OT but maybe someone knows

[rfdjr1]

I need an external enclosure for a SATA drive, with a USB connection to the
computer. It's an old drive and I just want to check what's on it and wipe it
clean. I see a lot of enclosures for a 2.5 inch drive. This is a full size
Western Digital drive that was an internal drive. What is the size of these
drives (not capacity)? Not sure what the 2.5 inch means, or how they're
physically measured. I want to know what to look for. Thanks.

 

[BillW50]

I need an external enclosure for a SATA drive, with a USB connection
to the
computer. It's an old drive and I just want to check what's on it and
wipe it
clean. I see a lot of enclosures for a 2.5 inch drive. This is a full
size
Western Digital drive that was an internal drive. What is the size of
these
drives (not capacity)? Not sure what the 2.5 inch means, or how
they're
physically measured. I want to know what to look for. Thanks.

You don't need an external drive enclosure for that. Just get a cheap
SATA to USB cable. I use them all of the time for 2.5 inch drives. 2.5
inch drives can come in different thicknesses. But the length and the
width should be all the same (2.75 in x 3.945 in x 0.374 in = 69.85 mm x
100.2 mm x 9.5 mm).

 

[SC Tom]

I need an external enclosure for a SATA drive, with a USB connection to the
computer. It's an old drive and I just want to check what's on it and wipe it
clean. I see a lot of enclosures for a 2.5 inch drive. This is a full size
Western Digital drive that was an internal drive. What is the size of these
drives (not capacity)? Not sure what the 2.5 inch means, or how they're
physically measured. I want to know what to look for. Thanks.

You can get something like this that will adapt just about any drive to USB, if you don't want an enclosure:

http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Adapter-Converter-Optical-External/dp/B001OORMVQ/ref=pd_bxgy_pc_text_c

If you wanted an enclosure to leave the drive in (maybe for backups or disk imaging or whatever), you could get
something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Tech-ET...ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1335127851&sr=1-8

If you just wanted to check the drive for data, and don't plan to use it as an external device, I'd go with the adapter.
Works just as well as the enclosure for what you want it for (and covers more types and sizes of HDD); it's just not as
neat if you wanted to leave it on the desk

 

[Tony]

So get an enclosure for a 3.5 inch drive sata drive. The newer types are all for
sata drives.. Computer stores generally have more 3.5 inch enclosures than 2.5
inch enclosures by a ratio of about ten to one. I don't know what shops you
frequent.

I need an external enclosure for a SATA drive, with a USB connection to the
computer. It's an old drive and I just want to check what's on it and wipe it
clean. I see a lot of enclosures for a 2.5 inch drive. This is a full size
Western Digital drive that was an internal drive. What is the size of these
drives (not capacity)? Not sure what the 2.5 inch means, or how they're
physically measured. I want to know what to look for. Thanks.

--
The Grandmaster of the CyberFROG

Come get your ticket to CyberFROG city

Nay, Art thou decideth playeth ye simpleton games. *Some* of us know proper
manners

Very few. I used to take calls from *rank* noobs but got fired the first day on
the job for potty mouth,

Bur-ring, i'll get this one: WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM JERK!!? We're here to help you
dickweed, ok, ok give the power cord the jiggily piggily wiggily all the while
pushing the power button repeatedly now take everything out of your computer
except the power supply and *one* stick of ram. Ok get the next sucker on the
phone.

Deirdre Straughan (Roxio) is a LIAR (Deirdre McFibber)

There's the employer and the employee and the FROGGER and the FROGEE, which one
are you?

Hamster isn't a newsreader it's a mistake!

El-Gonzo Jackson FROGS both me and Chuckcar (I just got EL-FROG-OED!!)

I hate them both, With useless bogus bullshit you need at least *three* fulltime
jobs to afford either one of them

I'm a fulltime text *only* man on usenet now. The rest of the world downloads the
binary files not me i can't afford thousands of dollars a month

VBB = Volume based billing. How many bytes can we shove down your throat and out
your arse sir?

UBB = User based bullFROGGING

Master Juba was a black man imitating a white man imitating a black man

Using my technical prowess and computer abilities to answer questions beyond the
realm of understandability

Regards Tony... Making usenet better for everyone everyday

This sig file was compiled via my journeys through usenet

 

[Evan Platt]

I need an external enclosure for a SATA drive, with a USB connection to the
computer. It's an old drive and I just want to check what's on it and wipe it
clean. I see a lot of enclosures for a 2.5 inch drive. This is a full size
Western Digital drive that was an internal drive. What is the size of these
drives (not capacity)? Not sure what the 2.5 inch means, or how they're
physically measured. I want to know what to look for. Thanks.

Same as when you asked in the other group.

 

[Bob Hatch]

I need an external enclosure for a SATA drive, with a USB connection to the
computer. It's an old drive and I just want to check what's on it and wipe it
clean. I see a lot of enclosures for a 2.5 inch drive. This is a full size
Western Digital drive that was an internal drive. What is the size of these
drives (not capacity)? Not sure what the 2.5 inch means, or how they're
physically measured. I want to know what to look for. Thanks.

what SC Tom said, or get one of these.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...ords=sata+dock&sprefix=SATA+D,electronics,517

I like the SATA Dock because it's so darned easy to use and can be used
for a backup drive, clone drive, etc. I can drop any SATA drive in and
look at it without hassle.

I have one that has USB and eSATA connections.

 

[jbm]

wrote in message
I need an external enclosure for a SATA drive, with a USB connection to the
computer. It's an old drive and I just want to check what's on it and wipe
it
clean. I see a lot of enclosures for a 2.5 inch drive. This is a full size
Western Digital drive that was an internal drive. What is the size of these
drives (not capacity)? Not sure what the 2.5 inch means, or how they're
physically measured. I want to know what to look for. Thanks.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/dynamode-3-5-hard-drive-enclosure-black-07929962-pdt.html

I got one some time ago, to check three IDE drives, 40, 120 & 500Gb. Worked
a treat, and is now permanently set up running the 500Gb as an extra
external back up drive. Suitable for 2.5" SATA or 3.5" IDE drives. USB2
connection. Can be used with or without the enclosure. £20 in the UK. [Note:
the instructions don't mention this. It doesn't matter what the jumper
settings (slave, master, cable) on the drive are, it just works fine
regardless.]

jim

 

[Rodney Pont]

I need an external enclosure for a SATA drive, with a USB connection to the
computer. It's an old drive and I just want to check what's on it and wipe it
clean. I see a lot of enclosures for a 2.5 inch drive. This is a full size
Western Digital drive that was an internal drive. What is the size of these
drives (not capacity)? Not sure what the 2.5 inch means, or how they're
physically measured. I want to know what to look for. Thanks.

What you are calling full size is probably a 3.5 inch drive as used in
desktop systems. Laptops have 2.5 inch drives. The measurement is the
size of the platter(s). A 3.5 inch drive is 4 inches from side to side.

 

[Char Jackson]

what SC Tom said, or get one of these.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...ords=sata+dock&sprefix=SATA+D,electronics,517

I like the SATA Dock because it's so darned easy to use and can be used
for a backup drive, clone drive, etc. I can drop any SATA drive in and
look at it without hassle.

I have one that has USB and eSATA connections.

I have a bunch of those from a time when Newegg was tossing one in
with every hard drive purchase. I agree, they're quite convenient and
work equally well with 2.5" and 3.5" drives. As above, the ones I have
include both USB 2.0 and eSATA connections, with the latter being much
faster than the former.

 

[choro]

I have a bunch of those from a time when Newegg was tossing one in
with every hard drive purchase. I agree, they're quite convenient and
work equally well with 2.5" and 3.5" drives. As above, the ones I have
include both USB 2.0 and eSATA connections, with the latter being much
faster than the former.

I'll second that. Yes, both USB and eSATA connections. I got mine a
while back for £20. Presumably they are a lot cheaper now. But mine is
really a beautiful posh one. ;-)

Just drop it in and Bob's your uncle, as they say! Beautifully
constructed. Don't know whether you can get them for the older IDE
drives though. Mine's for SATA drives, both 2.5" (laptop drives)and 3.5"
(desktop drives).

Now let me see if I remember where I tidied it up!!!!.....
-- choro

 

[Bob Hatch]

I have a bunch of those from a time when Newegg was tossing one in
with every hard drive purchase. I agree, they're quite convenient and
work equally well with 2.5" and 3.5" drives. As above, the ones I have
include both USB 2.0 and eSATA connections, with the latter being much
faster than the former.

And they are hot swappable. Just push the eject button and drop a new
one in. I've got one on my desktop and one on my wife's laptop. Wouldn't
do without them.

 

[XS11E]

I need an external enclosure for a SATA drive, with a USB
connection to the computer. It's an old drive and I just want to
check what's on it and wipe it clean. I see a lot of enclosures
for a 2.5 inch drive. This is a full size Western Digital drive
that was an internal drive. What is the size of these drives (not
capacity)? Not sure what the 2.5 inch means, or how they're
physically measured. I want to know what to look for. Thanks.

2.5" is a laptop drive, 3.5" is what you probably have.

You don't really need an enclosure, I had an old drive I wanted to
check and wipe, I removed the side panel from my PC's case, connected
an IDE cable from the MB to the drive and ran a power cable from the PS
to the drive. Checked the drive, wiped it, removed the cables and
replaced the panel. It took less than 20 minutes...

 

[pjp]

2.5" is a laptop drive, 3.5" is what you probably have.

You don't really need an enclosure, I had an old drive I wanted to
check and wipe, I removed the side panel from my PC's case, connected
an IDE cable from the MB to the drive and ran a power cable from the PS
to the drive. Checked the drive, wiped it, removed the cables and
replaced the panel. It took less than 20 minutes...

Fine unless like myself you often have all four channels already used
and then you have to look at what the one you rob the end from to see
what it's set to before connecting the temp drive.

I have an enclosure takes both IDE and SATA. Works fine. Don't think
it's hot swappable but so what as it's simple to just turn it off via
the switch, swap in another drive and turn it back on. Has been well
worth the $40 (Can) I paid for it few years ago now saving me lots of
the 1st paragraph sequence.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I'll second that. Yes, both USB and eSATA connections. I got mine a while
back for £20. Presumably they are a lot cheaper now. But mine is really a
beautiful posh one. ;-)

Just drop it in and Bob's your uncle, as they say! Beautifully constructed.
Don't know whether you can get them for the older IDE drives though. Mine's
for SATA drives, both 2.5" (laptop drives)and 3.5" (desktop drives).

Now let me see if I remember where I tidied it up!!!!.....
-- choro

A USB2 to IDE adaper at Amazon (USA):

http://tinyurl.com/7kf4nwl

That was the first hit of many.

USB3 adapters and docks are begining to appear. They are comparable in
speed to the eSATA adapters.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

A USB2 to IDE adaper at Amazon (USA):

That was the first hit of many.

USB3 adapters and docks are begining to appear. They are comparable in speed
to the eSATA adapters.

I don't know about USB3 to IDE. I meant USB3 to SATA drives, but I
forgot to say that above.

 

[XS11E]

Fine unless like myself you often have all four channels already
used and then you have to look at what the one you rob the end
from to see what it's set to before connecting the temp drive.

All my current drives are SATA, all my old, obsolete drives are PATA.
I was mildly surprised to see my MD even has an IDE connector.

I have an enclosure takes both IDE and SATA. Works fine. Don't
think it's hot swappable but so what as it's simple to just turn
it off via the switch, swap in another drive and turn it back on.
Has been well worth the $40 (Can) I paid for it few years ago now
saving me lots of the 1st paragraph sequence.

From what the OP wrote this is a one time thing as it was for me.
Investing even a couple of dollars would be a waste. Note my comment
it was a 20 minute event? That was a couple of years ago and I'll
probably never need to do it again nor will the OP if we take his post
at face value.

 

[Paul]

I don't know about USB3 to IDE. I meant USB3 to SATA drives, but I
forgot to say that above.

If you wanted to do USB3 to IDE, you can buy a USB3 to SATA adapter,
and a SATA to IDE adapter, and chain them together.

Paul

 

[Bob I]

All my current drives are SATA, all my old, obsolete drives are PATA.
I was mildly surprised to see my MD even has an IDE connector.


From what the OP wrote this is a one time thing as it was for me.
Investing even a couple of dollars would be a waste. Note my comment
it was a 20 minute event? That was a couple of years ago and I'll
probably never need to do it again nor will the OP if we take his post
at face value.

Sounds more like whack it with a hammer and toss it in the trash can
kind of job to me!

 

[XS11E]

Sounds more like whack it with a hammer and toss it in the trash
can kind of job to me!

That doesn't allow checking the drive for anything worth keeping
although it does handle the "wipe" feature very well...