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A question for the computer savvy...

steamthief

steamthief

Jan 25, 2006
5,509
2,630
Mentone Beach
#1
I've got an old Sony desktop that died. Specifically, the power supply. It's got like 1,500 mp3s on it, which I'd like to access. Problem is, Sony uses proprietary components, and I can't find a cheap/used replacement part, and I don't feel like shelling out a couple hun on a part for a computer that is obsolete.

Is it possible to get a cheap power supply that will run this old desktop long enough to transfer my music off of the old computer? I don't care if the shell will fit on the chassis, as I'll probably recycle the old box once I transfer the tunes. I just want to power up the old computer long enough to salvage my music collection.

Any advice is very much appreciated. Merry Christmas, everyone!
 
#2
What type of hard drive? IDE? What OS was it running?
EDIT:
If the drive is IDE you can pop the Sony computer drive in another computer after setting the jumpers correctly
on BOTH drives and simply copy your data off. Unless the Sony is Very old chances are it is IDE. Some of the newer
computers use SATA hard drives and the system boards do not have IDE drive controllers. But it would have to be very new.
 
#4
Power supplies are not that complicated. You can pull out the old one by removing 4-6 screws - it's safe and simple. Read the manufacturer/model number, etc. then go to CDW online and browse/search for that power supply. The search may come up with something similar if not exact. Call CDW to confirm that power supply will work with your computer. It should be about $30 bucks - $40 tops. Think of it as generic RAM - your computer doesn't care what brand it is, as long as it's the right type.
 
#5
I would suggest either putting the drive in your new PC to get the files off as already mentioned, or getting an external enclosure like [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] one for it if you think you could use an external drive for anything. There are tons of them to choose from. The main thing is to ensure is that it has the right connector for your drive (IDE or SATA).
 
#7
i think if you were to get a new power supply, make sure it is compatable with everything, i THINK i've heard that companies like Dell like to switch wires around on certain connectors, such as the motherboard, so that you cant really switch things out. if you got a regular power supply it's likely nothing would work or things could go really bad... i may just be being paranoid though :p

i think it'd be much easier just to take out the hard drive, put it in another machine and copy all your music and stuff over.
 
#8
Trevor.A said:
(...) i think it'd be much easier just to take out the hard drive, put it in another machine and copy all your music and stuff over.
Click to expand...
+1. IME, connecting a second hard drive to a system is much less finicky than attaching all the cables from the power supply to the mobo.

A USB adapter shell for under 20 bucks is a good idea, however. Those are very handy. You get a portable drive that you can plug in most anywhere.
 
#11
Wow, thanks for all the responses! TB rules. It seems popping the old hard drive out of the Sony and into the Compaq will be the easiest way to go.

The Sony runs on Windows 98 and the Compaq is on XP. Any potential problems there? Also, would I mount the pulled hard drive to the motherboard? Run an additional power cord to the power supply? Sorry for being such a gimp, I just don't want to do anything to ruin my one running PC.
 
#12
steamthief said:
The Sony runs on Windows 98 and the Compaq is on XP. Any potential problems there? Also, would I mount the pulled hard drive to the motherboard? Run an additional power cord to the power supply? Sorry for being such a gimp, I just don't want to do anything to ruin my one running PC.
Click to expand...

No problems attaching the Sony hard drive. The Sony will show up as an additional drive when you re-boot your PC. It won't matter what OS is on the Sony as you will still be using the Compaq hard drive as the master.

Here's a couple tips on connecting the Sony drive. Don't mess with the connector to the Compaq hard drive. Follow the ribbon cable out of the Compaq hard drive, and you will see another connector you can use to connect the Sony drive. That connector should be gray, and it lets your Compaq know that any drive connected here is a "slave" to the "master" drive already in the Compaq. Make sure you connect power to the Sony drive. You should have a couple extra power cables coming out of your power supply on the Compaq. It will be the same small plug in the back of your Compaq hard drive and any other disk drives in the computer.

There should be space inside the computer case to set the hard drive while you pull files from it. I do this quite a bit for friends. Just find somewhere inside the case for it to set flat.

Make sure you ground yourself to the case, and do this on a hard surface floor. Anything but carpet. The small amount of static electricity you can pick up on carpet can be enough to fry your system when you touch it.

Let us know if you need more help doing this.

-Mike
 
#13
check the IDE cable that's connected to the hard drive that's in there now, there should be another connector on it, use that for the Sony drive. there should be some jumpers on the back of the hard drives, make sure the Compaqs is set to "master" and the Sonys to "slave". find an extra power connector to give it some juice and you should be good to go.

edit: err... what he said :smug:
 
#14
One of these would work, also. You wouldn't even have to remove the drive from the Sony if you can get another computer or a laptop close to it. The file transfer will be slower with USB but you won't have to worry about the master/slave jumper settings.
 
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#15
I salvaged a hard drive from my old PC when the power supply died and bought an IDE to USB lead (with a mains adaptor for the old drive). Reasonably cheap solution, IMO, without the need to open up your Compaq. Just plug the old drive in and the PC should detect it straight away and show it as a drive so you can just copy straight over. You won't even need to reboot.

I'd post a link to somewhere you can order one, but I don't know where "909" is. :(
 
#16
Thanks a bunch, all. The IDB-USB cable looks like the simplest way to go. I've got the holiday week off and I'll perform the transfers then and let you know how it goes. I can't wait to get all my old Stax/funk/soul mp3s busted out!

Bassybill, 909 (or the 909, per local parlance) is smack dab in the smog belt of SoCal, between LA and Palm Springs.
 
#17
steamthief said:
Thanks a bunch, all. The IDB-USB cable looks like the simplest way to go. I've got the holiday week off and I'll perform the transfers then and let you know how it goes. I can't wait to get all my old Stax/funk/soul mp3s busted out!

Bassybill, 909 (or the 909, per local parlance) is smack dab in the smog belt of SoCal, between LA and Palm Springs.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Been to LA and environs a few times, but hadn't heard that term before - takes a while to get to know your way around somehere that big I suppose.

BTW, if you do get an IDE-USB cable (with power adaptor for your old hard drive) make sure you power up your old drive before connecting to the Compaq USB, otherwise you can hang things up a little. Similarly, disconnect before you power it down.
 
#18
What a simple process! I went looking for the powered USB-IDE cable at Comp USA and the clerk steered me to the USB shell, on sale for twenty clams. Pulling the hard drive out of the sony took all of three minutes, another two minutes getting it into the shell. Forty-five minutes later, over 1,300 long-lost mp3s are again at my disposal! Thanks again for all the great ideas.

One more question, if antbody's still following this thread. Now that I've pulled the hard drive from the Sony, is it safe to recycle without fear of identity theft, or do other components need to be pulled prior to pitching it?

Happy New Year, all! :cool:
 
#19
Glad everything worked out for you. It should be OK to get rid of the Sony now that you have taken out the hard drive. Anything that was stored in RAM is gone once you turn the machine off. So as long as there are no more hard drives, or CDs in a drive you should be fine.
 

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