Connecting IDE drive via USB

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Hey Guys,

I think I have found what I'm after, but I'd like your opinions on this. Basically, I have had quite a few cases lately of screwed hard drives where I have been able to recover the data by adding the drive in as a second HDD to a working machine. So in anticipation of more of this kind of thing, I'm looking for a solution where I can connect an IDE drive directly to my laptop or PC via USB without opening either up. So can you look and see if the 3rd item on THIS PAGE (clickable link) is what I need ? Further suggestions welcome.

Also, my laptop is only USB, not USB2.0, but I'm right in thinkng it will just run at the slower speeds, yeah ?

Thanks in advance

 

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I think any of those would do the trick Gav. I use a USB2 external hard drive for carting around software. My laptop is only USB1 but it works fine. It is probably slower but not so much that it makes any real difference.

Bear in mind that Win9x support for USB is flaky to say the least, but with W2K and XP you should be good to go

It will show up in Windows Explorer as a removable drive.

 

Gav,

Yeah, USB to IDE is a good idea. Why the case though? You can get a cable with IDE on one end and USB on the other....

 

Thanks Guys - that's what I thought. Off to buy it now then.

Cos it's damn cool, and lends professionalism when I show up, assess whether data will be retrieveable (or at least worth the attempt or not) and arrange my pricing accordingly.

 

Like your style m8

 

Gav,

With an answer like that you should change your handle to Del boy
I like it ! Got any "old english Vinyl briefcases"

 

This will be an usefull extra tool - but I have some reservations.

1) If the drive is basicaly fine then it is much easier to go this way than messing with the internals of your machine. I agree with others that the 'bare adaptor' is just as good, as this will be OK in a test-bench environment, and quicker to hook up.

2) I have seen a number of badly screwed drives which didn't work in this senario. Putting them on USB typicaly gave 'no drive' or 'no partition'. Putting them direct on the IDE cable inside the machine showed the drive, but badly messed. However - there was enough there that carefull work on recovery got lots back.

So get it as an extra usefull tool - but be prepared to drop back to basic essentials if required.

Harry.

 

Great input Harry - thanks. You just gave me a whole extra pricing bracket !!!

As I said, it will be more for an on-site tools to provide diagnosis, and early indicator of likelyhood of whether a job is worth while.

 

Thanks for that Harry.
Fortunately, i have never had to go down that route but will bare in mind IDE to IDE might be the bottom line, thanks

 

Just to let you all know I finally got this tool today, and it works exactly as I wanted to. Smooth, stylish, and quite the business. Two jobs done already - thanks for all the input, Guys

 

Glad to hear it Gav. Might get one myself and of course adjust the price to match