PC (computer) question

lloyd

My desktop computer is knackered-it's got loads of my music (iTunes) on it and some photos too. Is this an easy thing to get sorted at a shop and get the music onto a usb or something?

joeyowen

Define knackered ?

Quick fixes for speed are a defrag and /or download and run ccleaner?

joeyowen

Also a backup hdd for music pics is always handy, should anything happen to your comp, always good to have a backup

Axe_meister

If the disk is not corrupt take it out stick it in a caddy and plug into a new computer via USB. Copy over to new disk and a spare hard disk (as a backup) I'd probably dump the old disk if it is really old. It's probably small and slow.

lloyd

Computers fucked-it's a few years old, I had it fixed up last year but it's dead now. It won't be getting fixed again-it needs replacing.

I should have backed everything up, and I will next time.....

Axe_meister

Depends what's broke. What are the symptoms?

dafuzz

You can boot from a linux live disc and transfer all your files off to external storage that way

...unless it's the hdd that's knackered

lloyd

It just doesn't turn on-last time I tried was a few months ago-I'm not a massive user of computers! It's all packed away after my last house move, worst case scenario could I lose the music of the HDD is dead?

lloyd

I realise I'm not helping much here but thanks for the replies

Axe_meister

OK sounds more like a power supply problem if I just doesn't turn on. The disk may well be OK.

lloyd

Fingers crossed, I'd hate to lose the music....

joeyowen

If you know a tech friend ask them, otherwise shop (although they may charge high)

You might/should be able to physically remove the HDD from the comp, and mount it via USB to another comp and use it as an ext drive, where you can access your files.  This however, depending on the HDD type Sata etc... will need a dock/mount to do so.

If there are errors, you can try and retrieve files which can yield good results.  That might add quite a bit to the price though

lloyd

Iunderstood about 12 words of that! My cousins pretty handy with computers, I'll see if I can blag him to do something before taking to a shop. How high could we be looking at £££wise at a shop?

Cheers

scrumhalf

It's more likely that you cannot boot from the Hd rather than being completely unable to read it when it's placed in an external caddy.

Depending on the brand of HD, you can sometimes download a utility which will enable you to boot from it.

UnclePsychosis

These things are generally easy to fix by someone that knows their way around a PC. You'll know someone that can sort it for you I'm sure. :-)

lloyd

Nice one cheers guys