Hard Drive Information Needed

[Frog]

I have an external USB 2.0 High Speed hard drive case. The hardware
currently installed in this case is a 10GB Western Digital hard drive.
I would like to replace that hard drive with a 500GB Western Digital
drive...

--one that would be used for backing up my internal hard drive, and

--one that could be removed from the USB connected case (without loosing
the backup data copied on that hard drive) and installing it internally
on my computer (if that ever became necessary).

I know the 10GB hard drive currently in the USB box was taken from an
old computer, and it seems to work without any problems.

Are there things I need to know before purchasing a new Hard Drive for
the purposes outlined above?



Thanks for your help.

Frog

 

[Big_Al]

I have an external USB 2.0 High Speed hard drive case. The hardware
currently installed in this case is a 10GB Western Digital hard drive. I
would like to replace that hard drive with a 500GB Western Digital drive...

--one that would be used for backing up my internal hard drive, and

--one that could be removed from the USB connected case (without loosing
the backup data copied on that hard drive) and installing it internally
on my computer (if that ever became necessary).

I know the 10GB hard drive currently in the USB box was taken from an
old computer, and it seems to work without any problems.

Are there things I need to know before purchasing a new Hard Drive for
the purposes outlined above?



Thanks for your help.

Frog

This is really limited info. But try this:

Since the hard drive is 10 gigs, that means its more than likely an IDE
drive, in contrast to a SATA drive. (in some other terms they refer to
them as parallel and serial drives).

If you wish to keep the same USB Case, you can, just buy another IDE
drive. However IDE drives are becoming hard to find (and a dying
breed).

I would buy a new SATA drive and case. BUT to use it *in* your current
cabinet, you'd have to have a SATA controller. This you'll have to
check with your docs. Otherwise you're back to the IDE story.

Most USB cases, be them IDE or SATA drives internally are going to work
much like yours does.

 

[Twayne]

--one that could be removed from the USB connected case (without
loosing the backup data copied on that hard drive) and installing it
internally on my computer (if that ever became necessary).

Data doesn't become "loose". It's either there or it's not. There is
nothing to loosen up in data on a drive.

 

[Frog]

This is really limited info. But try this:

Since the hard drive is 10 gigs, that means its more than likely an IDE
drive, in contrast to a SATA drive. (in some other terms they refer to
them as parallel and serial drives).

If you wish to keep the same USB Case, you can, just buy another IDE
drive. However IDE drives are becoming hard to find (and a dying breed).

I would buy a new SATA drive and case. BUT to use it *in* your current
cabinet, you'd have to have a SATA controller. This you'll have to
check with your docs. Otherwise you're back to the IDE story.

Most USB cases, be them IDE or SATA drives internally are going to work
much like yours does.

Thanks for your response. I'm not sure what hard drive can reside in
the housing I have. The housing is a MACALLY PHR-100A High-Speed USB
2.0 External Enclosure for a 3.5" HDD. I find, when I look the
enclosure up on the internet, that it supports drive types 3.5"
PATA...see here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...PHR_100A_USB_2_0_External.html#specifications

How do I know if this enclosure will work with a SATA drive?

My computer was purchased in February 2008 and it had Windows XP SP2
installed on it (assembled by a local computer shop). The hard drive
that resides in my computer is a 500GB SATA Hard Drive. The plan is to
backup (using Casper Software) my system (500GB to 500GB or exact copy)
on the external hard drive. Once the backup is made, the external hard
drive would be "Safely Removed" from the system. The backup on the
external drive would be updated every week or so and again removed from
the system. The backup on the external drive would be used as necessary
to reinstall files, folders, a whole drive, or replace the internal hard
drive in the cabinet.

I would appreciate any additional guidance sent my way.

Thanks to all who helped me.

Frog

 

[Big_Al]

Thanks for your response. I'm not sure what hard drive can reside in
the housing I have. The housing is a MACALLY PHR-100A High-Speed USB
2.0 External Enclosure for a 3.5" HDD. I find, when I look the
enclosure up on the internet, that it supports drive types 3.5"
PATA...see here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...PHR_100A_USB_2_0_External.html#specifications


How do I know if this enclosure will work with a SATA drive?

My computer was purchased in February 2008 and it had Windows XP SP2
installed on it (assembled by a local computer shop). The hard drive
that resides in my computer is a 500GB SATA Hard Drive. The plan is to
backup (using Casper Software) my system (500GB to 500GB or exact copy)
on the external hard drive. Once the backup is made, the external hard
drive would be "Safely Removed" from the system. The backup on the
external drive would be updated every week or so and again removed from
the system. The backup on the external drive would be used as necessary
to reinstall files, folders, a whole drive, or replace the internal hard
drive in the cabinet.

I would appreciate any additional guidance sent my way.

Thanks to all who helped me.

Frog

It won't. PATA is Parallel ATA, the old term is IDE. Same-o Same-o.

 

[Big_Al]

Thanks for your response. I'm not sure what hard drive can reside in
the housing I have. The housing is a MACALLY PHR-100A High-Speed USB
2.0 External Enclosure for a 3.5" HDD. I find, when I look the
enclosure up on the internet, that it supports drive types 3.5"
PATA...see here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...PHR_100A_USB_2_0_External.html#specifications


How do I know if this enclosure will work with a SATA drive?

My computer was purchased in February 2008 and it had Windows XP SP2
installed on it (assembled by a local computer shop). The hard drive
that resides in my computer is a 500GB SATA Hard Drive. The plan is to
backup (using Casper Software) my system (500GB to 500GB or exact copy)
on the external hard drive. Once the backup is made, the external hard
drive would be "Safely Removed" from the system. The backup on the
external drive would be updated every week or so and again removed from
the system. The backup on the external drive would be used as necessary
to reinstall files, folders, a whole drive, or replace the internal hard
drive in the cabinet.

I would appreciate any additional guidance sent my way.

Thanks to all who helped me.

Frog

Sorry, I didn't read far enough down. Your *new* system seems to
accept both SATA and PATA drives (lucky). So you can buy anything you
want for external. So if you can find an IDE then great, you got the
case. Else just buy a new case.

Also if you have 500G internal, you don't really need 500G to back it up
you know. I doubt you keep 100% of it full, and compressed it might
only take 1/2 that or less. My 80 gig with 40gig on it takes about 15
gig to backup.

This is a suggestion. I don't know anything about it, it was just the
first USB to SATA case I could see.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817347018

Side note, eSATA is a faster external interface than USB. If you have a
eSATA (300 speed) connector on your system then that would be a better
enclosure to buy. Just another option to look at.