Computer/Laptop question tech question re transferring data

[MidwestTransplant]

My screen on my laptop is killed. Can I connect my laptop to my desktop somehow and take the data I want off it? Kind of like an external hard drive?

What type of cable would I need? A double USB or something?

Thanks in advance to whomever can help.

[travelingtypist]

1. VGA cable

You can buy a VGA/USB adapter at RadioShack.

If it's just the screen, then you should be able to hook up an
external monitor. If it's the video card, then that's another
story.

Good luck.

[NYC_SKP]

2. You are asking two different questions, have two problems.

First, per the first reply, you can use an external monitor with a VGA cable if your video card is OK.
Not sure, but it might work right off, or you might have to hit a particular key to activate it.

Second, backing up or transferring data, the external monitor will not help.
For this you'll need a program and some type of cable connection or wireless method.

Older computers can use something like laplink with an appropriate cable between the two computers.
I don't know but wouldn't be surprised if there are programs that can do it with USB or wirelessly for newer computers.

Good luck, and you might want to post this in the DU Computer Help and Support Group:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=242

:hi:

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Depends. If you can get an external monitor...

working, than you can easily move your data to a CD, DVD, or thumb drive and avoid networking hassles. I'm big on thumb drives myself, since they're incredibly fast and no bullshit involved. I even have a 16 GB one.

If you want to move programs, Aloha Bob and a few other programs come with double-donged USB cables and let you seamlessly (more or less) move things to another computer.

If you can't get any video at all, you're pretty much screwed unless there's a way to hook up a network from the other computer without seeing anything on the laptop. Seems to me some geek somewhere knows how to do that, though-- it's kinda what hacking's all about.

[csziggy]

4. If you cannot get an external monitor to work, pull the hard drive out of the laptop

And get an external case for it. Something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817145329&Tpk=hard%20drive%20external%20case

Then you can pull your data off and use the drive for backup.