IDE to USB?

[bertieboy]

Can anyone recommend an adapter that would allow me to connect a spare
IDE drive to a USB connector on my desktop? I want to Acronis image
direct to this drive. I'm not familiar with these adapters, as I usually
image to a partition, then copy across to a USB drive. I thought it
would be easier to image direct and I already have spare drive. I'm in
UK.
Thanks.

 

[Bob Knowlden]

You'd mount the drive in an external drive enclosure. It's pretty simple to
do.

www.newegg.com is where I usually go to see what's available. Unfortunately,
they don't ship to the UK. However, you may find it worth a look because of
their search tools. Try "external enclosures". If you do a power search for
a 3.5" drive, IDE interface, USB 2.0 connection, you'll get 45 of them. Some
of them must be available in the UK.

 

[iws]

| Can anyone recommend an adapter that would allow me to connect a spare
| IDE drive to a USB connector on my desktop? I want to Acronis image
| direct to this drive. I'm not familiar with these adapters, as I usually
| image to a partition, then copy across to a USB drive. I thought it
| would be easier to image direct and I already have spare drive. I'm in
| UK.
| Thanks.
| --
| bertieboy

This is what you're after:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812156101

Newegg has a variety of these but read the reviews to see the pros and cons.
They are good for testing and imaging where you only want temporary access
to the drive. I have a Vantec version which includes SATA connectors too and
I have problems seeing the drive in Windows XP but can access it through
disk management. Not sure where you would get such a thing in the UK.

 

[bertieboy]

In message <[email protected]>, Bob Knowlden


Bob, thanks for that. I've found several in UK. I'm puzzled by '3.5"'
drive. Is that the platter size?

 

[Bob Knowlden]

3.5 inch is basically the platter size, as you say.

It is the current standard for hard drives for desktop systems. 2.5" is
common for notebooks. The 1.8" is mainly used for things like iPods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_drive#Form_factors

(It has been years since I saw a 5.25" hard drive. Internal CD drives are
that format, though.)

The advice from another poster that suggests an external adapter that isn't
an enclosure may be good, especially if you don't intend to use the drive
often, or wish to swap drives a lot. Otherwise, it's no cheaper than an
enclosure, and I'd be a little leery of having a naked external drive
around. (I doubt that the circuit boards on the drives are highly sensitive
to ESD - electrostatic discharge - but there must be some slight risk.)

In message <[email protected]>, Bob Knowlden


Bob, thanks for that. I've found several in UK. I'm puzzled by '3.5"'
drive. Is that the platter size?

[snip]