How to use a laptop to boot up a PC

I’ve got an old desktop sitting here that just won't cooperate. Every time I try to boot it up, the monitor stays completely black—not even a Microsoft Windows logo pops up. I’m starting to think my graphics card finally kicked the bucket...
I'm working off my laptop right now, so I can't really tinker with the desktop at the moment.
So, here's my question: is there any way to access my desktop using my laptop? I have some important files stuck on there that I really need to grab. My hard drive is split into two sections: a C drive (for the OS and apps) and a D drive (where all my actual stuff is kept).

You could probably just grab one of those USB hard drive docking stations. I’m not sure how old your PC actually is, though—if it’s ancient, you might be dealing with a PATA connection, and those adapters are getting pretty hard to track down these days...
If it’s SATA, then yeah, you’re golden. 😉

Just to be clear, we aren't talking about booting up Microsoft Windows here; you're basically just pulling your files off like you would from a thumb drive. These docks usually handle both 2.5" and 3.5" SATA drives without any drama. https://www.amazon.com/docking-station/s?k=docking+station

Another way to do it—if you don't want to buy anything—is just to ask someone with a working computer if you can plug it in. Just hook the drive up to their machine and dump everything onto a USB stick.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S series using Reddit

There’s a third option—just borrow a GPU. Honestly, without one, you aren't even going to get Microsoft Windows up and running...

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S series using Reddit

Honestly, your best bet is just to ask someone you know if you can swing by their place, plug in your hard drive, and just pull all your data off manually—all for free.

Big thanks to Thor and Prince