ok, so a couple of weeks ago, i was sitting on the couch on my laptop, dog jumps off the couch, catches power cord, laptop falls and hits the ground. next morning, started getting messages from the laptop detecting a hard drive failure, and it's occasionally clicking. i quickly back up my most valued files: documents and pics. i think i even got a bit of porn before the loop started: the windows explorer failure loop. same as here: http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=555725 but paired with a now clicking drive. needless to say, even if i back up what files i need, im gonna need to get a new hard drive. i can get a better one than what i had anyway, right now im looking at this deal: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136280 (Western Digital Scorpio Black WD3200BEKT 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Notebook Hard Drive - OEM)
i've read reviews on the WD black line and it seems good, but could use the opinions of the tech heads here. is that a reasonable enough deal?

i'm looking to revert to XP because i don't have anything to install vista from, and i can get XP from my dad. it'll also be nice because i can use some of the old software that lost compatibility with vista. it's been a while since i've done a fresh install, but i imagine it won't be much of anything different for a laptop.

i would like to see if there is any data i missed on my failed hard drive, and i know im gonna need an adapter for that. i could use some recommendations on that. the hard drive that failed is a Hitachi 120GB 5400rpm SATA...so is it my best (and cheapest) option to get a 44 pin SATA to 40 pin IDE adapter to hook it up to my desktop? or are there any better ways to go about it? don't wanna spend too much on the adapter, seeing as once im done, hard drive is trash.

1/21/2009 12:39:18 AM

That is a great deal on a HD.

WRT the HD, just get something like this: http://www.newertech.com/products/usb2_adaptv2.php

It lets you connect any type of HD via USB to your computer. No need to get your desktop involved.

If you think you have your main files off the drive, I would also recommend smacking the broken hd around some (while it's off). It can't hurt, and has a small random chance of helping.

1/21/2009 12:50:58 AM

^seems cool, but right now i'm trying to keep the overall costs down. i don't have much use for the adapter other than this one situation (for now). and i wont be needing an IDE adapter as long as i have a desktop sitting around. i'd just rather spend around $10 for the straight SATA to IDE adapter rather than $35 for a bunch of extra shit i dont really need. if i had the extra money to throw around, i'd go for that, just for the hell of it.

1/21/2009 1:03:22 AM

Tigerdirect has an SATA/IDE to USB 2.0 adapter for $20 <http://www.tigerdirect.com...tId=3770>.

I'll also personally buy it off you for $10 after you're done with it, because I think something like that would be useful to have. I have at least a dozen old HDs around my place; some of which might work and it might be fun to see what's on them.

1/21/2009 2:27:28 AM

ok. i got my new hard drive and everything fixed back up on it. now i'm trying to go through the data retrieval process using one of those SATA/USB adapters. the problem is that my original failed HDD had no jumpers, it seems as though some do, some don't?

well, i hooked it up to my laptop, and it just stalls. device manager picks up the hard drive, working fine, etc...but i can't access it. any suggestions?

also, there are some of my old favorite websites i had bookmarked on my old hard drive in firefox. is there anything in particular i can do to find the list of websites i had bookmarked?

more than anything, though, i just want to find a solution to this "invisible" hard drive thing.

1/31/2009 2:53:27 PM

http://slickdeals.net/?pno=17915&lno=1&afsrc=1

2/2/2009 12:37:02 PM

^ awesome, thanks for the post.

2/2/2009 12:45:24 PM

^^ok, i already have one of those...i just need to figure out how to make my old hard drive a slave when it has no pins!

2/3/2009 6:55:52 PM

http://tinyurl.com/b7y5a2

you only can put one on each cable..where you plug it in dictates what kind of drive it ultimately becomes.

[Edited on February 3, 2009 at 8:47 PM. Reason : and what does it say in disk management? right click my computer->manage->disk management]

2/3/2009 8:45:45 PM