RIP my old gif folder :(

[Proven Guilty]

I know this is R&F and we're not supposed to be helpful in here I believe, but making a few assumptions this is likely to get your data from the failed laptop's hard drive on the cheap:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817182221

This assumes:
1) $15 is a reasonable investment (risk vs reward) to retrieve data from the old disk
2) Your laptop was built some time after 2004, where SATA was essentially standard
3) Your laptop has a 2.5" SATA hard drive in it
4) You're able to remove it yourself (you'll probably also need a Philips double zero screwdriver, recommend hardened steel tip; just the tip, etc)
5) You can figure out which way the plug for a USB cable inserts into your computer.

Good luck!