A while back my Laptop broke. The pin where you put the cable and it charges broke off. So I cannot charge it anymore. Is there any way I can take the HD out, and read it like a drive from another computer? I have another laptop the school is letting me borrow, but I have tons of pics and school work stuck in my laptop's hardrive that i'de like to get back. Thanks in advance peeps.

EDIT: Forgot to say its an older HP pavilion ze1460 I THINK. the HDD is right below the touch pad:



EDIT 2: Is this what I would use? Ebay 2.5" HDD USB adapter

Yes, that would work. Also, if you want to mount it in your desktop, a 2.5 to 3.5 IDE adapter is what you need for the fastest transfer speed. If you go with the USB setup, just be careful, as laptop drives are pretty easy to damage, especially just sitting on a table or something.

Sometimes you can just solder the pin back in it. I had to do this on my wife's laptop.

I have the adapter and would let you borrow it if you were near by, it's actually very simple to do, just intimidating.

I'll be very careful not to bump it or anything. I just need my pics, and word documents back. Thanks again, the adapter is only like $15 after shipping, so I'll go ahead and order it.

BTW, I did get the pin soldered back in once, but they gave me no warranty, and a couple of months later it broken again. So I guess its time for a new laptop.

Also, will it read it like a flash drive or something, or am I going to have to boot it from the attached HDD?

If you get an external case for the hard drive that plugs in to the USB port, it'll be like a flash drive.

If you get the adapter to go to the regular 40-pin IDE cable, then it will have to be plugged in inside your computer like a regular hard drive and will show as an additional drive.

Man I must sound like a total reet, but I am getting the product that I linked in my original post? So It'll be like a flash drive I suppose. Does that auction look like it has everything I need? Thanks a million.

Originally posted by edxmon
Man I must sound like a total reet, but I am getting the product that I linked in my original post? So It'll be like a flash drive I suppose. Does that auction look like it has everything I need? Thanks a million.

Looked like it. I almost bought one, just because they're handy to have (i have three laptops) and it was USB. last one I used was a 2.5" to 40-pin IDE internal adapter. Not quite as convenient.

Cool, thanks Dino. I'll buy it right now.