Desktop won't boot; need files on hard drive

[Y3KBuster]

Desktop will not boot. Power button lights up, fan comes on. I have tried FIXMESTICK and STARTMESTICK to no avail. Power button lights up, fan comes on. I really NEED many of the files and programs. Could I take out the hard drive an somehow  mount it as an external drive on my new desktop? Old desktop is long since out of warranty. I had been able to boot it and transferred many files using EASE US software about 2 weeks ago (it took about 18 hours) but much is still missing,  and I can't get it to boot up again.

[Garp_senchau · Accepted solution]

@Y3KBuster, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

I can imagine how frustrating it must feel — the hum of the fan, the glow of the power button, but nothing else coming to life. Since the old desktop isn’t booting and you urgently need those files, yes — you can remove the hard drive and connect it to your new desktop as an external drive.

You’d just need a SATA-to-USB adapter or an external enclosure. Once connected, your new PC should treat it like a regular external drive, letting you browse and copy over the files that are still there.

Handle the drive gently and avoid drops or static — think of it like carrying a fragile book full of irreplaceable pages.

Take care and have a good day. 

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Regards,

[Y3KBuster]

I bought (from Amazon.com) a hard drive dock (fits both 2.5" and 3.5"). I had some difficulty finding out how to remove the hard drive from my old Desktop, but perseverance paid off. I now have USB access to my old hard drive and its irreplaceable files! I have on hand hard drives from several old computers and will eventually examine them as well. Got my first PC clone about 1990, used DOS 4.0, after using an Apple ][ since about1978.

[Garp_senchau]

@Y3KBuster, A huge thank you for marking this post as the 'Accepted Solution'! We're thrilled that we could help resolve your issue.

If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to ask. We're here to help!

Thanks again for your confirmation, and we wish you an amazing day ahead!

Best Regards,