How should I backup data from my broken laptop?

[Crazy_Glue]

A few days ago, my laptop display stopped working. When I start it up, all I see is a blank screen, but I hear the start up sound of windows, and the sounds of apps as well so I think the graphics card might be broken? I heard that it could also be the inverter. Anyway, I just want to get a few things I need off of the hard drive. Does anyone know what the easiest way to do this would be? It looks like those one-touch backup drives need software to be installed before they work so I wouldn't be able to use one of those with my screen gone, right? Best Buy says they can do it for $100+ but I would rather do it myself if it can save me money. I would greatly appreciate any help. Thank you.

 

[Jim_L9]

Do you have access to an external monitor? Most laptops allow you to plug in an external monitor and use that instead of, or in conjunction with the laptop screen. That way you could buy an external hard drive and get your data off while seeing what you are doing.

 

[curnel_D]

I'll give you the only two ways.

First and easiest is to hook up your laptop to an external monitor.

Second, take the hard drive out and hook it up to a different computer.

Depending on the age of your laptop, you can do this 1 of 3 ways.
First, if it's an older laptop using an IDE hard drive, you'll have to use a desktop, and plug your hard drive into one of the IDE slots. You'll have to use a tool like this. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812203012
Second, and this is if it's a newer sata connection you can just plug it into a normal sata port inside a desktop computer.
Or third, you can use something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189169
Or, like this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817392019

 

[einstein4pres]

You can usually remove the HD with a minimum of effort. You should be able to either
1) connect it to a desktop PC (if you have one, also I'm not sure on this one)
2) buy an enclosure for a laptop (2.5") drive and connect it to your destination (usually via USB). Note, you'll need to know whether your drive is SATA or ATA.

Jim's idea is also good, if it's the monitor and not the graphics.

 

[dmk82]

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0259920 or you can use something like this.. worked like a charm for me everytime.

 

[Crazy_Glue]

I tried connecting it to an external monitor and it doesnt work so I might have to go with connecting it to a desktop. Thanks a lot for the help guys.

 

[dmk82]

give me the model number of the laptop. you probably have to use the function keys to have it output to the monitor.

 

[Crazy_Glue]

its an HP pavilion dv2000. I pressed fn and f4 several times, but it didnt turn on.

 

[Jim_L9]

This link http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00724172.pdf shows how to remove the drive. It has an adapter on the hard drive that has to be removed and then you can connect it to a desktop via a USB port with an adapter like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812163001

 

[Narr]

Yeah look for a enclosure that would support your hard drive when you take it out so you can grab the data via USB.

 

[texasgal26]

I also need help with this. my monitor is cracked and I cannot view anything, but everything else is working normally. I am sending it into Dell's repair shop tomorrow and they said I should backup the data on my hard drive, but they won't help me with that. I too don't want to do the best buy option but I have a lot of things I can't risk lossing on this pc. Do you think Dell will keep the hard drive data in tact during repairs?

I think I have a dell 1501 w/ Windows Vista and 32 bit?
I]ve connected it to my Toshiba laptop (windows xp) and get nothing. Except the screen on myh toshiba gets jacked up. They said to press FN then F8 and it would just miraculously work, but it hasn't.
It used a CAT5, a USB and a VAT (might be same thing as CAT5?) cable. HELP. Please

 

[curnel_D]

Dell often reformats the drives, or replaces them completley just for the hell of it. Look in the yellow pages for a local PC shop, and drop it off there for a few mintues first, and they should be able to fix you up for around 50 bucks.

 

[MrLinux]

Good old HP...

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01087277&lc=en&cc=us