I am trying to recover files from the old hard drive. But I had trouble and don't know how.
OP,
I'm going to be quite frank: It seems like you do not really know your way around that machine/OS very well.
Assuming that the old hard drive does not show up on your desktop when you plug it in, and it is not merely a question of power, I'd recommend to hand it over to some pros. Depending on how valuable your data (on that old disk) is to you (and not knowing your location) I won't try any specific recommendations.
How valuable is your data? If your prepared to pay 1-2 k$ then just send the disk to a professional data recovery service. if you're prepared to pay a few hundred, take it to the nearest geekshop and ask for their help. Otherwise: forget it.
And take a pen and paper and write 100 times: "From now on, I will always back up my data"
That said (and for the benefit of all other readers), hard drive failures come in many forms
Mechanical failure (such as spindle motor or read-head failure usually give quite distinct and audible warnings) always necessitates an expert data recovery service, as the physical platters need to be either read directly or put into a working drive module (both necessitate cleanrooms and expert hardware).
Controller failure, that something has screwed the integrated electronics of the drive (those small logic boards in the drive assembly) does not automatically necessitate a expert data recovery service, because if you can find a working identical drive you may be able to replace the broken controller with a functional controller (I've done this with a 13/14 success rate), but you really need a working spare and a steady hand. Unless you understand what this means: get an expert.
Logic failure, means basically that some data has been corrupted in such a way that your operating system is unable to understand what to do with the drive. These types of errors can also be the result of a physical error (back in the days we talked about bad sectors). In any case, in cases such as this, the drive does work (you can hear/feel it spinning up) and a specialist software may be able to recover files (some or all) or even repair the drive back into working order. Again: if you do not understand the guides: leave it to the pros.
Troubleshooting 101:
- if you hear the drive start up, but your machine wont read it/show it we're looking at some form of logic failure
- if the disk is dead (silent) and has died without any warning (noise, such as grating or whining) you are probably looking at a controller failure.
(N.B! Noises such as repeated clicking or repeated spin-up-spin-down may be related to either controller failure or mechanical failure.)
HTH,
RGDS,
