Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: HolyCount on 15 February 2009, 21:40:32

Title: External HDD enclosure
Post by: HolyCount on 15 February 2009, 21:40:32
This is probably a really stupid question but I will ask anyway :-/

I have a defunct computer in which the mobo has gone south ... there is quite a bit on the HDD I would like to recover.  Can I just pop the hard disk into one of these external HDD enclosures and plug it into another computer to access the files ??
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: TheBoy on 15 February 2009, 21:42:41
yes.  get right style caddy though.
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: HolyCount on 15 February 2009, 21:47:41
Quote
yes.  get right style caddy though.

Cheers TB --- by style do you mean 2.5" or 3.5" ---- or is there somethimg else I should be looking at ?
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: TheBoy on 15 February 2009, 21:48:51
disk interface - pata or sata
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: HolyCount on 15 February 2009, 21:51:19
Quote
disk interface - pata or sata

Ah, yes, that would make a difference  :-[
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: Debs. on 15 February 2009, 21:53:45
Watch out for 'cheapo' types: I bought two different brands from eBuyer; an IDE and a SATA and both were unserviceable. :'(
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: HolyCount on 15 February 2009, 21:56:26
Quote
Watch out for 'cheapo' types: I bought two different brands from eBuyer; an IDE and a SATA and both were unserviceable. :'(

Thanks for the heads up Debs -- 'tis an IDE or PATA I am after -- I will avoid the budget models  :)
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: Kevin Wood on 15 February 2009, 23:02:24
If you just want to plug it in and rescue the data I just bought a USB adaptor that does IDE (both 2.5 and 3.5") and SATA and even comes with a power supply to run the drive. About 25 quid from Maplin.

Kevin
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: willyboy on 15 February 2009, 23:07:08
I bought one similar to this ages ago & have used it several times it works a treat with just about any interface Ide/Sata etc  easily worth the money , didnt buy from this seller but its same thing & cost about same i recall

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IDE-2-0-to-USB-adapter-cable-2-5-3-5-hard-drive-DVD_W0QQitemZ270344870811QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL?hash=item270344870811&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: TheBoy on 16 February 2009, 08:43:26
Yeah, I've had a fair few cheapies (under a tenner from the Gay), all worked fine.

Sometimes they are a bit too cheap, and an impromtue fist later, I end up with a basic USB to IDE adapter, with no case ::)
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: dbug on 16 February 2009, 08:57:26
Why not rejumper it as a slave and connect it up in your pc?
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: SheWhoMustNotBeOUTBID on 16 February 2009, 10:40:53
Yes that's what I'd do.., Jue purchased a HD external caddy and it didn't work (and it wasn't a cheapo one either) so I don't bother.., its just another HD to connect to the motherboard and u don't need a caddy to do that. Just slide it into the HD section of your unit (assuming there is room but if u only have one HD in there already there should be) and connect it up using an IDE cable (as the previous post said, setting it to slave first).

Unless you specifically need to move a HD from computer to computer, caddy's are an unnecessary expense.
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: nick v6 on 16 February 2009, 10:47:37
ive got a hdd caddy here and its never failed on me at all

it conectts by usb 2.0

if i can find the power cable your more than welcome to it i dont use it and haven't done for a while now

Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: TheBoy on 16 February 2009, 11:50:03
I have a pata 3.5" one sat on my stairs looking for a home ;D.  Complete with illegal (AFAIK) mains cable (unfused) :o
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: HolyCount on 16 February 2009, 17:43:16
Thanks for the advice and the offers  :)  I think I will go for the adaptor cable from eGay .... I have several hard drives sitting in the loft from years back ( every time I ditch a computer I keep the HDD !) --- be a hoot to see what's on them !!!!!

Thanks again :y
Title: Re: External HDD enclosure
Post by: unlucky alf on 16 February 2009, 17:47:03
i feel your pain count!, ive got to do the same myself on wednesday when my new p,c gets here, luckily ive already got the harddrive enclosure loaded up ready but its still a pain in the wotsit >:(