Is it possible to transfer files to a portable hard drive if your laptop won't stay on?

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StellarSta

Right now when I turn my laptop on it tells me it needs to do a Startup Repair, but shortly after this starts, it goes completely off. Would it be possible to still take all my files on there and transfer them to a portable hard drive if I can't get past Startup Repair?

Answer
maybe. what you need is a program on a bootable CD that'll do this -- check cnet.com/downloads for such a program and burn the CD it creates with a friend's computer.

'startup repair' is probably an operating system issue and this method will bypass the operating system. many such programs also provide their own device drivers and so aren't dependent on the ones on your hard drive.

can i take with me portable hard drive and a laptop to my trip to kazakhstan?

shay_s82

is it a problem to bring with you a portable hard drive and a laptop to a trip to kazakhstan?

Answer
Not a problem at all. I brought my laptop there. No difference from any other country and less annoying than Russia. Kazakhs are pretty relaxed; don't let the old Soviet legacy put you off.

(And if you had problems with something silly like that, $50 could easily make the problem go away... There is no regulation against laptops or external hard drives though).

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Can I make system back up in one portable hard drive for 5 pcs?

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Wink

I have one 1TB USB 3.0 portable hard drive. I have 3 laptops on 2 pcs, can I use one hard drive to back up all 5 computers? Or do I need 5 separate hard drives? Thank you for your attention.

Answer
Providing you have sufficient space then no problem. You can do it without partitioning the drive by making five folders. One for each computers backup.

When I get my new laptop, would using a portable hard drive to store everything help it from getting slow?

John Malko

I've come to notice that all of my past desk tops have progressively slowed over time. Many have told me that it's because the memory is filling up. If I only saved what I really needed on my new laptop and saved music and movie files on a portable hard drive, wouldn't that keep it from bogging down?

Answer
A little.

Most system slowdowns are not caused by over-filled hard drives.

Over a period of time viruses, spyware, uninstalled programs, corrupt data etc are what slows a computer down. Not the data that is stored on it.

So, once the computer starts slowing down, backing up all the data to an external drive and reinstalling windows will bring the computer back to the way it was when you bought it. Nice and fast.

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Can I use a portable hard drive on a laptop without a hard drive built in?

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Mark Davie

My hard drive on my HP laptop has stopped working and I was wondering if I can use my 1TB portable hard drive or 4GB usb stick to run a OS? I have pulled out my old HDD because I'm waiting for a new one. Any ideas?

Answer
If you are good technically then you can take out the HDD from a portable device and put it into your laptop.

The portable hard drive you have there should have a 2.5 inch internal hard disk and that should exactly replace the one inside your laptop.

I hope you know how to install the Operating System and program if you can do the above steps in flying colors.

Best of luck!

What type of portable external hard drive should I use for my laptop?

History Fi

I am looking for a Portable External Hard Drive for my HP laptop. I need one that has at least 2tb of memory and is fast but affordable (preferably under $150) I'm looking for a good reliable brand too. I just don't know where to start. If it helps any I have Windows 7.

Answer
You can get a 3 TB Western Digital hard drive from Amazon for under $150.00
I have a 2.5 and a 3.0 TB for my two laptops from Western Digital and they have worked flawlessly. One of my laptops is Windows 7 and one is Windows 8. I don't work for Amazon (retired postal service) but I really like Amazon for deals. Check them out and do some searching. I think you will find what you need.

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Is it possible to transfer files to a portable hard drive if your laptop won't stay on?

portable hard drives for laptops image

StellarSta

Right now when I turn my laptop on it tells me it needs to do a Startup Repair, but shortly after this starts, it goes completely off. Would it be possible to still take all my files on there and transfer them to a portable hard drive if I can't get past Startup Repair?

Answer
maybe. what you need is a program on a bootable CD that'll do this -- check cnet.com/downloads for such a program and burn the CD it creates with a friend's computer.

'startup repair' is probably an operating system issue and this method will bypass the operating system. many such programs also provide their own device drivers and so aren't dependent on the ones on your hard drive.

can i take with me portable hard drive and a laptop to my trip to kazakhstan?

shay_s82

is it a problem to bring with you a portable hard drive and a laptop to a trip to kazakhstan?

Answer
Not a problem at all. I brought my laptop there. No difference from any other country and less annoying than Russia. Kazakhs are pretty relaxed; don't let the old Soviet legacy put you off.

(And if you had problems with something silly like that, $50 could easily make the problem go away... There is no regulation against laptops or external hard drives though).

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What's the difference between a Desktop External Hard Drive and a External Portable Hard Drive?

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Colin H

I have a laptop and I would like to get an external hard drive to backup my data. I was wondering the difference between a Desktop External Hard Drive and a External Portable Hard Drive. Can I use a Desktop External Hard Drive with my laptop? Or not? Please be as detailed as you can as I am somewhat computer illiterate. All help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Both would work with your laptop as they both use a USB port to connect to your computer, which both laptops and desktops are equipped with.

Desktop Eternal Hard drive- It is physically larger and is used for larger storage needs. These drives need to be plugged in to their own power supply in order to work. This doesn't necessarily mean you can't pick up the drive and take it with you, it's just that it's larger and more cumbersome, because it needs to be plugged into an outlet in order to run. So these are ideal for leaving on your desk at home or work.

Pros: More storage capacity
Cons: Needs an outside power source

External Portable Hard Drive: A smaller physical drive, therefore more portable. It doesn't require an outside power source. It will run off the power from your laptop. These tend to have small storage capacities than the Desktop Drives though. But they are also small enough to thrown in your laptop bag or backpack on the go as they tend to have a low profile.

Pro: Small and portable, No external power needed
Con: Smaller storage capacities, draws power from your laptop and can be battery draining if constantly plugged in.

So you need to figure out what you'll be using the drive for. If it's just for storing and backing up your system, go for the desktop drive. If you think you'll be using the external drive to backup files on the go, or transporting files, go with the portable drive. I can guarantee both with work with your computer. It is just a matter of figuring out your needs.

Can I transfer files from my hard drive to a portable hard drive without logging in?

vsan94

So my computer won't let me log in because I have a virus. My plan is to transfer files from my laptop to a portable hard drive, then redownloading XP to my laptop and wiping my hard drive. Am I able to transfer files without accessing them first on the computer? And if not, what else could I do to backup my files?

Answer
You can do it only if you can remove the drive and use a special cable that allows you to plug the drive into a desktop machine. Unless you have another computer do do that with. No you can't.

You can also hook it to a local network and copy the files if its bootable.

The portable drive will not be able to copy unless you can tell it through your computer and it sounds like you cant.

Take it to a computer repair and tell them you just need to back-up the drive. when you set up your old files do a virus check and spyware check of those files first before you bring the problem right back in.

Can you log in with safe mode?

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