How to use 3.5 IDE on a laptop

[hdd_user]

Have a 120 GB 3.5 inch Maxtor presently hooked to a USB 1.1
which I want to use as backup between Laptop and other desktop PC's.
Maxtor diagnostics that work from DOS cannot see HDD on USB from DOS.

On USB 1.1 30GB logic drive takes days to do a thorogh surface test
demanded by SCANDISK.

I want to use the 120GB on both a Laptop and other PC's without USB,
rather be on the IDE controller so DOS tools can be used and will. be
faster than USB1.1.

Is there a combo, PCMCIA card, and 3.5 to 2.5 inch adapter
to allow use on laptop?

Need a similar way to use same 120GB on the other PC's such as a
removable DOCK case.

These are OLD PC's, 133, 500,MHZ and 333 MHZ Laptop.
So not sure Firewire would help at all.
I can use for the 120GB with my Laptop?

Thank you doe any suggestions.
Dave

 

[Papa]

Check with your laptop manufacturer and/or download the laptop's
specifications and user's manual.

 

[Arno Wagner]

Have a 120 GB 3.5 inch Maxtor presently hooked to a USB 1.1
which I want to use as backup between Laptop and other desktop PC's.
Maxtor diagnostics that work from DOS cannot see HDD on USB from DOS.

On USB 1.1 30GB logic drive takes days to do a thorogh surface test
demanded by SCANDISK.

I want to use the 120GB on both a Laptop and other PC's without USB,
rather be on the IDE controller so DOS tools can be used and will. be
faster than USB1.1.

Is there a combo, PCMCIA card, and 3.5 to 2.5 inch adapter
to allow use on laptop?

Technically possible, however I have never seen them offered.

Need a similar way to use same 120GB on the other PC's such as a
removable DOCK case.

These are OLD PC's, 133, 500,MHZ and 333 MHZ Laptop.
So not sure Firewire would help at all.
I can use for the 120GB with my Laptop?

Very unlikely. A laptop this old is likely limited to 40GB
HDD size.

Getting a USB 2.0 PCMCIA card will likely also not help,
since older (16bit) PCMCIA is limited to about 1MByte/sec
(as I found out with a 100Mbit network PCMCIA card).

I don't think there is a fast possibility to use a large
disk on this type of laptop, unless firewire is integrated.
For the computers, you can get a PCI IDE controller with BIOS
(e.g. Promise Ultra 100tx2, I got two of them pretty cheap
some time ago), but for the laptop that is not possible.

Regarding firewire: If the laptop had a firewire port,
that would help. I have a Sony Vaio and the firewire
is 400MBit and thereby the fastest interface on it by
one order of magnitude. I think I got about 10MByte/sec
with an external firewire drive, when I tested it.

So maybe get firewire cards for the PC's and an external HDD
enclosure with firewire.

Arno

 

[dave_s]

Arno,

Technically possible, however I have never seen them offered.

http://www.H45.com
H45 Technology sells a external HDD housing that allows 3.5 inch IDE
HDD to be used with both USB and PCMCIA. I just found this unit and
ordered one. Allows me to use with Laptop and Desktop.

For the computers, you can get a PCI IDE controller with BIOS
(e.g. Promise Ultra 100tx2, I got two of them pretty cheap
some time ago), but for the laptop that is not possible.

I own a Promise ATA66 PCI controller.
When I format and write files on a 8 GB MAXTOR HDD on the Promise
Controller and then move that HDD to the motherboard IDE controller,
WIN98SE says ERROR/UNUSABLE HDD, "formatted with WRONG DESCRIPTOR"

I asked MAXTOR if that would happen if I used their
PCI plug-in controller. They said "Our MAXTOR PCI Controller is made by
Promise. Any HDD formated on the PCI controller card WILL BE USABLE when
used with motherboard IDE controller."

Is MAXTOR correct and do I possibly have a problem with my IDE
motherboard controllers?

Have you ever tried this with your Promise PCI controllers?

Several good working MAXTOR HDD's cannot be used on standard motherboard
IDE controller after being formatted on Promise card.
on Promise.

Thanks for you comments, Dave

 

[Arno Wagner]

Arno,


http://www.H45.com
H45 Technology sells a external HDD housing that allows 3.5 inch IDE
HDD to be used with both USB and PCMCIA. I just found this unit and
ordered one. Allows me to use with Laptop and Desktop.

Good solution.

I own a Promise ATA66 PCI controller.
When I format and write files on a 8 GB MAXTOR HDD on the Promise
Controller and then move that HDD to the motherboard IDE controller,
WIN98SE says ERROR/UNUSABLE HDD, "formatted with WRONG DESCRIPTOR"

I asked MAXTOR if that would happen if I used their
PCI plug-in controller. They said "Our MAXTOR PCI Controller is made by
Promise. Any HDD formated on the PCI controller card WILL BE USABLE when
used with motherboard IDE controller."

Is MAXTOR correct and do I possibly have a problem with my IDE
motherboard controllers?
Have you ever tried this with your Promise PCI controllers?

Well, it works with my controllers. I have moved HDDs between the
promise and the on-board IDE. But I use mainly Linux, it could be that
WIN98SE actually has a problem with the controllers. In addition I do
all my partitioning and formatting (for Windows partitions also) with
Linux, as it is far clearer what happens.

You can try a controller-BIOS update or a driver update.

Several good working MAXTOR HDD's cannot be used on standard motherboard
IDE controller after being formatted on Promise card.

Shoul be fixable by formatting them again of by blanking them with
some other OS. I strongly suspect some MS problem behind this.

Arno