I am trying to recover data from my laptop's hard drive.

I took the hard drive out of the laptop and put it in one of those
external hard drive boxes that connect to the USB port of a PC and
within a few minutes the drive showed up including access to all the
files inside the old hard drive.

I started switching files around from one folder to another to prepare
to burn them on DVD discs.
Stupid mistake!
I should have immediately copied the files from the old hard drive into
the computer!!!!!

Within about 30 minutes of switching files around, suddenly that
particular hard drive disapeared from the computer saying I no longer
had access to it.

I've tried it on other computers using the same external box and even
went to the point of buying another brand's external box---which the
computer never even recognzied, meaning I had less success with it.

Now, still trying to access the data, all the computer does is set up a
drive for it but it tries yet never actually reads it. All the hard
drive does is turn and turn and turn for hours until I get tired and
unplug it.

Device Manager says the device is working perfectly.

I have even tried one of those internal IDE plug adapters.

I don't know if I need to set jumpers or what but I have tried
everything I possibly know how to try.

Does anyone know of any other possible way or some other method to get
data off this laptop hard drive?

Or is there something I am possibly doing wrong with the devices I have
because most of these devices come with absolutely no or very little
directions.

Help please !