Most laptops use small SATA drives but first no to your question. Remove the HDD and put it into a no tool case like:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FCLG65U/
Bob
I have an HP that hit the floor last night and fractured its display. The hard drive is still functioning but I can't navigate--the visuals are all shards and splinters. I want to back it up onto my other laptop (Sony) but I don't know, is it possible to extract files from the broken laptop through commands from the working laptop? Can I access its hard drive the same way I would any external storage device? I'm pretty sure the hard drive in question is undamaged.

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic