How do I get the data from a hard drive into a new computer?

[Kittystar]

I have a laptop which has been partly disassembled; my son was going to replace the motherboard, he is not available to me right now and I wonder if the info on the hard drive can be transferred to a new machine, or would it be more cost-effective to just have someone complete the motherboard install and re-assemble the thing??

 

[treefrog07]

If you are replacing the motherboard because it failed, but the original HDD did not fail, you could have someone complete the motherboard replacement and reassemble the laptop.

If you are asking if the HDD from the old laptop could be installed on a new laptop, it would probably not boot because of the hardware differences in the old laptop and the new laptop.

If you want to transfer data files (like pictures, documents, and music) from the old laptop HDD to another laptop HDD, you could do so by putting the old HDD in a 2.5" enclosure or using a 2.5" USB adapter, and then attaching it to the new laptop, and use the operating system to copy the files.

 

[Kittystar]

Thanks for the info, I think I will go ahead and have the motherboard replaced then.
I appreciate you sharing your expertise!!

 

[treefrog07]

You're welcome.

 

[Kittystar]

Best answer selected by Kittystar.