OK....1st time dipping my toes in here! I got the "Hard Drive Enclosure" and it is a failure (Edit)

[A HERETIC I AM]

Last edited Wed May 21, 2014, 08:22 PM - Edit history (1)

I had a laptop that...well....to put it gently, pitched!

So I yanked the hard drive out of it and I want to be able to access the files on it. I understand and have seen a Hard Drive Enclosure but I want to make sure I purchase the correct one.

The hard drive out of my old laptop is one of these;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822153025

Fujitsu model MHV2080AT

Here is the page from Newegg.com on hard drive enclosures;
http://www.newegg.com/Hard-Drive-Enclosures/SubCategory/ID-92


So the question is, in order to make sure the pin pattern of the hard drive matches an enclosure I purchase, what exactly should I be looking for? Are all 2.5" lap top drives using the same pin/connector pattern?

These things don't look expensive at all but I don't want to have to buy 1 and send it back until I get the right one!

And, more importantly, will this do what I want to accomplish? I mean, when I hook it up and plug the drive into it, will I be able to view the files just as I would if I had a memory stick in the USB port?

Thanks in advance!


Oh....when I was in IndyCar racing back in the 90's we had a name for the computer guys and girls who used to hook up their laptops to the race cars each time they came into the pits. Those were the folks in the garage area who you went to for answers with computer issues;

"DAG" for "Data Acquisition Geek"! It is a term of endearment! So...thanks Dags!


On edit;

OK...so I got the enclosure and the socket (interface?) left 4 pins exposed. IN other words, it didn't fit! The disc drive I have did not fit properly in the unit I purchased. I quite frankly expected something like this, as this is my lot in life! lol...

I bought the Rosewill RX81U-ES-25B and it is incapable of powering up the drive I have because 4 pins are left out in the wind!

So...let's start again.,



Tips?

And again, I truly appreciate the suggestions, honestly.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

1. IMHO, this will do...

...http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182145
I have a similar one. The cable uses 2 USB ports in order to get enough power to run the drive.

As long as you remember any windows level user names and passwords (depending on what security you setup in windows if any and assuming this was a windows pc) and assuming you're new pc is also windows.

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. Cool.

So using that would I be able to use the old drive as an accessory memory? That isn't nearly as important as simply recovering the old files, just curious.

My new PC is Windows 8 and yeah, the password thing is no biggie.

I'm so behind the times! I bought this desk top 'puter about a year ago. The previous desktop I purchased was probably 1999!

Thanks for the quick answer!

[davepdx]

2. The hard drive that you linked to has an IDE interface so

you'll need to select "IDE" under "internal interface" in the left column. This link should show that group of cases:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100008040%20600006268&IsNodeId=1&name=IDE

You could then further refine your selection with the "external interface" which refers to the type of connection you'll be making with the computer (probably USB 2.0). The hard drive in an external case would function just like your USB stick.

FWIW, one thing to consider is cooling of the external HD. Some cases do well in allowing air to circulate and others don't. Heat is the enemy of a HD so check out the user reviews for any cases you are interested in to see if there are any comments on cooling.

[A HERETIC I AM]

4. Far out.

Thanks man.

[Spirochete]

5. Just be careful

not to order a SATA one, since the drive is IDE. This may limit your choices quite a bit, since things with an IDE interface are less plentiful these days...

[A HERETIC I AM]

6. I was going to ask that of Dave above.

Will this one do the trick?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182143

That came from a sort that excluded SATA


The drive I have is from a laptop that was probably purchased in 2005 or 6.

[Spirochete]

7. Yeah,

I believe that one will work. Good luck.

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. Thanks!

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

9. Everything said above is on the mark

davepdx and Spirochete are giving good advice. Your existing drive is IDE and 2.5 inches physically.

To expand a bit on my recommendations and answer some other things: yes you would be able to use that drive for extra storage just like a USB thumb drive. Your OS would treat it the same. I get the impression that the files on the drive are some that you would like to keep indefinitely. If that's the case you should seriously consider planning at least one means of backup. DVDs are probably the first round for a lot of folks. Many people are also setting up cloud based storage. I have a small dedicated NAS server that houses about 4TB of HDDs that I use for stuff like media files and software that I've bought via download.

I know many folks that have been hit by power spikes that killed HDDs with "the only copies of wedding pics, kids 1st birthday...".

Someone mentioned heat and HDDs which is the truth. I use the USB drive I mentioned only for backup and restore. I don't run it all the time or even for long periods. I use it just to save or retrieve what I need. Consider also that all drives have a limited life. If you need more space on your PC than what you have installed, consider installing an extra brand new drive in your desktop. Most desktops have some spare bays inside.

Good luck

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. Cool. Thanks a lot.

yeah, I'm with you on the heat issue.

It's primarily photos I want to recover as well as some essays I wrote.

What pisses me off the most about this PC is that, well, I admit I haven't gone out of my way to keep up with the tech, but all I wanted was something I could web surf on AND play my MS Flight Sim. I'm by no means a big gamer, but the Flight Simulator packages have a shit-ton of files and need a lot of memory and a big vid card to have them work properly. I asked for advice from the wrong place (Best Buy) and took it. Flight Sim X freezes up almost immediately! I'm going to buy a new vid card to help with that and I have the power supply already, but ......awww....rassum frassum!

I have a buddy who is pretty savvy on this subject and he has been busting my chops about just building my own next time.

I think when I have a grand or 2 to spend on a zoomy computer, that's what I'll do. Just buy the components and put it together.

With expert help!


Thanks again for all the advice. I do appreciate it.

[jrandom421]

11. Don't need that much money

You can do pretty well for a lot less.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-your-own-budget-gaming-pc,3780.html

[A HERETIC I AM]

12. Kick because the one I bought isn't right.

Please see the edit in the OP.

Thanks.