I'm having trouble transferring data from a used laptop HDD to my PC, but I'm not sure what's causing the issue.
I'm having trouble transferring data from a used laptop HDD to my PC, but I'm not sure what's causing the issue.
Someone close to me lent me an old HDD for data transfer. I connected it to my PC via a SATA port. When I turned on my computer, the motherboard lights came on (probably CPU and RAM), but it didn’t boot quickly. After removing the HDD, everything worked fine. Now when I power on the CPU and RAM, their lights blink every two seconds. If the DRAM goes off, I hear a click from the power supply unit. What do you think is happening?
I took out the laptop HDD right away when it started acting up. Also verified the PSU cables and BIOS boot sequence—everything looks okay there too. The PC boots normally now with just clicks and LED changes. This wasn’t the case before the HDD issue. I also tried resetting the BIOS, but the problem persisted.
READ! THIS IS A IF YES, IF NOT PLEASE REPLY! Have you made any changes to the BIOS settings or hardware configuration before connecting the used HDD? If yes The issue you're experiencing could be due to several reasons. Faulty Hard Drive : The used hard drive you received might be faulty or incompatible with your system. This could cause your computer to fail to boot when the drive is connected Power Supply Unit (PSU) Issue : The clicking noise you're hearing from the PSU could be a sign of a problem. It might be that the PSU is turning on and off rapidly, which could be due to a fault in the PSU itself or an issue with the power being supplied to it BIOS Configuration : Since you mentioned that you made changes to the BIOS settings before connecting the used HDD, it's possible that these changes are causing the issue. Incorrect BIOS settings can prevent a computer from booting properly To troubleshoot the issue, you could try the following steps: Check the Hard Drive : Try connecting the hard drive to another computer to see if it works. If it doesn't, the drive is likely faulty. Check the PSU : Listen for the clicking noise when the computer is turned on. If it persists, consider having the PSU checked by a professional or replacing it. Reset BIOS Settings : If you made changes to the BIOS settings, consider resetting them to their default values. This can often be done by removing and reinserting the CMOS battery on the motherboard, or by using a jumper on the motherboard
I've already reinitialized the BIOS, PSU click isn't lasting—it only works when the PC is powered on and off. Refer to the video above.
The CPU and DRAM LEDs illuminate during startup, then the DRAM LEDs stop, and the PC powers on with a click sound, functioning normally. My main worry is that this didn’t occur before I connected the laptop’s HDD (which is now disconnected). Some people say this clicking and LED activity is normal part of the POST process.
The LED sequence from red to yellow to white to green is typical. If it doesn’t show white and green, it could indicate a motherboard issue. Don’t stress unless other functions fail. It might just be a normal behavior you missed before installing the HDD. Sata drives allow hot plugging—boot Windows first, then connect the HDD (power on before data). Ensure the BIOS setting for hot plugging is turned on.