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Laptop (Dell) hard drive
https://computerhaven.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=674		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  katy98 [ Sun Nov 17, 2013 9:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Laptop (Dell) hard drive
Hi Again, I keep thinking of more questions :(. My dell laptop is on it's last 38% of battery life and the power cable died. Not sure how but when I plug it in, the screen of my laptop doesn't brighten up like it used to. If I need to start that old machine up again because I forgot to keep a copy of something, it won't be long before it won't restart. I looked around online for a universal power cable (w/multiple DC connectors) and there is one on Ebay for $20. My local computer repair shop wants $50. But I was just wondering, is it possible to remove the hdd from the old dell laptop and connect it to this Win 8 machine somehow? I have little experience opening a laptop and disconnecting a hdd from inside but if it's not too cumbersome, I'm willing to try.

I used to connect desktop hdd's to an existing computer so that's why I was wondering if I could with this laptop.

Thanks very much for your help always!! katy
Author:  jaylach [ Sun Nov 17, 2013 10:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
First let's discuss the laptop power supply... I would go with the $50.00 at the local shop. I may be off base but I don't trust E-Bay on hardware except as a last ditch desperation situation.

Yes, you can remove the hard drive from the laptop and connect via either an external enclosure or a docking bay. You will very likely get access denied alerts when attempting to access the drive from Win 8 but that can be easily remedied. The laptop drive should come out very easily with no more that a few screws if any. However, the drive will probably be in a mounting bracket which you will have to remove. The bracket removal should be very easy only involving two screws on each side.
Author:  sboots [ Sun Nov 17, 2013 11:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
Before spending any money on a new power brick, first determine if the problem is with the brick not providing power or with the laptop plug. If it is the latter, a new adapter will be a wasted expense. You may be able to have the local shop plug in their universal adapter to confirm that the plug/circuits on the laptop are good.
And, as Jay noted, pulling a laptop drive is quite easy. However, the adapter or dock to let it be connected to another PC as a slave drive will run you between 20 and 50 dollars typically.

-steve
Author:  katy98 [ Mon Nov 18, 2013 10:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
Thanks Jay and Steve! Lots to think about and consider. When I think of all the adapters I threw out :( ; so bulky and heavy tho. Maybe someday someone will come up with something that does the same thing but in a smaller device, like they've done with hard drives. Thanks again guys! and have a Great Thanksgiving! :)
Author:  sboots [ Mon Nov 18, 2013 11:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
This would be a special kind of adapter, depending on the drive type in the old laptop. I would assume it is a SATA drive, though an older laptop may still have an IDE drive.
this looks like a good, cheap option: http://www.amazon.com/Vantec-CB-ISATAU2-Supports-2-5-Inch-5-25-Inch/dp/B000J01I1G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384787817&sr=8-1&keywords=sata+usb+adapter
There are 3 versions at that link. The 14.99 option is for model EC-AHDD.
Another interesting option is an enclosure. Assuming your old laptop is using SATA, this is an even cheaper option at 9.99: http://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-2-5-Inch-External-Enclosure-SBT-EKU25/dp/B0006BGV2Y/ref=pd_sim_e_6

-steve
Author:  katy98 [ Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
Thanks for the links Steve!! These look very interesting; I never knew much about this particular technology so will read up on that. This could be really useful. The enclosure looked most interesting, not just for the price. ;)
Author:  jaylach [ Tue Nov 19, 2013 1:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
Keep something in mind, enclosures are great in their place but a dock (or cable set) is much more versatile. In no way will I put down an enclosure, shoot I have a few myself.

An enclosure is designed to hold a drive and that the drive be left in the enclosure such as for doing image backups. A dock or open cables are designed for an attached drive to be quickly changed.

To each their own but I would only go with an enclosure in this case if you intend for the drive to remain in the enclosure and not end up back in the laptop or you would intend to get another drive for the enclosure for permanent usage.
Author:  katy98 [ Tue Nov 19, 2013 11:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
jaylach wrote:
Keep something in mind, enclosures are great in their place but a dock (or cable set) is much more versatile. In no way will I put down an enclosure, shoot I have a few myself.

An enclosure is designed to hold a drive and that the drive be left in the enclosure such as for doing image backups. A dock or open cables are designed for an attached drive to be quickly changed.

To each their own but I would only go with an enclosure in this case if you intend for the drive to remain in the enclosure and not end up back in the laptop or you would intend to get another drive for the enclosure for permanent usage.


All good points Jay! This is what I'm thinking of doing: find a power brick w/cables that fits the Dell Inspiron 1545 under $50; My dead one was a 65 watt, would a higher watt be too high watt? I wouldn't buy it until I had the store fit it to see if the cable 'was' the problem and the laptop connector slot isn't shot. It's hard for me to discard a laptop that otherwise is fine and someone else could use it. (I would need to reformat the C: drive and reinstall the OS (I believe the restore partition is separate from the C: drive so would keep that partition intact if I remember how ;)).

Once it's determined the connection on the laptop is working, I'd get the enclosure since the drive would remain in the enclosure for image backups for both laptops (leaving the drive inside but attaching to whichever laptop needs the image backup).
Author:  katy98 [ Tue Nov 19, 2013 7:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
Very good news; a Universal Power Cable set I found at Best Buy is charging the old Dell! (was on sale $10 off for $47) and it is designed for a Dell;
I wasn't sure if the local store had this kind; http://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=&id=pcat17071&type=page&sc=Global&cp=1&nrp=15&sp=&qp=&list=n&iht=y&usc=All+Categories&ks=960&fs=saas&saas=saas&keys=keys&st=RF-AC9021.
So as long as this UPC holds out, I can donate this machine to someone.

Can the old power cable set be just tossed or would this require special recycling?

Thanks for your help in this problem that now has a happy ending!! :D Katy
Author:  sboots [ Tue Nov 19, 2013 7:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
I am fairly certain that it can simply be tossed in the trash, but if you're passing a Best Buy again in the near future, drop in and see if they will take it for recycling. :-)

-steve
Author:  katy98 [ Tue Nov 19, 2013 7:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
Will do, thanks Steve!!!
Author:  Manny Carvalho [ Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
katy98 wrote:
My dead one was a 65 watt, would a higher watt be too high watt?[/b] I wouldn't buy it until I had the store fit it to see if the cable 'was' the problem and the laptop connector slot isn't shot.


Wattage is how much power an electronic device can handle. The more the better since it means that a device that can handle more watts allows more power to be drawn without overheating. So if, for example, you find a power supply that is rated 75 watts that means that it's better than your original rated at 65. The 75 watt will perform the same as the 65 but is able to handle a greater power consumption. It's likely you don't need the extra rating because supplies are designed to fit the device they power and typically have extra capacity. However, it doesn't hurt to have more capacity.

The dangerous thing is to use one that is rated lower because it could overheat - depending on how much power is drawn from it - and cause a fire. Using one that is rated higher is perfectly save as long as it delivers the proper voltage.

This is true for all electronic devices. Power by the way is the combination of voltage and current. Voltage stays reasonable steady but current can fluctuate depending on how many electrons the device is wanting. Pull too many electrons over the wires and friction causes heat. Too much heat with skimpy wires and ouch, get the fire extinguisher.
Author:  katy98 [ Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
Beautifully said Manny and the UPS I used was 90watt so this should do well. Thanks so much for the info!!
Author:  Manny Carvalho [ Wed Nov 20, 2013 7:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Laptop (Dell) hard drive
With a UPS you have to consider the total load of all devices plugged in. So if your laptop draws 60 watts, your printer 10 and the latest gadget 30 then potentially you could draw 100 watts. If your UPS only supplies 90 than you could overtax that baby.
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