Laptop SATA and Desktop SATA different?

[FatalException]

I have a laptop with a hard drive that is going bad (Sony VGN-S460P Laptop). According to Sony's specifications page, the laptop has an 80GB SATA hard drive at 5400 RPM.

I'd like to get the drive out and connect it to another computer (my desktop) to try to run some data recovery software on it like EasyRecovery and see what I can save on the drive. The system still partially boots Windows, but then gets to a point where it hits too many corrupted files and reaches a Blue Screen. I know the drive is failing since I ran Hitachi's drive testing program on it as well as Windows' CHKDSK from a recovery CD; both say there are too many bad clusters present on the drive to recover what data is left.

Is the specification for a laptop SATA drive the same as for a desktop SATA drive? Can I simply pop this drive out and use the same cables as for a desktop SATA drive to connect it to my computer, or do I need a converter like for the old IDE laptop drives?

Thanks for your help.

[Steve R Jones]

You'll need to take a look at the drive....Odds are it'll use the same cables..

Odds are also that you shouldn't need a recovery program. The corrupted files are probably windows files...Have you done a repair install to try and fix the corrupted files?

[nemowolf]

If its a laptop SATA drive, it may not use the same type of SATA connection depending on the type of drive it is. Some have power and data built together and dont use the Desktop type connector for power. Ideally, you should be using an external enclosure to ensure that it has the same type of connection.

[Peter M]

2.5" drives use "normal" size SATA connectors.

[FatalException]

I pulled the drive out of the laptop. It did use a single, combined power + data connector within the laptop, but after I disconnected that cable from the drive, I could see that the combined cable was just a convenient idea for the manufacturer - the plugs on the drive are indeed standard SATA data and SATA power connections.

I hooked up the drive to my desktop computer. Unfortunately, it is too far gone to save any data - it now makes slamming "clicking" noises and screeches loudly as soon as it is powered on. Oh well. At least I'm diligent about making backups - my last one was September 25th, so very little data was lost... Just some photos from a recent trip to Cape Cod; my family had their cameras, though, so hopefully I can snag the pictures from them next time I see them.

[no1_vern]

Thats good to hear FatalException. It always pays to make good backups.

[Xallus]

Hi guys,
Well last year with all my moving around with the USMC I had bought a gaming laptop, which worked wonderfully until last week when I spilled a cup of vodka and cool-aid on it. Took it apart hoping all it needed was a cleaning when I discovered the components next to the power-source jack looked like a 10 year old car battery that had never been cleaned, it also literally burned out 3 or 4 prongs on the screen jack... So... laptop dead, but hard drive potentially not (I hope) didn't see any damage near the hard drive anyway.

Seeing as the laptop got roasted and I'm not going anywhere for a while I took the nightmare as a blessing and excuse in disguise to build a new machine. I want all of my data back however, and I can't find an adapter anywhere but the internet, and I'm an impatient person. What I noticed however is the sata jacks on the laptop hard drives are exactly the same as my WD caviar black that I just put in this desktop. And as luck would have it I have a spare set of sata cables. Given the discussion above it looks like I shouldn't have any problems, but I have a question or two. If I plug the drive into the desktop satas (which go directly to the mobo ofc) do I then have to set those drives up via bios, or will the OS just recognize them? I know that's a really amateur question but that's because I'm an amateur.

Thanks,
-Ryan

[zepper]

Yup, connectors on laptop and desktop SATA are the same - that's why they're so flimsy - a minor change would make the desktop's much sturdier...

.bh.