In message , HB writes:
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I can hear it spin up an when the cooling fan starts. Both when not plugged
in so I know the battery is still good and taking a charge.

So the HD is spinning. That's a start. (Unfortunately, a lot of the ways
they can go wrong don't involve the motor.)
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I don't know how to safely connect it to the desktop machine. The HDs are

If you mean physically, that's not a problem: desktop machines tend to
use 3.5" drives, laptops 2.5" ones (the figure refers to the diameter of
the actual platters inside the drive); making smaller hardware is more
difficult, so the manufacturers continue to make both sizes - obviously
space is limited in a laptop, so they have the smaller ones. Much larger
_capacities_ (currently, say, 3T and above) tend to only be available in
the 3.5" (desktop) size. Functionally, both are the same, and a computer
doesn't know whether it's using a 2.5" or a 3.5" drive.

See lower down for how to connect to the desktop.

very different sizes. And now with the W-10 forced updates, loss of OE6
because of them and my daughter complaining her favorite game is messed up
on the new HP laptop since the update, this W-7 is all that much more
valuable to me.

Ah, daughter's favourite game: that's important!
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There are two connecters to the HD in the Toshiba. I have no idea what I'm

I presume that's - looking at the drive when removed - one with about 7
fingers (that's the data one), and one with about 15 (power), each with
an L-shaped plastic guide around them.

doing when it comes to the hardware.

Inside the desktop machine, does its own hard drive also have two small
connectors, or a wide ribbon cable with about 40 wires? Or, does its
CD/DVD drive? If both of those are connected with wide ribbon cables,
read no further, as we'll have to use the USB route (which isn't
difficult).

If the desktop machine's own hard drive or CD/DVD drive has the same two
connectors, we're getting somewhere. Follow the cables to see where they
come from. The larger one will come from the power supply (big box at
one end of the case, where the power lead goes in); the smaller one will
go to the motherboard (main large board in the computer). [You probably
know those, but I'm describing in case not, and for anyone else reading
this thread who might not.]

To connect the drive, taken from the laptop, to the desktop:

EITHER:
Power (the larger one): look around in the case: hopefully, there'll be
a spare power connector (coming from the power supply, obviously, though
may be piggy-backed on other devices) that will fit the power connector
on the laptop drive. If there isn't, but there's one of the old Molex
four-large-sockets-in-nylon type, you'll need an adaptor.

Data (the smaller one): look at where the data cable from the existing
hard drive and/or CD/DVD drive goes into the motherboard; there should
be similar connectors nearby. Most SATA-capable motherboards have lots
of them - at least six seems to be common. They often come in pairs, in
the same plastic moulding. You need to connect the drive to one of those
- you'd probably need a SATA cable, unless the assemblers have been
_very_ generous and left you a spare.

OR:
If the CD/DVD drive is SATA (two small connectors rather than a wide
ribbon one), just disconnect those from the CD/DVD drive, and connect
them to the laptop drive. (Do so with the computer turned off!)



I'll stop there for now. The next question _would_ be **Q4** when the
desktop machine has booted (or does it boot?), does it see an extra drive,
and **Q5** can you look at what's on it. But I'll leave that until we have
the answer to Q3, as if you don't have a SATA connection to test it on
(assuming it _is_ a SATA drive), we'll have to go the USB route.

I have zero computer parts on hand. I wouldn't know what I would need to
connect it to the DT or even where to try to connect it. It's a HP Pavilion
P7-1003W.
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Well, as you'll see from above, you'd need a SATA cable and possibly a
power adapter cable, both of which should be cheap enough - or, if the
CD/DVD drive is SATA, which they mostly are these days, you won't need
_anything_.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

computers don't solve problems; they help humans solve problems - Colin Barker,
Computing 1999-2-18, p. 21