Resolved WD Passport

Can you take a WD Passport that was on a Windows 8 PC and query it to see what is on it with a Windows 10 PC? Have a friend that has one on his PC that has died. He don't know if when the person set up the PC and the passport had it to auto backup of any type? He did say that the light does blink on it when he is on the computer. I am assuming that it is doing a backup.

He has one of them small Dell's and the PS is gone. I don't have any small ones, but do have the larger ones. Can we just hang it off the side and get his going if there is no data on the passport to back up to the passport till he gets a new PC?

Thanks.

 

Sure.

I don't know what you are asking here. You say his power supply is gone, then ask if hanging the external drive "off the side" can get it going? Not following.

You should be able to attach the WD to any computer can access his files - IF the drive still works.

 

I think we need more information. "Small" Dells often use proprietary supplies, or often notebook style power supplies.

 

He has one of them small Dell's and the PS is gone. I don't have any small ones, but do have the larger ones. Can we just hang it off the side and get his going if there is no data on the passport to back up to the passport till he gets a new PC?

 

Is there any special software that I would need to read his WD Passport with my Win 10 laptop>

 

Repeating the same sentence does not make it any clearer.

As I said,

Is that more clear than before?

If not, then what I mean by proprietary is that it does not comply with industry standards. Therefore, without more information, we don't know if the voltages are the same or if the connectors are the same.

We don't even know what you mean by "larger". Does that mean larger in size? Higher voltage? More current capability?

 

You not understanding the sentence seems clear to me. Larger in SIZE is what I mean on the Power supply. Like for a small one to a bigger one in SIZE that wouldn't fit in the case is why I said hang it on the side to get the PC going. Sheeze

 

MrBill, I think the answer to your 1st question is YES.
W8 and W10 are very similar and use the same format ie, NTFS.
You only want to read the data I assume?

I built a W10 comp for my wife a few years back and transferred the data from the old HDD (W8) to the new comp and it showed as D: and was totally readable.
She had a number of Files including an Excel spread sheet set up for budgeting and that was all available.
Hope this what you want to do.

Connecting up a larger size/capacity PSU is OK.
Small PC's usually have a small size dedicated PSU with say 180W or 200W output.
I have reported a few years back that I made some room in a HP Desktop my daughter had to replace the original PSU (180W) with a Std 350W PSU which overcame the problem developed when peripherals were added and the performance dropped and finally the original small, dedicated size HP PSU failed.

What you want to do in my opinion is totally feasible. But do take care with an externally connected PSU!!!

 

Well, I can't find a large PSU that I thought that I had or a friend had. He is willing to buy a new PC if need be. His has Win. 8 business on it and couldn't be upgraded. I don't know what the deal was when he got it from one of his friends 5 or 6 years ago. I guess that I will try and see what data is on the WD Drive by hooking it up to my Win 10 laptop. Hoping that all he needs is on the WD Drive. (Pictures and email addresses is what he is concerned about mostly). Like I said before, he said that the light blinked all the time when he was on the computer. So I am assuming it was doing a backup. He don't remember what the backup time frame was when it was set up years ago. I read where it can be set up with several different time frames.

Thanks.

 

Which I readily admitted to.

But you need to understand that when it comes to power supplies, MANY people say "larger" and "bigger" when what they are really referring to is higher "capacity" - as in more wattage capability - as in, for example, replacing a 350W ATX PSU with a 550W ATX PSU. That is okay.

And what you still seem to refuse to understand is that with "small" Dells, they often use proprietary or non-ATX power supplies that do NOT provide the industry standard +12VDC, +5VDC, and 3.3VDC voltages. And instead, they use 15VDC or perhaps 19VDC - as often used with SFF (small form factor) and notebook computers. Therefore, in those cases, some people may use the word "larger" to ask if okay to use a 19VDC instead of a 15VDC. And that is NOT okay.

Also important is to understand that Dell is notorious for using proprietary parts - to include proprietary power supplies and motherboards that do NOT use industry standard wiring pinouts on their connectors. Connecting an industry standard ATX power supply to one of those proprietary motherboards could potentially result in permanent damage to the motherboard, and possibly the PSU as well.

So my intention was only to ensure I understood what you meant and need so that I didn't say it is okay to use a "larger" power supply when it was a higher "voltage" output (or proprietary wiring pinout) PS in question that might destroy that computer.

Sorry if asking for clarification so you didn't cause permanent damage to your friend's computer irritated you.

Sheeze.

 

When I said larger, I was talking about the size of it, not more power wattage. Waiting for him to bring it to me so I can check and see what is on it for him.

 

I am going to mark this as resolved. He got a new PC with Windows 11.We can find and see his e-mail addresses on the Pasport, They open up in Excel as a .csv as they should. Can't export them to a Web based Centurylink webmail. Can't even copy and paste them one at a time. He is going to print them out and type them in one at a time. A few each day. As he gets a new e-mail, he is saving the address in the program. Thanks for the help.

 

If it is in .cvs format, he should be able to import it into an Excel spreadsheet.

How to Import CSV File into Excel [Example] (guru99.com)

 

It is in Excel as a .cvs. But Centurylink web based email won't have nothing to do with it for importing.

 

I am suggesting you import it into Excel, then do a "save as" converting it into an Excel .xlsx spreadsheet, then see if Centurylink will accept it. If not, you should be able to convert it from a .cvs to .txt.

 

My Centurylink web based e-mail has a place for importing the addresses. His doesn't and we have googled and can't find how to put Preferences on the line with Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Tasks. He has not preferences or tasks on his.

 

Okay. I give up. I don't have Centurylink internet so I cannot help. If he can live with manual entry one at a time, then that will just have to do.

 

Finally figured it out and got them imported. Goggle was not much help. I compared my Centurylink to his and mine was different. Figured out finally how to get his like mine and was easy as falling off a slippery stone into the cold water after that. I had Tasks and Preferences on mine and he didn't. Had to change it to Modern Web Client under the user name.

Thanks