What should I do if my old HDD is failing and won’t boot my new computer?

Definitely sounds like a hardware issue with the old drive. Using it like an external USB might help, but it’s risky. The safest bet is to consult with a data recovery professional—they have tools to retrieve data from failing drives. If they can get your files back, you should also think about switching to an SSD for better performance in the future.

Yikes, sounds like a nightmare! I went through something similar, and it’s not fun. As others have said, your hard drive is probably on its last legs, so don’t risk it. I would get a USB HDD adapter and see if you can pull your files off. Just don’t keep trying to boot from it. If that fails, definitely head to a data recovery place—it might cost a bit, but it’s worth it to save important stuff!

I've had a similar experience, and it's always nerve-wracking! I strongly recommend not booting from that drive anymore. My old HDD started acting up after years of use too, and after a failed attempt to recover it myself, I lost some files. If you're urgent about this data, reach out to a pro who might salvage it before it completely fails. And remember to back up your files regularly in the future!

It sounds like your old hard drive might be failing, which can definitely happen over time. First things first, stop using it for anything other than file recovery. You can try connecting it to a different computer with a USB adapter that turns the HDD into an external drive. This might give you a chance to transfer your important files before it fails completely. If that doesn't work, it might be time to consider taking it to a data recovery specialist or a local computer repair shop. Just be prepared for that drive to not last much longer, so act quickly!