External USB hard drive?

[Bruce W.1]

I'd like to connect a new hard drive via USB to a recent Dell laptop PC
running Windows XP. I'm wondering if the PC will recognize it.

Recently I installed a second hard drive, a Maxtor 120 GB, in my desktop
PC (Windows 2000). I had to use a driver that came with it (on CD) in
order for this PC to recognize it, so I could then format it.

I found a bunch of USB external enclosures here:
http://www.pcmicrostore.com/SearchResult.aspx?q=kw:hard+drive+enclosure

I've never set up an external USB hard drive before. It all seems
pretty straightforward but I get a feeling that the USB connection might
cause problems with an unformatted external hard drive, especially if a
driver is required.

A workaround might be to format it for NTFS on my Windows 2000 machine,
then connect it to the laptop.

Is there anything I should watch out for? It can't be as simple as it
looks, or can it?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Tod]

I'd like to connect a new hard drive via USB to a recent Dell laptop PC
running Windows XP. I'm wondering if the PC will recognize it.

Recently I installed a second hard drive, a Maxtor 120 GB, in my desktop
PC (Windows 2000). I had to use a driver that came with it (on CD) in
order for this PC to recognize it, so I could then format it.

I found a bunch of USB external enclosures here:
http://www.pcmicrostore.com/SearchResult.aspx?q=kw:hard+drive+enclosure

I've never set up an external USB hard drive before. It all seems
pretty straightforward but I get a feeling that the USB connection might
cause problems with an unformatted external hard drive, especially if a
driver is required.

A workaround might be to format it for NTFS on my Windows 2000 machine,
then connect it to the laptop.

Is there anything I should watch out for? It can't be as simple as it
looks, or can it?

Thanks for your help.

If you have all the updates for Win XP, it should work fine.
Plug the external into the XP computer and use disk management.

 

[Rod Speed]

I'd like to connect a new hard drive via USB to a recent Dell laptop PC
running Windows XP. I'm wondering if the PC will recognize it.

Should do.

Recently I installed a second hard drive, a Maxtor 120 GB, in my desktop PC
(Windows 2000). I had to use a driver that came with it (on CD) in order for
this PC to recognize it, so I could then format it.

Thats not normally needed with XP.

I found a bunch of USB external enclosures here:
http://www.pcmicrostore.com/SearchResult.aspx?q=kw:hard+drive+enclosure

I've never set up an external USB hard drive before. It all seems pretty
straightforward

Yep, that's what it is.

but I get a feeling that the USB connection might cause problems with an
unformatted external hard drive,

Nope, you just partition and format it in Disk
Management just like you do with any other drive.

especially if a driver is required.

It isnt.

A workaround might be to format it for NTFS on my Windows 2000 machine, then
connect it to the laptop.

No need.

Is there anything I should watch out for?

Just that the enclosure gets adequate cooling and that
the USB port has enough power to power the drive if
it doesnt have its own power supply for the enclosure.

It can't be as simple as it looks, or can it?

Yes it can, it really just just plug it in and start using it.

Even easier than with an internal drive.

 

[CWatters]

I've never set up an external USB hard drive before. It all seems
pretty straightforward but I get a feeling that the USB connection might
cause problems with an unformatted external hard drive, especially if a
driver is required.

A workaround might be to format it for NTFS on my Windows 2000 machine,
then connect it to the laptop.

No. If you have WinXP just build it and connect it. Note you need at least
Win XP SP1 to get USB 2.0 support. Do all your Windows updates before
connecting this new drive.

 

[Irwin]

Perhaps it wasn't a driver that you used for your Maxtor. It should
have been MaxBlast with or without the installation of EZ-Bios. I guess
you can call EZ-Bios a driver if you want, though most people call it
an overlay. Perhaps it does function in a driver-like way. I take it
your bios in the desktop did not support a 120GB drive, correct?