eMac doesn't start anymore, how do I save the hard drive?

It's been sitting in the dust, on the floor, for almost 2 years now. I know, it was a mistake.

Some months ago it decided to not start anymore. Before that I usually started it sometimes if I needed a specific file or something.

Now it makes a weird noise (a hard noise, like a *CLUNK*) but nothing happens. I'm scared it will blow up...

But it did this noise already before. Actually it always did this noise, since I've had it.

I would just like to save what's on my hard drive now. How do I do this? Do I have to take the hard drive out and put it in one of those hard drive "containers", which I can plugin on another computer, or is there another solution? Can I not just simply connect the eMac to my iMac somehow (it's a 2011 iMac, 27" model) and boot up from the eMac hard drive?

Or maybe I just need to clean dust. I've tried but it isn't that easy. (I don't dare to open it or anything)