Old PC will not switch on and loads of pics saved on the hard drive - help!!

[kathleen]

Hi

 

Hope I have put this post in the right place. Also really hope someone can help me!

 

My old pc will not switch on and I have loads of pictures, including all my 3rd child's newborn pics saved on the hard drive. Is there any way I can get these pictures?

 

I would really appreciate any advice (in simple terms if possible please)

 

Kathleen xx :)

[Dalo Harkin]

How old is the PC?

Chances are if its about 5 years or older it will use an IDE (ribbon) type cable for the HDD, you can slave the old HDD (Hard drive) to the newer PC and try and pull the images off that you want.

 

Is the drive that contains the pictures the drive with the operating system on, or is it another that you use for storage?

[kathleen]

Hi

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

It is over 5 years old. I'm not sure about cables and stuff though. When you say slave it to the new pc - does that mean attach it with a cable?

 

I'm sorry but i've no idea about which drive the operating system and pics are stored on. It's a bit frustrating that it won't even switch on to check these thing out.

 

thanks

Kathleen

[Tootech]

It's quite possible for a PC of that age to have suffered Power Supply failure.

 

If you don't want to use the PC again, but just want the data from the hard drive, you could do as Dalo says. There are adapter cables available that will allow you to connect your old drive to a USB port on a new computer and copy all your data across.

 

Have a look here Dynamode USB - IDE Converter - Ebuyer

 

If you would rather repair the PC, it may be worth taking it into a repair shop. Anyone decent can test your power supply in 5 minutes and change it in half an hour.

[kathleen]

THanks - will definitely give this a try, don't want to use the old pc anymore so I've just ordered that cable that you suggested

 

Thanks again

Kathleen x

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Did you just have the one hard drive in the old pc Kath?

[Jack Hackett]

PC over 5 yrs old... hmmm... may just be a simple case of replacing the BIOS battery with a new one, as a dead BIOS battery will prevent the PC from starting.

 

How To Replace The CMOS Battery In Your PC

 

This would be the first thing I would look at before contemplating any other issue.

Edited November 28, 2008 by Jack Hackett

[Seth]

PC over 5 yrs old... hmmm... may just be a simple case of replacing the BIOS battery with a new one, as a dead BIOS battery will prevent the PC from starting.

 

How To Replace The CMOS Battery In Your PC

 

This would be the first thing I would look at before contemplating any other issue.

 

Hi Jack.

 

I've come to respect your computer knowledge, but either I'm missing something, or your suggestion is erroneous.

 

A failed a cmos battery will produce a checksum error with the option to look for a boot loader. Once one bypasses the checksum error, then the OS will load as normal, but without certain settings.

 

One can prove such by removing the cmos battery and firing it up.

 

I can elaborate, but I don't think I need to do so.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

I was just about to post and say the same thing.

 

I have to totally agree with Seth on this.

 

The time will obviously be wrong on a failed battery but one needn't correct it to get back up and running.

 

Simon :rolleyes: