A somewhat techno-question!
 

An old IBM laptop of mine, which died a long time ago (well, long-ish,) has simply been collecting dust for quite a while, whilst I try to figure out how to get my old files from the seemingly dead HDD.

I've read that I may be able to recover said files, if I were to place the HDD into an External Enclosure, which would then connect to my PC, and allow me to view the files. (Assuming the HDD isn't actually DEAD.)

I'm pretty sure the HDD only died, because of an error whilst updating to Windows XP SP-3. It was a known error, but, sadly for me, only AFTER I'd already updated. I'm pretty sure (memory's a little hazy,) that it died the night after I updated. (That being the first time I had shut down, or rebooted, since updating.)

If I'm right, then, my files "should" be recoverable, so long as I am able to bypass the requirement for the HDD to boot up with Windows 'n' what not... besides that, External HDD Enclosures tend to be dirt cheap, so, regardless, it's worth a shot, as the data has a huge personal value, to me.

Too long? Didn't read? Doesn't matter, so long as you can answer my question, which is as follows:

What External HDD Enclosure would I need?! There are so damn many, of all kinds, and I have no idea which one would be required for my specific HDD.

Here's some numbers I pulled from it:

IC25N040ATCS04-0
Travelstar

ASM P/N 92P6331
FRU P/N 92P6332

It's an IBM 40GB HDD, too, if that helps.

I think it's an ATA Drive, which'd mean I'd need a 2.5" ATA External Enclosure? Still, confirmation, or denouement, would be greatly appreciated, as it'd really help me get these very sentimental files, back from the grips of data oblivion.

(Also - A link to where I may be able to purchase one, on the cheap, of course, would be so very, very helpful. Preferably from a U.K-based website/eBay, but, anywhere that'll ship here, would do. "Cheap" means... I guess less than £20? Unless there's absolutely no way to get one, for under that price, in which case - go wild, send me the cheapest you can find.)

It's hard to differentiate one enclosure from another. Many of them are re-branded indentical units. The primary differences seem to be durability etc. I have one of these at work and would recommend it. It has the advantage that you can use it with this drive, which is likely to be the last PATA drive you have, as well as SATA drives if future need arises.

Sure that'll work on the above-mentioned drive?

Having a little trouble finding a UK-based (or UK-shipping) supplier, also.

Looks interesting - Rather than an enclosure, it plugs directly into the HDD (once removed) and then crosses over to your PC, via a USB2.0 interface?

Any ideas where I might be able to find it, from a UK-based, or UK-shipping website?

(Tried Amazon, they have it on .com, but not .co.uk... unless it's just being a pain.)

Sorry if these questions seem silly:

Does your old machine have a USB interface?
Does it have a CD-drive?
Do you have an extra USB HDD, eg for your new computer?

If so, a boot disk may be an alternative for you . There are some free offers on the web. Download and burn with your new computer - then boot your old computer with it and transfer the data to the USB HDD. (If you want to rescue only a small quantity of data/files, a USB stick will do)

As sure as I can be from reading specs off the web. The drive appears to have the standard IDE/parallel ATA connector used in 2.5" drives intended for laptops before SATA came along. (If you look at the two ribbon cable connectors, the larger one is for 3.5" IDE drives and the smaller for 2.5".)

That's correct, and it appears on your computer as an external USB drive (which it is). It's basically all the electronics of the enclosure without the box. Not recommended for a permanent fixture, but great for situations where you need a temporary connection to copy stuff.