Thinkpads Forum

I hv a T61 machine that served me well till a few hours ago when it went near black as I can faintly make out de familiar login n my desktop page.

Now, my problem is that all my precious work is in that hard disk n de last time I back up de drive was 1 month ago.

Can somebody advise me how can I retrieve all my files and data from my dead T61?

This is my only working machine.

Welcome to the forum!

You say you can see things on the screen? So the picture is there, only that you have to point a bright light at the screen to see it? The T61s with Nvidia dedicated graphics chip are prone to sooner or later get a graphic chip failure, but this sounds like a backlight (CCFL itself or inverter) that went out. So unless I misunderstand you totally, it means that everything works, but you can't see it.

If you have an external monitor, try connecting that and reboot with the lid closed. Hopefully the computer picks up the monitor, or you might be able to navigate with a flashlight to change to an external monitor. Then you can get your files off of it, or even continue to use the laptop as is, unless you try to fix the fault.

If however the computer is dead-dead, you need to take your harddrive out, connect it to a USB to SATA adapter, and use another computer to navigate through your drive, find and copy out your files.

Hi Norway Pad, thanks so much for your prompt reply.

I believe de laptop is dead. What happened was that my AC adaptor de power chord ends de wire had become frayed and almost broken. De last time I on my laptop, de screen become black. So, maybe there's a power surge that caused de LCD to spoil I don't know.

Now, I guess I hc to buy a new laptop.

Any recommendation what models are close to T60? De screen need not be 16" though.

My first advice would be to borrow an adapter from somewhere or someone you know, and try that before you take the hard drive out and discard the T61. Unless the bad cord made a short circuit, or something strange happened, your computer might still work.

If you are looking into buying a new laptop anyway, it is hard to give any specific advices without knowing what your needs are. If you want to stick with the Thinkpad T-series, the T400 and T500 are the successors of the T61, through the T410/T510, T420/T520 and T430/T530, up to the brand new T440 and T540. The T4xx are 14.1" and the T5xx are 15.4". The way to choose one, might be to set a maximum amount that you want to spend on a laptop, and see what you get for that price: A high spec older one or a low spec newer one. Key factors like integrated/dedicated graphic, CPU and RAM is dictated by what you use the laptop for. Light tasks like web browsing, and a random movie, demands less than gaming and resource demanding applications. But do make sure to get one with a SSD, or upgrade to one. And maybe you are even already aware of all this.

Good luck!

Norway Pad wrote: If you have an external monitor, try connecting that and reboot with the lid closed. Hopefully the computer picks up the monitor, or you might be able to navigate with a flashlight to change to an external monitor.

More easy - connect external monitor, start ThinkPad and use Fn+F7 to change video out port.

Uhm, yeah. Didn't think about that option at all, if the fault turns out to only be a dead backlight.

If you can make out the texts on screen, that means, nv card is OK. Only the CCFL goes wrong. You can try replacing a new CCFL by yourself.

If you want to take the HD out, it's under your fingerprint scanner. Drive the screw on the bottom and you can get it out easily. Then use a USB->SATA cable to connect your HD to another PC(either laptop or desktop)

If you have a desktop that has extra SATA inputs, just plug the T61 HDD in.
You'll need both power and SATA connections, but they're the same as
3.5 (desktop) HDDs.

Power down the desktop, before hooking up the laptop HDD. They're
"supposed" to be hot swappable, but power down just the same.

steve

Norway Pad wrote: [...]

If however the computer is dead-dead, you need to take your harddrive out, connect it to a USB to SATA adapter, and use another computer to navigate through your drive, find and copy out your files.

No you don't. Just hook it up to that other PC's SATA. No stinking adapters needed. USB is just a huge bottleneck (3.0 included).

jcvjcvjcvjcv wrote:No you don't. Just hook it up to that other PC's SATA. No stinking adapters needed. USB is just a huge bottleneck (3.0 included).

Excuse me? The general impression of initial post here and the posters level of technical knowledge makes me think that the "stinking" USB adapter is a good emergency solution for him to retrieve his files. I can't really see any problem if it takes him 10 or 20 minutes to transfer his files. The time he saves on transferring are anyway lost when he needs to spend time opening up a desktop case, locate spare SATA ports, if any, and run a SATA cable inside. Needing to buy an USB adapter for this purpose alone, vs. buying only a SATA cable can be a justification for your SATA option, but transfer speed is merely the issue here.

Difference in opinions are welcome, but this tone isn't way we interact here.

For most of us, we work on computers anyway.
My "desktop" isn't even in a case, but sits on 2 shelves in my desk.
It also supports 6 SATA drives internally, and 2 more with ESATA.

Plugging up another, is absolutely NO issue to me.

Oh, USB adapter, $20 or more. SATA cable, $2.99.

steve

skou wrote:Plugging up another, is absolutely NO issue to me.

It wouldn't be an issue for me either. But neither of us would need to go to a forum to ask for advice on how to retrieve data from a hard drive. That was the point I was trying to get through. In my mind the USB adapter still comes forward as the best emergency solution for the user that is most likely not so experienced with computers, and a solution that doesn't require access to a desktop in order to work. But maybe I am wrong.. Let's leave it at that.

Even with another laptop you don't need an USB adapter. Plenty laptops have eSata.

Buying a SATA cable for the desktop? Every decent motherboard comes with spare cables. The only time I've bought a SATA data cable on it's own was when I needed a 90-degree angled one, angled to the other side compared to your usual 90-degree SATA cable.

Being rather lazy I bought a couple of USB/SATA cables for trivial money off Ebay and find them handy.

They were ~4 bucks shipped from China so should be even cheaper in Singapore.