How can extract data from my old hard disk(made external)?

[exabyte]

I have an old hard disk(SATA) that I converted into an external hard drive when my last desktop PC became useless. I left it unused for a while and I just remembered it had some important data and so I tried to back it up. But now the external hard drive is not getting detected by OS.

How do I get the data without calling the experts that will cost me money/time/privacy etc?
What's happening is - it seems(if I touch and hear carefully) - something inside the HDD is spinning, then stopping, then spinning again and then stopping and so on. I have another external HDD that works, but that one spins continuously rather than how this one is doing.

Is there anything I can do get the data back from that ExternalHardDrive(made from a desktop SATA hard drive)?

 

[beers]

What enclosure are you using?

 

[johnb35]

Try plugging the drive into the desktop directly, all you need is a sata power and data cable and see if the drive responds correctly. Its either a bad enclosure or drive has failed.

 

[exabyte]

Thanks for your replies.

Try plugging the drive into the desktop directly, all you need is a sata power and data cable and see if the drive responds correctly. Its either a bad enclosure or drive has failed.

OK, I will try plugging it to the desktop directly. First let me take some backup just in case I mess up.

In case the drive has failed, is there a way out?

What enclosure are you using?

SVB SATA enclosure.

 

[exabyte]

OK, I just tried to plug the Hard disk directly to the desktop.
It did not detect any bootable device.

My cabinet is actually old and there is room for only 1 hard disk. So I can't plug it with another hard disk.

What do i do now?