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View Full Version : [SOLVED] Need help getting a proper hard drive enclosure



aysiu
August 14th, 2008, 06:29 PM
I'm hoping you kind forum folk will be able to help me, since I am one of the few people here who has never built a computer. I'm not a hardware guy.

So I donated my old desktop computer to the Alameda County Computer Resource Center (http://www.accrc.org/) but kept the internal hard drive, thinking I would get an enclosure and use it as an external drive.

Since I know nothing about hard drives, I got the wrong enclosure (too small). So I returned it and was able to get a refund (even though it was entirely my fault for ordering the wrong thing).

I would still like to get an enclosure, but I don't want to order the wrong thing again.

What are the factors I have to take into account? Are the 2.5 and 3.5 designations measurements of size in inches of the drive? I think have an IDE drive (as opposed to SATA). How would I know for sure? Anything else I should know in terms of picking the correct drive?

Bachstelze
August 14th, 2008, 06:48 PM
If it was in a desktop computer, it's more than likely that it is 3.5". If the enclosure you ordered was too small, I guess it was a 2.5", right?

About SATA and IDE, you can tell which kind your drive is by looking at the connectors in the backside of it and compare with this picture (http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/fullimage.php?image=4691). If you have a large connector like the green-ish plug, it's IDE. If it's small like the red-black one, it's SATA

LaRoza
August 14th, 2008, 06:52 PM
I'm hoping you kind forum folk will be able to help me, since I am one of the few people here who has never built a computer. I'm not a hardware guy.

I would still like to get an enclosure, but I don't want to order the wrong thing again.

What are the factors I have to take into account? Are the 2.5 and 3.5 designations measurements of size in inches of the drive? I think have an IDE drive (as opposed to SATA). How would I know for sure? Anything else I should know in terms of picking the correct drive?

If it was from a desktop, it is a 3.5. If a laptop, 2.5.

Get a Mad Dog Multimedia enclosure, they are the best in my experience.

This one has support for PATA and SATA 3.5 in drives and has USB and eSata (you can also get one with USB and Firewire)

http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Dog-Multimedia-MegaVault-Enclosure/dp/B000OIANEG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1218736244&sr=1-5

An IDE cable is wide, a ribbon. A sata cable is flash and about as wide as a small finger.

aysiu
August 14th, 2008, 06:59 PM
Thank you both for your help.

So that's pretty much it, eh? Size and SATA/IDE?

From that picture, it's clear I have an IDE drive, and I guess it's 3.5, then.

Thanks again.

aysiu
August 14th, 2008, 06:59 PM
Thank you both for your help.

So that's pretty much it, eh? Size and SATA/IDE?

From that picture, it's clear I have an IDE drive, and I guess it's 3.5, then.

Thanks again.

LaRoza
August 14th, 2008, 07:13 PM
Thank you both for your help.

So that's pretty much it, eh? Size and SATA/IDE?

From that picture, it's clear I have an IDE drive, and I guess it's 3.5, then.

Thanks again.

Yes, it is simple. The enclosure I linked to has support for Sata and Pata drives (I don't like calling them IDE for technical reasons) and has USB and eSata (although eSata only works with a Sata drive)

It is very flexible in case you get a better drive and want to put another in.

aysiu
August 14th, 2008, 07:23 PM
Yes, it is simple. The enclosure I linked to has support for Sata and Pata drives (I don't like calling them IDE for technical reasons) and has USB and eSata (although eSata only works with a Sata drive)

It is very flexible in case you get a better drive and want to put another in.
Good point. I guess it'd be nice to have the ability to use both SATA and PATA, on the off chance I ever have to save a friend's SATA data or something.