Laptop completely dead - need files saved to computer

[AmIDoingThisRight]

I know, I know. Backups. I didn't. And now I have a completely dead laptop and no way of accessing files I need.

Has anyone had this happen? Is there any hope at all to access them somehow?

Battery gone, charger broken, internal charging thing broken - side panel not lighting up. It's been limping on for a few weeks and now here I am in a right mess.

Can any kind, gentle person talk me down?

Hopeful bump?

As long as the hard disk isn't damaged, you could take it out and put it in a new laptop. Or you can buy a box thing to put it in that plugs into a USB port so you can get the files off.

Laptop HD's can usually be removed and placed in an external caddy, then accessed via a functioning PC. You'll need to take the back off the laptop to access it, and which type of caddy you need will depend on whether it's an old platter or SSD drive with a SATA connector, or a more recent PCI type HD.

See if you can find an independent computer person, rather than taking it into a shop. My last laptop crashed, and my computer guy managed to transfer everything to my new one. I'm in Brighton, Sussex ,; if you're nearby I can give you his details.

Even cheaper than the box thing.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/EasyULT-Drive-Adapter-Cable-Converter/dp/B079QQJB9L/ref=asc_df_B079QQJB9L/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=430901650732&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6016745474716752182&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006702&hvtargid=pla-498644604157&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=99608367789&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=430901650732&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6016745474716752182&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006702&hvtargid=pla-498644604157

Yeap, exactly the type of thing I bought when my old laptop hardrive was trying to die on me, to transfer everything across.
In fact, I cloned the hard drives.

Exactly as above

Check YouTube etc for your laptop model and there is bound to be a video on removing the drive

Some laptops have a handy icon on the panel that covers the drive.

It should be:

1. unscrew & remove panel
2. unscrew a securing screw / screws
3. slide drive slightly to unplug
4. identify correct socket type
5. plug into a USB adaptor / drive box
6. copy your files

If you are not confident then seek out a geek
Unless you are accident prone then it’s an easy task

Based on your description the problem is the laptop power supply, so unless there were drive problems before it should just be detected as an extra drive when you connect to your computer

Thank you, thank you. Thank you so much - this is exactly the kind of help I was after.

Hurrah for Mumsnet!

Seriously - thank you.

Just an extra thought ……. In theory your drive will just plug and play as an extra drive, and this is the ‘official’ Microsoft way to copy them. You may need to look around quite a bit as ‘my documents’ won’t be in the same place but will be in a sub folder based on your user name

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/move-your-files-to-a-new-windows-pc-using-an-external-storage-device-dd139b2e-bc73-4431-8e6e-c96e10dffdf5

If there was account encryption etc then your files would still be there but your new computer wouldn’t be able to read them
One way would be to boot up your old drives operating system and log on as your laptops old user
This shouldn’t be required, but it’s something to remember and not worry too much if you are locked out of the files at first. This could need more geeky skills