Old HD from Compaq?

M

Manny_Mantis

New Member
I have a old hard drive from a Compaq computer at least 8-10 years old (30GB).
I would like to get photos and other odds and ends off of it before I throw it away.

For the life of me I can't remember what I need to hook up my a usb connection to my current good computer and connect it to the hard drive to access it. Also any idea of cost? And will I need info/type of HD the old one is when I buy?

I don't want to pay much money since only time likely to do this. Is there another cheaper and easier way for me to get the info from the old hard drive?
 
One thing you could do is open up your case and find a spare power connector to hook it up with, and use your onboard IDE Port to run the necessary cable to it.

Don't need to get fancy with mounting it, just leave it sitting in a secure position while you do it. This being assuming that your power supply has an IDE connecter, and your mobo has an IDE Port.

You might have to disconnect something else temporarily to free up an IDE connection, (e.g. CD Drive), but that should work. If your power supply does not have an IDE connector a computer store shoud be able to sell a SATA to IDE converter cable pretty cheap.

If your mobo does not have an IDE Port then you are back to trying to figure out how to do it via U.S.B. - which I don't know how to do, cause I've never done that.
 
If it works, why throw it away? It's kinda small but, if you don't have an external you could get an external enclosure. I think they hav'em that will do ide and sata both? If not then a sata enclosure with an adapter for the 30, then when your done w/ the ide, sata would plug into the enclosure w/o the adapter.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007705%20600006254%20600006270&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20


http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007705%20600006254%20600006269&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=ide+adapter
 
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Benny, that's what I was wanting an external but not sure what to buy? Looking at them I am still a little confused. What would be the safest thing for me to buy?
 
I can't guide you much there. Perhaps someone with better knowledge of the safest thing for you to buy. I'm thinking an 8-10 yr old drive would have an ide interface. ( how the drive connects). IDE would be 2 rows pins. Sata would be 2 L shaped connectors with one larger that the other. If it's ide, and your going to use it for a while, you could get an enclosure that has the ide and sata both,,so you could use it w/ a sata hdd later on.
Just make sure the one you get fits the drive, it's probly a 3.5". The enclosure would come with a power adapter and a usb cable.
 
I would not trust that drive anymore with it being so old and so small in size(30gb)

You are lucky you got more than 5 years out of it. If you use it, don't put any data on it thats important.
 
install it using IDE (ribbon cable) and power. take info off of it. format and then use your hammer to drive a 5 inch nail through the platters. dispose.
 
I run hard drives that are at least that old and it'll probably be fine. If your power supply can handle it, and you have a ATA/IDE adaper on your motherboard, I would say put it in there. Store some crap you use once a year on there.
 
Manny_Mantis said:
Here is 2 pictures of my old HD:
http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx146/interlockingshoe/000_0014.jpg
http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx146/interlockingshoe/000_0015.jpg




Would I be able to use this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...7114&cm_re=ide_adapter-_-12-107-114-_-Product

To take the photos and any other info off the old drive and get it to my current computer? As I said, I don't want or need to keep the old drive, just need to take photos and other keep sakes off the old HD.
Click to expand...

If those photos are important to you. after copy them to your new drive, Don't throw a way the drive. keep it in a safe place so you have an extra copy of those photos.
 
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