Hi ,
My Desktop PC Died about two years ago. When I turn it on I only get a black screen with a blinking cursor, but it doesn't boot up. There is still valuable information that I would like to try and retrieve from the desktop. Is there a way to transfer the information from the PC hardrive to My laptop. I don't have another desktop? Any and all suggestions would be much appreciated.
Teegee

I think taking the hard drive out and putting it into another computer might work.

You would need another desktop machine to put the hard drive into, and then copy the files to where you want them. That assumes that the computer originally failed due to a component other than the hard drive... if the hard drive itself was the cause, then you would need to pay for data recovery services. Those are usually expensive, though... expensive enough that I've always gone without my data :)

For less than $25 you should be able to buy an external drive enclosure...

Just pull the hard drive out of your old Desktop, put it into one of these enclosures, and you've got an instant external hard drive you can connect to your laptop via USB or Firewire.

As above though, if the hard drive itself has suffered a fault and the volume can't be mounted, the data may not be recoverable through conventional means.

Thanks for the inputy guys I am going to investigate the hard drive cover concept and see where that gets me.
You have been a significant help.
THE HARD DRIVE wouldn't be the problem with the tower right probbaly the mother board?

There's no telling without taking a look at it. It could be any of half a dozen things.

Does the computer beep at all while trying to start ?
If it does it may be possible to know what's wrong with it by the Beep Code sort of like morse code but for computers so you can hear what's wrong without even opening up the box and all the problems mentioned would be announced by a Beep Code
Check for a beep code all may not be lost !

IBM has a list of beep codes on the web telling you what's wrong with the p/c