Salvage Win98 files on old PC to XP PC?

  • Thread starter Thread starter cyndiwise notsowise
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cyndiwise notsowise

I have an old PC with Windows 98 OS that has 'died'. I can't boot it up;
prior to full failure the CD ROM drive failed, then the floppy drive failed.
Now Windows won't boot up at all.

I THINK there are a few files on the old hard drive that I would like to
access (old emails). I am currently using another PC with Windows XP Home,
SP2. Is there a way I can hook up the old hard drive to the XP PC? Will XP be
able to read the drive and files?

I'd rather not try to install the old hard drive in the XP PC, if possible.
Is there some sort of technical gadget that will let me hook up the old hard
drive via USB?

Also, is it possible that the old hard drive could be infected with a virus?
I've always wondered why the whole PC slowly lost one component at a time
until it was dead.
 
with all the failures
you mentioned then
it might be simply
that the power supply
went kaput.

most computers come
with 1 harddrive but with
the options to have 2.

what you might want
to try is to install your
old harddrive into the
new computer as a slave
"or" perhaps as a master
if you are in an experimenting
mood.
 
I doubt it was the power supply because I can power up the PC still. Windows
won't boot from the hard drive, and since the floppy drive doesn't work
there's now way to boot it up is there?

I realize I can add the old hard drive to the XP PC, but I would rather not
crack open the XP PC if I can avoid it. I did this once to upgrade the RAM,
but it still makes me nervous!

If I remove the old hard drive from the W98 PC, is there any way to hook it
up by cable to the XP PC?
 
Locate a compatible USB hard drive enclosure / case and move the older hard
drive to it. If you are lucky, you will be able to see the drive directly as a
drive letter. If not, look for a disk recovery software which would let you
recover files on a non-accessible drive.
 
Thanks for the link. Very interesting, and exactly what I had imagined might
be available. However, upon reading the customer reviews I'm a little
concerned it might not work.

After DL mentioned a hard drive caddy - I looked up what Best Buy had
online. The Rocketfish sounds nice, with only 1 negative out of 8 reviews.
There is quite a difference in price, though. My old hard drive is only about
10GB and of course very slow, so I'm doubtful it would be much use as a
backup. Which begs the question of whether to invest $60 in the Rocketfish or
$15 in the adapter? Your thoughts?
 
Thanks for the great suggestion. I'm trying to compare hard drive enclosures
online, but the prices are quite varied! My old hard drive is only 8 or 10GB
and slow. I like the drive caddies that include cooling, but I'm not sure I
would ever use it again since those not much space on the old drive. What do
you think of this Rocketfish drive enclosure:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...Id=abcat0507006&type=product&id=1174694191807

(I hope I did the link right!)
 
You may not need the "enclosure" part.
You can buy cable adapters that will plug directly into the back of a IDE hard drive or CD drive and
have a USB adapter at the other end. Most also come with an AC-DC adapter to power the drive as
well. You need to be a bit careful as the drive is exposed, but they are much less expensive,
example: http://www.kingli.com/upgrade_2.asp?p=Cable.CABLE.CB-IUSB20
I have the one shown in http://the-gadgeteer.com/review/usb_2_0_to_ide_cable_version_2
and it has been very handy for testing drives and recovering data (with the help of a 2nd PC)
 
fortunately, my
original suggestion
still seems to be
a better one as the
only cost involve
is a screwdriver, time
and bravery.

ideally you just wont
a temporary connection
to unload the 10 gigs
off the disk and then
dispose of it.

soon, 10 gigabyte usb
sticks will be invented
and your 10 gig disk
in addition to the cost
for the adaptor will
be a thing of the past.

so acquiring an adaptor
may prove to be a waste
of money and time and
may or may not prove
useful.
 
Thanks for the link. Very interesting, and exactly what I had imagined might
be available. However, upon reading the customer reviews I'm a little
concerned it might not work.

After DL mentioned a hard drive caddy - I looked up what Best Buy had
online. The Rocketfish sounds nice, with only 1 negative out of 8 reviews.
There is quite a difference in price, though. My old hard drive is only about
10GB and of course very slow, so I'm doubtful it would be much use as a
backup. Which begs the question of whether to invest $60 in the Rocketfishor
$15 in the adapter? Your thoughts?

:






- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...

I also "bit the bullet" and purchased myself a 3.5 drive enclosure /
caddy. I got this: http://www.acomdata.com/rpp/fs.html

True it does not have any fan for air flow but I'm trying to recover
data so the drive in it is not always connected to my PC.
 
cyndiwise notsowise said:
I have an old PC with Windows 98 OS that has 'died'. I can't boot it up;
prior to full failure the CD ROM drive failed, then the floppy drive
failed.
Now Windows won't boot up at all.

I THINK there are a few files on the old hard drive that I would like to
access (old emails). I am currently using another PC with Windows XP Home,
SP2. Is there a way I can hook up the old hard drive to the XP PC? Will XP
be
able to read the drive and files?

I'd rather not try to install the old hard drive in the XP PC, if
possible.
Is there some sort of technical gadget that will let me hook up the old
hard
drive via USB?
Click to expand...

If you dont want the hastle of putting the drive into a USB enclosure, there
are adaptors available that plug onto the IDE and power connectors and
terminate in a USB plug.

If you are in the UK, something like:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=35057&C=Maplin&U=SearchTop&T=easy ide adaptor&doy=27m3

but I'm sure either the same or something similar is available elsewhere.
 
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