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I know there are other topics of this kind, but I could only find the software part of the solution and I am not aware of the hardware part mostly. So, I bought a new laptop (with SSD) and I want to copy my data. I don't need to copy the OS and the state the system on the HDD is. I need just my files.

But how is the process going - how do I connect the HDD, what cable/s do I need ? Anything else that I need to do/have/know before I start the cloning?

P.S. The original machine is broken, so I cannot back-up the HDD from it or access it in any way.

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  • There are any number of tools to clone a drive. The problem you face is you only want to backup your personal files which means your better just backing them up yourself unless you have say a data partition.
    – Ramhound
    Jan 12, 2014 at 19:23

2 Answers 2

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Cloning is not what you require. You simply need to copy the data. You can use either an external hard disk or temporarily setup an ftp server on your original machine. I recommend using Filezilla.

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  • I updated my question with a P.S. at the end. Jan 12, 2014 at 19:33
  • That's better. Ok should be simple. Why not simply open up your old machine and take out the HD with the cable, fix it to a desktop and copy the data. You can also find cables which allow the disk to be attached via USB. Jan 12, 2014 at 19:44
  • Ok, so I just need to get a cable that is HDD -> usb and connect the HD to the new machine, right? But (I just never tried before) will I be able to access the HD as if I open a flash-drive or I will need to use some specific software for the copying? Jan 12, 2014 at 19:51
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    No other software required. The cable will essentially transform your HD to an external one. Jan 12, 2014 at 21:23
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You need an external drive enclosure. Those have a SATA-USB interface, you just have to attach it to your old HDD and connect it to new computer. It will show up just like regular hard disks. You don't have to put that drive in the enclosure (connecting the interface is enough) but that may be a good idea - you have a spare drive anyway, why not use it for backup?

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