How do you access data from an old hard drive? – Knowligent
How do you access data from an old hard drive?

How do you access data from an old hard drive?

Home › How to, Tech › How do you access data from an old hard drive?
Summary by Lifewire • GreenDragon Tech on Youtube • Published 3 years ago

It should be possible to access an old hard drive if the drive was originally used with a Windows PC, but you need to know the right tricks. Here's how to access data from an old hard drive.

How to Get Files Off Your Old Hard Drive

The steps below are for PCs running Windows 11 and Windows 10, but also apply to older versions of Windows.

Before you begin, you will need to decide how to connect the hard drive to your PC. This will depend on the connection standard being used. This step can be the trickiest part of the process if you do not have a cable that fits your old hard drive.

IDE/ATA/PATA: Internal hard drives from the late 80s through the 90s used IDE cables and later ATA or PATA cables. You will need an IDE to USB adapter or internal drive enclosure to connect the drive to a modern PC. Be careful to identify the drive you have before purchasing an adapter, as several versions of IDE have appeared on the PC market in the fifteen years that it was dominant.