If you can't physically install the drive in the computer, then yes- an external enclosure is certainly an option.

well i calledmy provider and told my problem they said your hd has failed because it is making clicking sound (lound ones when starting up) and not spining? so u have to buy one. so can i still get data off the failed hd after putting in external enclousure as slave

Hello,

If the hard drive is making a clicking noise as described, then your drive's life is critically short. It will not matter if it is wired inside the computer, or inside the corresponding enclosure... if the disk is not turning, then no data is accessable.

You might be able to place the drive in a freezer, and once cold, then take it out and fire it up, and maybe get a few minutes worth of life out of it. This is a drastic measure though.

This is why backups are vital.

Christian

But a measure that might work, and also might be the only option once you get "The Click of Death".

The clicking sound is the head actuator going haywire; this can either be caused by faulty electronics in the drive controller circuitry or by mechanical failure/seizure of the actuator. Either way, the freezing method seems to help- if it's a failing electronic component that's causing the problem, putting it in the deep freeze keeps the component from overheating long enough (hopefully) for you to pull the data off the drive. In the case of a mechanical problem, it seems that the physical contraction of the parts caused by the extreme temperature change can free up the moving parts.

Linkage to the thread discussing the "freezer" procedure:

http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforum...e+freezer.html

okay i willdo that but before i do how do u think i should get the data off (which is the quickest): burn to cd-r or cd-rw or do it with externa hd?