Can I put one in a USB converter to extract the data? Indeed, can I use this drive as the bootable drive in a PC? I only have the restore discs that came with the HP. It's only Vista, so no great loss, just the principle of not letting the buggahs win.
Yes, you can buy an empty enclosure to turn it into a portable usb drive, they only cost around £10. Stick the drive in the box, plug in the USB cable, away you go.