When a laptop or desktop dies but the files are still inside, the most common piece of advice online is to pull the drive out, put it in a USB enclosure or dock, and plug it into another computer. Often that works well and costs very little. Sometimes it is the wrong move, either because the drive cannot be removed, because the data is encrypted, or because the drive itself is what failed. Here is how to tell which situation you are in, and how to do it safely if it is the right call.
When an enclosure is a good idea
A USB enclosure or dock is a reasonable first step when:
- The computer failed in a way that points away from the drive, such as a dead power supply, a broken screen, a cracked case or a motherboard that will not power on.
- The drive was working normally right up until the computer stopped, with no freezing, clicking or slowdowns beforehand.
- The drive is a standard, removable part (see below).
- You know the computer was not encrypted, or you have the recovery key.
When it is the wrong move
- The drive was showing symptoms before the computer died. Freezes, very slow file opening, clicking, beeping or “repairing disk errors” messages suggest the drive is failing. Connecting it again and again in an enclosure puts more hours on a drive that may not have many left.
- The computer was hit by a power surge or liquid. The drive may be damaged too, and powering it up can make things worse.
- The storage is soldered to the board. Many thin laptops and all recent Macs (models with Apple’s T2 chip and Apple silicon M-series Macs) have storage built into the logic board. There is no drive to remove, and on those Macs the data is encrypted by the chip on that board.
Match the enclosure to the drive
Buying the wrong adapter is the most common mistake. Check what you actually have first:
- 2.5-inch SATA (most older laptops): a basic USB enclosure or adapter works, and USB power is usually enough.
- 3.5-inch SATA (desktop drives): these need 12-volt power from a dock or adapter with its own power supply. A USB-only cable will not spin them up properly.
- M.2 SATA vs M.2 NVMe (newer laptops and desktops): they look similar but use different interfaces. Buy an enclosure that states it supports your type, or one that supports both.
- Older IDE/PATA drives (computers from the early 2000s) need an IDE adapter, which is a different product.
- 2013-2017 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air SSDs use Apple’s own connector and need a model-specific adapter.
Handle the drive by its edges, avoid static, and do not force connectors.
Encryption: find the key first
Many Windows 11 and Windows 10 computers turn on BitLocker or Device Encryption automatically when you sign in with a Microsoft account. When you connect that drive to another PC, Windows will ask for a 48-digit recovery key before showing any files. The key is often saved in the Microsoft account used on the old computer; signing in to that account on another device and looking for your BitLocker recovery keys is usually the quickest way to find it. Some business computers store keys with the company IT department instead. On a Mac with FileVault, an older removable drive will ask for the user’s password or FileVault recovery key. Without the key, neither you nor a recovery lab can read encrypted data. Our encrypted drive recovery page covers this in more detail.
Copying your files safely
- Connect the drive and wait. If Windows asks to initialize or format the disk, click Cancel. Either option can overwrite what is on it.
- If you see “You don’t currently have permission to access this folder”, it is because your account on the new PC is different. Choosing Continue for the folders you need is usually enough; there is no need to change permissions across the whole drive.
- Copy the most important folders first (Documents, Desktop, Pictures and any business files), not the entire drive in one go.
- Watch for warning signs: copies that stall, the drive disconnecting and reconnecting, new noises, or the computer freezing. If any of these happen, unplug the drive and stop.
- Do not run CHKDSK, Disk Utility First Aid or free “repair” tools on a drive that is behaving badly. They write to the drive and can make a recovery harder.
If the enclosure does not work
If the drive is not detected, makes noises, or the copy keeps failing, the drive is very likely the problem rather than the computer, and further attempts mostly add risk. That is the point to stop. A recovery lab works from a copy of the drive made with specialized equipment, so the original is not stressed by repeated reads. See our hard drive data recovery and laptop data recovery pages for how that works.
Talk to an engineer
If you are unsure whether to try an enclosure, or you already tried and it did not work, call Data Retrieval at (213) 986-4855. An engineer evaluates the drive and gives you a fixed quote, and recovery only starts once you approve it. We serve Los Angeles, the Inland Empire and Ventura County, with mail-in service from anywhere in the US, or you can book a data recovery online.