB copy/recovery the drive needs to be in a working computer.

This is the drive you have

 

[monophoto]

On a related subject - when disposing of an old computer, its prudent to worry a bit about making sure that personal data on the hard drive cannot be retrieved by someone who might use it improperly.

The best way to protect that data is to wipe the hard drive, but this is only possible if the computer is functional at the time it is retired. There is software that you can use to wipe a drive, but reformatting the hard drive may also work.

When my computer died back at the end of October, I had a full backup, so my only concern was preventing someone else from accessing the data. Since it was truly dead and I couldn't wipe the drive, I opted instead to physically destroy it. I removed it from the computer chassis, and disassembled it. As John's pictures show, disassembly requires that you have several star-bit screwdrivers, including the very small #4 and #5 bits that typically aren't included in multi-bit screwdriver sets. However, I found that it is often possible to use a drill in reverse to loosen the smaller screws, and then grip the head with pliers to get them out - since I was destroying the drive, it wasn't necessary that it be done neatly! Once I got the hard drive open, I knocked out the bearing that holds the platter in place. - that's the round thing at the bottom of John's second picture. I have an old punch made by grinding down a length of rebar that is perfect for this task, but an old screwdriver might also suffice. Finally, I cut the platter into several pieces using an angle grinder.

 

[crokett]

John; You have a standard SATA drive. There are two cables, one for data (narrow), the other for power (wide). It is possible to connect the drive to another computer. Check in your area for a computer nerd or a small computer shop. They will have a test rig and can verify if the drive is accessible in about 5 minutes. It looks like that is a 5" drive. Most enclosures are made for 3.5" and 2.5" drives and are not large enough for this one. You don't need to mount the drive in the enclosure though. To use the USB copy/recovery the drive needs to be in a working computer.

This is the drive you have

That's not a 5" drive. That drive will fit in a standard 3.5" external enclosure. Amazon has them for ~25.00. Best Buy or similar will also have them for perhaps a bit more. An independent shop can likely see if it's readable if he doesn't want to buy the enclosure. Another option is a tech-savvy friend in his area who already has the enclosure, or has another computer to put it in.

 

[jttheclockman]

That's not a 5" drive. That drive will fit in a standard 3.5" external enclosure. Amazon has them for ~25.00. Best Buy or similar will also have them for perhaps a bit more. An independent shop can likely see if it's readable if he doesn't want to buy the enclosure. Another option is a tech-savvy friend in his area who already has the enclosure, or has another computer to put it in.

Someone who is tech savy already looked at it and it was he who took it apart and tested and told me it does not spin. I wanted to see this for myself before he destroyed it. So that was my question as to buy the jumper cables to hook up to my new computer and see for myself. The price of the cables is small compared to what it would cost to possibly be retrieved with no guarantee. Seems like a no brainer to at least try. Thanks.

 

[penicillin]

TESTING FAILED DRIVE WITH USB to SATA ADAPTER (for 3.5 inch drives)

If all @jttheclockman wants to do is test the drive on another computer, then he can buy a basic USB to SATA adapter for 3.5 inch drives. The SATA adapter for a 3.5 inch drives should include a power supply or power brick to provide power to the drive.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=usb+sata+3.5+adapter

Sorry, but the cheaper USB to SATA adapters for 2.5 inch drives do not provide enough power through the USB cable to spin up your larger 3.5 inch drive. Expect to pay between $15 and $20. If it sells for around $10 or less, even if it claims to support 3.5 inch drives, it probably does not include the power brick.

DRIVE DISPOSAL and DATA DESTRUCTION

The fastest and easiest way to destroy a hard drive is to drill a bunch of holes through it using a drill press and an old drill bit. (A drill driver should work if you're careful to clamp the drive and follow good safety practices.)
In the past I have had "emergencies" where there were so many drives to destroy that disassembly was impractical. I used the drill press method.

Be sure to punch several holes all the way through the entire drive, to make sure you drill through all of the platters inside. The platters are at one end of the drive or the other, and their diameter is nearly the same as the drive's width, so they are hard to miss with the drill. Usually the drives case has a round outline that you can feel. If you aren't sure, drill a few more holes all over. Some drives have metal coated glass platters inside, so be ready to contain a mess of shattered glass that may fall out through the bottom of the holes you drill through the drive.

Fun Alternative, Maybe? - Friends have told me about taking their hard drives out to the desert and plinking holes in them with guns, following appropriate safety precautions, of course. I do not know the effectiveness of this approach, but it has to be more fun than drilling a bunch of drives in the shop. If I were to try that, I would make sure that the bullets effectively destroy the platters inside the drive.

Better Solution, with a Bonus Reward

Like Louie (@monophoto) above, I disassemble hard drives. It helps to have a set of small Torx screwdrivers and also a set of small phillips screwdrivers. There are hidden screws under the stickers, the case top will lift easily once you have found them all. I disassemble to the point where I can remove the platters, separate the individual platters, and bend, twist, and scratch them multiple times between two pliers in my hands. Put each platter in a plastic bag first - some drives have glass platters (with a metal coating). If a glass platter is not in a plastic bag, it will shatter into a bazillion microscopic sharp shards. Imagine a room where the air is filled with a sudden burst of razor sharp glitter. Avoid that.

-> Once the platters from your hard drive are separated and damaged (bent, shattered, drilled, or cut), your data is unrecoverable.

Why do I go to the trouble of disassembling hard drives, you may ask? Good question. Those old spinning hard drives contain two very powerful neodymium "super" magnets. That's the prize. Those horseshoe shaped magnets are so strong. They are useful for projects, for sticking tools to other tools, etc. etc. etc.

Hint: To remove the horseshoe shaped magnets from their brackets, put on safety glasses, take two pliers and bend the ends of the frame holding the magnet. The magnets are brittle, and trying to pry them off is less effective. A small amount of prying may be necessary after the frame has been bent, but the magnet should remove easily.

Photos:
* Jar of Neodymium Magnets Harvested from Hard Drives. Pen/pencil set shown for scale.
* Closeup - Notice the horseshoe shaped magnet on the frame on top.
* Example Use of Magnets - Bandsaw magnet tool holders. There is a tiny broken magnet piece holding the allen wrench.
* Example Use of Magnets - Table Saw. Those allen wrenches won't come off, even when rolling over bumpy, uneven paving stones.

Sorry, but I don't have photos of those magnets in use on woodworking projects.

 

[jttheclockman]

This is all I want to do is test for myself that this thing has no chance of spinning up and me being able to get any data from it. I drilled an old Gateway hard drive I had years ago so am familar with destroying them That was another reason I asked for the drive back. He said he would have done it and not that I did not trust him but only met him for the first time when he sold me this new computer. He works on computers for all of PC Richards stores. I know what you are thinking he was going to tell me it can not be fixed and to buy a new one for the sales pitch. But I knew there was a big problem with the computer to begin with and I was going to buy new anyway but maybe not this soon. That computer was not performing well and I have come here with numerous problems so it was time. But I like to tinker too so thought I would try to fire this up.

So according to you all this is a 3.5" drive and that is the jumpers I need. Just want to make sure. Thanks.

 

[penicillin]

So according to you all this is a 3.5" drive and that is the jumpers I need. Just want to make sure. Thanks.

Yes. It is a 3.5 inch drive. The Amazon search link in my previous post should show you many suitable adapters.
-> If you send me a link to the adapter you plan to buy in a private message, I can verify for you that it will be compatible.

 

[monophoto]

I knew there was a big problem with the computer to begin with and I was going to buy new anyway but maybe not this soon.

Oh, that sounds so familiar. How many times have I tried to just nurse it along for a few more months before biting the bullet and springing for a replacement, only to have it fail completely and dramatically before I got around to acting.

Remember the old Gallo wine commercial - 'We will drink no wine before it's time'? Yup, that's me.

 

[jttheclockman]

Just a note if it means anything in this discussion. At the computer store the tech showed me what he did to try to get the hard drive to load on new computer. He took a simple jumper that connected to the power pins as well as the data pins on the old drive and connected to new computer with a usb connector. Any video I have been watching shows an external power source with a small transformer. He did not have that.

But with that said I also watched a few videos where they were working with a smaller damaged drive from a lap top and they did not use a tranny. The drive did spin up and they saw the files on that drive. My computer guy saw the drive but no files. Can it be this overlook and maybe there is hope that it will work with the right jumpers?? Can you confirm that I need that external power source for this size drive? Thanks.

 

[penicillin]

That USB-only trick works for most 2.5 inch drives. It will NOT WORK for your 3.5 inch drive.

If the only connection was between your 3.5 inch drive and the USB port on the technician's computer and nothing else, then there was insufficient power to spin up your 3.5 inch drive. It is that simple.
-> I confirm that you must have an external power source to use those adapters with 3.5 inch drives.

If the technician failed to connect an external power source along with the USB cable for your 3.5 inch drive, then that technician needs more training. Furthermore, you still know nothing about the condition of your 3.5 inch drive or the recoverability of your data.

 

[jttheclockman]

That USB-only trick works for most 2.5 inch drives. It will NOT WORK for your 3.5 inch drive.

If the only connection was between your 3.5 inch drive and the USB port on the technician's computer and nothing else, then there was insufficient power to spin up your 3.5 inch drive. It is that simple.
-> I confirm that you must have an external power source to use those adapters with 3.5 inch drives.

If the technician failed to connect an external power source along with the USB cable for your 3.5 inch drive, then that technician needs more training. Furthermore, you still know nothing about the condition of your 3.5 inch drive or the recoverability of your data.

Thank you. He did not do it when I was with him. Now if he did when he had the computer in the shop I do not know. It will worth the gamble because I still want to try. Will let everyone know how it goes. Thanks to all.

 

[crokett]

Your old computer already has the correct cables for that drive. I
assuming it's a desktop and not a laptop Your new computer may have additional connectors inside where you can hook the drive up. The drive doesn't have to be installed in the new computer, it could be just sitting on a desk. So you could test it for free, if you were able to plug it into the new computer. This may be beyond your technical abilities else I'd have suggested it sooner. It's what i would try firs.

 

[jttheclockman]

Your old computer already has the correct cables for that drive. I
assuming it's a desktop and not a laptop Your new computer may have additional connectors inside where you can hook the drive up. The drive doesn't have to be installed in the new computer, it could be just sitting on a desk. So you could test it for free, if you were able to plug it into the new computer. This may be beyond your technical abilities else I'd have suggested it sooner. It's what i would try firs.

Thanks for the suggestion but the simple thing for me to do is get a set of the jumper cables. They only run about $20. Then plug into usb port. My new computer is an all in one unit so no tower. Very neat and clean.

 

[leehljp]

Thanks for the suggestion but the simple thing for me to do is get a set of the jumper cables. They only run about $20. Then plug into usb port. My new computer is an all in one unit so no tower. Very neat and clean.

John, Double check one item, and it might not be a problem on your Windows units. I know some computers have different power sources on different USB ports, meaning one USB is meant for data only, but the other is meant for data and powering an external device. This is how a few laptops function but not sure about yours. If anyone can chime in, it would be helpful.

 

[penicillin]

John, Double check one item, and it might not be a problem on your Windows units. I know some computers have different power sources on different USB ports, meaning one USB is meant for data only, but the other is meant for data and powering an external device. This is how a few laptops function but not sure about yours. If anyone can chime in, it would be helpful.

That USB-only trick works for most 2.5 inch drives. It will NOT WORK for your 3.5 inch drive.

If the only connection was between your 3.5 inch drive and the USB port on the technician's computer and nothing else, then there was insufficient power to spin up your 3.5 inch drive. It is that simple.
-> I confirm that you must have an external power source to use those adapters with 3.5 inch drives.

If the technician failed to connect an external power source along with the USB cable for your 3.5 inch drive, then that technician needs more training. Furthermore, you still know nothing about the condition of your 3.5 inch drive or the recoverability of your data.

I guess Lee needs more training, too.

Laptop drives are 2.5 inch drives (or smaller) and nearly all of them can be powered by the USB port. The drive in John's (@jttheclockman's) photo is a 3.5 inch drive, which is different. It requires more power than any USB port will provide.

I believe that John is planning to order a USB/SATA adapter that includes a power brick. The power brick is necessary to provide sufficient power for his 3.5 inch drive.

Based on the information we have received from John in this thread, I would say that John is following a simple and sensible approach to determine the status of his 3.5 inch drive. (Note that John refers to USB/SATA adapters as "jumper cables", which is not technically correct, but it is descriptive enough for us to understand what he means.)

 

[crokett]

That USB-only trick works for most 2.5 inch drives. It will NOT WORK for your 3.5 inch drive.

If the only connection was between your 3.5 inch drive and the USB port on the technician's computer and nothing else, then there was insufficient power to spin up your 3.5 inch drive. It is that simple.
-> I confirm that you must have an external power source to use those adapters with 3.5 inch drives.

If the technician failed to connect an external power source along with the USB cable for your 3.5 inch drive, then that technician needs more training. Furthermore, you still know nothing about the condition of your 3.5 inch drive or the recoverability of your data.

I have an enclosure sitting on my desk right now designed for 3.5" drives. I have another hooked via USB to a Raspberry Pi that I use for a DIY version of an Apple TimeMachine. It needs a separate power supply, but you can connect a 3.5" drive via USB.

 

[sbwertz]

This is for computer gurus that work on them. The hard drive in my old computer that has been in discussion here, does not spin when jumper is applied and hooked to a new computer. It does not load when commanded. Does this mean that all hope is lost with retrieving data from this hard drive. My computer person who worked on old one said it could cost big$$$. I am guessing there is another way to retrieve. Do they sell these jumper cables that adapt to hard drive and plug into usb port? If so are they all the same or how do you know which one to get?? I was thinking of trying myself to see if I can play with this. I checked Amazon for these and there are quite a few. What is a good one to get?

Second question is the new computer did not come with Microsoft office installed. I have used this in the past and maybe something I would like to have again. I have an older copy on disc. Could I install on windows10 new computer and will it be compatible? Thanks.

Sorry I didn't see this sooner.

Here is the cable you need

Amazon.com

They are handy to have around because they let you take any old SATA drive and make it into a usb drive. So even if you can't make this drive spin, you may have a use for it in the future. It is much cheaper to buy a bare hard drive than one of the fancy backup usb drives in a case. $12 well spent.

 

[penicillin]

Sorry I didn't see this sooner.

Here is the cable you need
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-2-5-...11M8YACM/ref=pd_lpo_1?pd_rd_i=B011M8YACM&th=1

They are handy to have around because they let you take any old SATA drive and make it into a usb drive. So even if you can't make this drive spin, you may have a use for it in the future. It is much cheaper to buy a bare hard drive than one of the fancy backup usb drives in a case. $12 well spent.

I guess Sharon needs more training, too.

Sorry, no. The cable recommended by @sbwertz does not come with a power brick or other power supply, which is necessary to power John's (@jttheclockman's) 3.5 inch drive.

The cable that @sbwertz suggests works only with 2.5 inch drives. The description actually says, "Take advantage of the lightening speed of USB 3.0 to quickly transfer files up to 5 Gbps! Connect any 2.5'' Serial ATA (SATA) / SSD or SATA II Hard Drive. (Emphasis mine.)

A couple days ago, I sent John a PM with three separate links to appropriate USB/SATA adapters on Amazon that come with the necessary power brick.

Everyone - Please stop recommending the wrong cables. John has all the information he needs. Hopefully he ordered the right part by now and is waiting for it to arrive so he can test his 3.5 inch drive. JOHN HAS A 3.5 INCH HARD DRIVE. GOT IT?

Let's wait until we hear from John.

 

[leehljp]

I guess Lee needs more training, too.

Laptop drives are 2.5 inch drives (or smaller) and nearly all of them can be powered by the USB port. The drive in John's (@jttheclockman's) photo is a 3.5 inch drive, which is different. It requires more power than any USB port will provide.

I believe that John is planning to order a USB/SATA adapter that includes a power brick. The power brick is necessary to provide sufficient power for his 3.5 inch drive.

Based on the information we have received from John in this thread, I would say that John is following a simple and sensible approach to determine the status of his 3.5 inch drive. (Note that John refers to USB/SATA adapters as "jumper cables", which is not technically correct, but it is descriptive enough for us to understand what he means.)

Well, I did leave out half of the premise: Some "Mac" laptops over the years have had some USB ports that will NOT power above certain levels while the USB port on the other side WILL. On a couple of models, maybe more, two side by side USB ports, one would power an external drive and the other would not. i.e. one made for data use, the other for power and data.

 

[jttheclockman]

Yes I did order a set of cables with a power supply yesterday. One of the one's David recommended. My hope is the drive still works and maybe the tech did not check with a power supply. The new computer I got is a HP all in one desk top model. So there will no looking inside. All things will be done from usb ports. Amazon said it will be 2 weeks for delivery so will wait it out. I want to thank everyone for their input. As I told Pete I may miss something that was commented on but threads like this I save and read again. Now I will forewarn you all that if this drive does power up and I am able to retrieve data, I am going to be asking a ton of questions on how to transfer and store on new computer. That system was windows XP on an old tower desk top. and this is windows10 which I am still learning everytime I turn it on. Thanks again.

 

[jttheclockman]

Great news!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My cables came in and I could not wait to try so tonight I hooked up. Real easy. The hard drive spins real well. Nothing wrong with it. Go figure. I am now having doubts about the tech who looked at it. I will not be going back to him so will ask a ton of questions in another thread dedicated to retrieving data. I played around with it on new computer and found where everything was stored. Man I have alot stored. It is true you absolutely need the power source to power this hard drive. Started right up. I now have to be careful with this thing and treat it more gingerly. Just want to again thank everyone who weighed in here about this problem and hope to see you all in my new threads as I continue to learn this stuff. Going to have to file this data and will need to know how and what are the quickest and easiest ways to get it done so that I can easily find again and use here possibly.

 

[penicillin]

New thread here:
https://www.penturners.org/threads/saving-data.172644/

-> I recommend people go there for further replies.