lordoxford

Hi chaps!
My daughter's got a Sony VAIO and its LCD screen remains black. There's no signal on the 15-pin external monitor socket. All else appears to work OK. At least she wants the photos off it.
I've got an Acer Travelmate. Is there any way I can connect these two machines (USB or network) to access her hard drive from my machine given that, without the video on the Sony, I can't run any code from its keyboard?

BCCOMP

Hi,
I think you would have to use something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812156017

This device would allow you to attach your daughters Harddrive to your laptop and retrieve her info.
You would have to remove you daughter's harddrive from her laptop..

Hope this helps,
Bill

Flh

Yes , I would recomend this Device, it's low cost and is easy to use, no special programs, and can be reused for all hard drives.

lordoxford

Thanks for quick response!
Since the Sony has no LCD the user is blind. I'm trying to set up a boot CD with an autoexec.bat that writes to printer (since the CD/DVD drive seems to read OK) but no
joy yet. I'll hit your suggested URL now.

lordoxford

Hi again BCCOMP,
Can't see from the pic on that advert for the converter whether there is a slot for the HDD which I've now removed from the "Blind" Sony. The pic shows a 38-pin socket on the visible side and suggests something much more chunky on the far side. This (2.75", not 2.5" wide Toshiba) has 7-way and 15-way flat-connector plugs separated by about 5/16" and what looks like a (unused in the sony VAIO) mini HDD 4-pin power plug.
Sorry to be a bore but I'm weaned on DOS 2.1 and 5.5" "Floppies"!

BCCOMP

This converter will work unless you have some 20 or more years old. It is not the totals SIZE of the HD, just the connections. I have never heard of a 2.75 HD in a recent laptop (20 yrs or more).
This WILL work.
Bill

lordoxford

Hello Bill,
You're talking to a novice here! I just laid a ruler over the HD case -
got 2.75".
On the shelf I had "Double Dragon" S-ATA&IDE to USB2.0 unused since I bought it over a year ago. It took the Sony HD socket OK and all the stuff on it appeared as another drive on my Acer. So daughter will get her photos!Thanks for that advice (ie for waking me up!).
OK - Ive still got the LCD screen (and 15-pin video) problem on the Sony. I got a "Service manual" for a tenner - fine for location of parts and connections but no indication of what signal to find where - so no good for fault-finding. Sony web site not helpful - who might have this gen?
Thanks again.
Pete.

BCCOMP

Hi,
Glad to hear you already have the converter.

As far as the Sony goes:
If you have no video to the LCD or to an external monitor, this usually means the video card is bad.
Most laptops have an integrated video card attached to the motherboard, so this means you need to replace the motherboard.

A few things to check first though:

Remove the battery and AC adapter. Press the power button and hold it down for 30 seconds.
Check an reseat the Memory, as a bad memory stick may cause a no POST issue.
Reinstall the Battery and connect the AC adapter, see if it will bootup.

If this fails chances are you will need to replace the motherboard.

What is the make and model of the Sony?

Thanks,
Bill