HDD Connector

[Zombie]

Hi folks, my old laptop died recently (motherboard problem - that's it). But all my data is still on the old drive. I'd like to move it all to my current laptop but I'm having trouble finding a proper connector. I have 4 possible choices for connecting another HDD: USB 2.0, PCMCIA card (sometimes shortened to PC card), IEEE 1394 FireWire, and Ethernet.

 

I'm not the most computer savvy person in the whole world, so please bear with me on the next part. My old HDD is an 80GB Seagate "Momentus 5400.3" Ultra ATA (I'm also guessing it's IDE). It has a long wafer of plastic with 22 gold connectors per side for a total of 44 connections sticking out the back. (There are also 4 pins which is probably for a jumper). I searched on eBay and came across this listing which looks like it might work, but I thought I'd better ask here in case somebody knows for sure.

 

Recommendations?

 

- Zombie

[Bomb Bloke]

According to the specs, you should be able to use that adapter. Note that stuff from Hong Kong tends to be of rather low quality (the device may not last all that long if you put it to frequent use) - you get what you pay for. Still, it'll probably do the job.

[Matri]

Hmm, can you post a pic of the HDD's connector ports? Should be a simple matter of seeing what plugs it has.

[Zombie]

Hmm, can you post a pic of the HDD's connector ports? Should be a simple matter of seeing what plugs it has.

I did a little more searching on the internet just now and ran across some images at Newegg. My drive looks exactly the same except it doesn't have any pins except for the 4 for the jumpers. A lot more searching on the net revealed that all the Seagate drives which matched mine only had pins. Thinking that I may have an aftermarket connector put on there so that it fit into my old Dell, I took a closer look. Yup, I pulled the thing off and indeed there were pins.

 

According to the specs, you should be able to use that adapter. Note that stuff from Hong Kong tends to be of rather low quality (the device may not last all that long if you put it to frequent use) - you get what you pay for. Still, it'll probably do the job.

Isn't most electronics made in Hong Kong or China these days anyway? Most of the time the parts are even identical between two different manufacturers. Well, whatever the case, if you don't think the one I linked to on eBay is very good, could you recommend another one which is better? My searches on the internet this morning didn't yield much.

 

- Zombie

[Knan]

That adapter looks good. Should eat any internal drive you feed it, and connects via usb.

[Bomb Bloke]

Well, whatever the case, if you don't think the one I linked to on eBay is very good, could you recommend another one which is better? My searches on the internet this morning didn't yield much.

I do reckon the one you found should work at least long enough to salvage those files you want, and it's cheap enough that it won't be much of a loss if it does fail.

 

Still, this one from Newegg got some good reviews.

 

If it helps, your drive is a 3.5 IDE/PATA model.

[Knan]

If it helps, your drive is a 3.5 IDE/PATA model.

 

Nitpick: You meant 2.5" IDE/PATA, of course. It's a laptop disk, after all.

[Zombie]

Hehe, yup 2.5" is what I have. I'm sure it was just a typing mistake by BB.

 

Ok, say I want to use my old HDD as a secondary drive on my system (after backing the data up of course). Would this adapter work for long-term use? Or is it meant for just transferring/backing data up between drives? Any suggestions for this scenario?

 

Another question: I read somewhere that a 2.5" drive can be powered directly from a USB port while the larger 3.5" cannot and must use a separate external power source. Is this true?

 

- Zombie

[Bomb Bloke]

Whoops. That was a good typo to make. Anyway, my point was it's a PATA drive: Both that and SATA each count as IDE (though many people mistakenly think that IDE drives are exclusively PATA).

 

Google suggests 2.5" drives do not require additional power sources when accessed via USB, and images of your drive show no apparent sockets for one.

 

The larger models do require power via a molex connector. I'd be surprised if it's possible to get a USB port to handle that.

 

If you wish to use the drive over USB in the long term, you're probably better off getting a full drive enclosure. These are basically mini-boxes that the drive goes in, meaning that the apparatus can be moved around with minimal danger to the drive's connectors.

 

It may be more economical to buy an enclosure that comes together with a drive pre-installed. Take a look around, and remember that you generally get better value for money as the drive capacity goes up (until you hit the +1tb range, though that'll be changing soon enough).

 

Another option is a NAS - a Network Attached Storage. Pretty much the same as a USB enclosure, only it has an RJ45 (Ethernet) jack instead (the drive contents are accessed over FTP/SMB/whatever the enclosure supports). Usually a bit more expensive, but great if you wish to use the drive with multiple machines at once. Potentially capable of much faster transfer rates, too - if you buy one capable of gigabit/s speeds, it'll blaze along, but that'd probably cost a pretty penny.

 

Note that USB enclosures are dead slow unless they're at least 2.0 compatible.

[Knan]

Google suggests 2.5" drives do not require additional power sources when accessed via USB, and images of your drive show no apparent sockets for one.

 

Some do, some don't. I've had one that sucked too much power for my USB port.

 

Zombie's looks to be somewhat borderline. Sucks 5W at power-on, which really is too much. Then drops to 2W, which is comfortably within specs. (specs say a port should provide 2.5W of power)

 

(And yes, 2.5" drives have data and power via the same connector - extra power would have to be via a molex+3.5"-to-2.5" converter - I have one lying around somewhere - https://www.komplett.no/k/ki.aspx?sku=103373 )

 

Zombie, have we confused you properly yet?

[Pete]

I purchased something called a Sharkoon Drivelink that connects to both sized drives with a variety of connection options - worth a look if you can find one.

[Zombie]

Some do, some don't. I've had one that sucked too much power for my USB port.

 

Zombie's looks to be somewhat borderline. Sucks 5W at power-on, which really is too much. Then drops to 2W, which is comfortably within specs. (specs say a port should provide 2.5W of power)

 

(And yes, 2.5" drives have data and power via the same connector - extra power would have to be via a molex+3.5"-to-2.5" converter - I have one lying around somewhere - https://www.komplett.no/k/ki.aspx?sku=103373 )

 

Zombie, have we confused you properly yet?

No, not completely. I'm keeping up.

 

So mine draws a peak of 5 watts at startup. How long does startup usually last? Milliseconds range? Certainly a USB can provide that peak transfer power if it's only for a short time with no dire consequences.

 

Assuming this is a bad thing, that converter you linked to would have to draw it's power from where? It's kinda hard to tell if the thing comes with a power converter, and I can't read Norwegian. Hehe.

 

Any type of external HDD enclosures you guys like? I'd prefer something on the nicer side which will protect the drive from bumps and stuff. I'm not intending to drop it down the steps or shift it around while it's running, but it would be nice if it could take a little jarring in stride, especially if I transport my notebook somewhere.

 

- Zombie

[Slaughter]

I have three external HD enclosures from eMagic. One for 2.5'' SATA, one for 2.5'' PATA (the one you need) and one for 3.5'' PATA and SATA combined. The 2.5'' ones do not require external power, but the 3.5'' do. The ones I have are listed here, and the reason I use them is none other than that they were affordable really. Listing for you at Newegg.

 

As for good arguments for using an enclosure like this as opposed to the connectors/adapters, I have these. The HD makes less noise in a cabinet, and it's protected. In addition you can then use your old HD as a small external HD, which is very practical. I don't use them daily myself, but have them lying around for when I need to fix other's PCs. Typically they get viruses etc., and then taking the HD out of the notebook/desktop to scan it with their OS not running is very simple (as opposed to all the hassle you get when trying to remove a virus from a running OS). An alternative is booting Ubuntu on the infected system (from the CD) and running an online scanner of course, but still...

[Pete]

Wow - those enclosures look neat. Technology's moved on a bit since I was last looking at this sort of stuff. I'm quite tempted to get a 2.5" HDD and enclosure now just for something handy for the reasons you mention above Slaughter!

[Slaughter]

They have been a lot of help for me both with PC breakdowns and various software problems, so with a reasonable price I think it's well worth it. They're in the "nice to have" category, even if you don't use them all that much. Of course, unless you have a lot of storage in your house, the "nice to have" category tends to grow way too quickly...

[Zombie]

Not too many enclosures which fit a Parallel ATA drive at Newegg though. I found exactly one and it's pretty expensive.

 

I settled for one off eBay. It isn't exactly cheap, but it isn't expensive either. Will keep everyone updated.

 

- Zombie

[Slaughter]

Not too many enclosures which fit a Parallel ATA drive at Newegg though. I found exactly one and it's pretty expensive.

 

I settled for one off eBay. It isn't exactly cheap, but it isn't expensive either. Will keep everyone updated.

 

- Zombie

You do know there's search engines that search the ENTIRE Internet, right?

 

I'm sure the eBay item is fine, but should you change your mind you can find 2.5'' PATA enclosures here.

[Ki-tat Chung]

Well, I guess this is solved then. =] How much did you end up spending? If I had come earlier, I'd have recommended Deal Extreme. Good prices, and free shipping.

 

But just a note, most 2.5" drive enclosures have a second USB socket on the cable, or a separate port for power. Most of the time, it's unneeded, but if you ever find the drive doesn't spin up, you can plug the second plug in another USB socket, and you're set.

[Zombie]

Well, it's solved now. I got it in the mail this evening and just got it running. I paid $17.98 for a Rocketfish enclosure off eBay and I'm delighted with it. Fairly easy to put together and comes with a cleaning cloth, software, cabling, and a protective semi-hard case for traveling. Perfect.

 

It has a single Firewire connector which plugs into the back of the unit and at the other end of the cable is 2 USBs like you mentioned Ki-tat. Not sure if I really need the extra power, but I'll test that out later. Right now I'm trying to transfer all my old data over to my new computer.

 

Thanks for all the help and suggestions, guys. I still would be researching this had it not been for everyone here. Kudos!

 

- Zombie

[Kret]

Well, it seems you guys have managed to help Zombie out quite a bit, but I'll share my experience on these types of devices.

 

As mentioned earlier, most 2.5" drives should work with the power supplied by the USB connector. The exceptions I've noticed to this is either when plugging to the front USB plugs of some PC boxes or using USB hubs. Pluging it to a laptop USB has never given me any trouble (yet). You can tell by hearing when a drive is not properly powered as it enters a looping spinup cycle.

 

Also, I've yet found the perfect enclosure that keeps the actual hard drive from moving when you're carrying it. More than once I've had to take out the disk an reattach the connector as the pins came loose. One of the symtoms you'll notice if this ever happens is that windows falsely detects the drive as not being formatted or blank/empty.

 

Well, they're usefull for transfering data from and old disk to a new one. I usually just plugin the connector without bothering to encase it in the enclosure but making sure it rests on a non-conductive material while I make the copy and then unplug it.

[Zombie]

As mentioned earlier, most 2.5" drives should work with the power supplied by the USB connector. The exceptions I've noticed to this is either when plugging to the front USB plugs of some PC boxes or using USB hubs. Pluging it to a laptop USB has never given me any trouble (yet). You can tell by hearing when a drive is not properly powered as it enters a looping spinup cycle.

I noticed something interesting today. I was transferring my drive to use temporarily on another computer and had to unplug it and pack it away so it could travel safely. When I reattached just one of the USB plugs, the computer didn't recognize that a new drive was available. So I plugged in the second cable and it showed up. This confused me a little until I took a closer look at the cabling. There is a "primary" cable which runs from the enclosure to the computer and a secondary "drone" cable (apparently for extra power if necessary) which is spliced off of it. With just the drone cable plugged in, a computer will not recognize the drive. Interesting. I assumed that both of the USB plugs were multi-role, not specific.

 

Also, I've yet found the perfect enclosure that keeps the actual hard drive from moving when you're carrying it. More than once I've had to take out the disk an reattach the connector as the pins came loose. One of the symtoms you'll notice if this ever happens is that windows falsely detects the drive as not being formatted or blank/empty.

The Rocketfish enclosure I have is excellent. Haven't had any issues with the drive working itself loose, but then again, the tolerances are quite small which means that it shouldn't go far. I did put a small piece of rubber innertube from a bicycle between the casing and the drive just in case. If the rubber ever degrades from the heat (which is negligent as far as I can tell) I can easily replace it with a fresh piece. Also, I should note that I accidentally bent a bunch of the pins on my drive when removing the adapter. This is probably fortunate because I only bent the pins back 99% of the way (using an electronics-grade needlenose pliers) before inserting it into the enclosure. It thus fits more snug than usual.

 

All in all, it's a great enclosure.

 

- Zombie

[Matri]

There is a "primary" cable which runs from the enclosure to the computer and a secondary "drone" cable (apparently for extra power if necessary) which is spliced off of it. With just the drone cable plugged in, a computer will not recognize the drive. Interesting. I assumed that both of the USB plugs were multi-role, not specific.

My brother has an external with that kind of USB plug. One of the plugs is for power-only and does not carry data of any kind. So really, no surprise it isn't detected when you plug that one in.