[Libertarian4Bush]

most likely your laptop HD already has an adapter ON IT that is converting the pins to some kind of wafer pinout, or otherwise. sometimes it's very hard to see the split between the adapter and where it meets the HD.

however, even if you are able to make this conversion, please be aware that any modern Windows OS (i.e. 2000 or newer) is not going to work well when transplanted into a different PC, due to drivers and such. you may wind up reformatting.

[Petronski]

however, even if you are able to make this conversion, please be aware that any modern Windows OS (i.e. 2000 or newer) is not going to work well when transplanted into a different PC, due to drivers and such. you may wind up reformatting.

I believe Boris will (and should) install the laptop drive as a secondary drive only for the purpose of extracting the data files thereon. As you say, he can't and shouldn't try to boot that laptop drive...won't work.

But for heaven's sake, don't format that laptop drive until the data has been extracted.