Technology, Support, and News Forum

[phileysmiley]

This is a really cool product which allows you to take an internal HDD out of a tower and use it as an external HDD:

NewerTech Voyager S2- USB 2.0 & eSATA Hard Drive Docking Solution for SATA 2.5" & 3.5" Drives.
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20 ... /U2ES2HDK/

The Easiest Way To Access Data From ANY
2.5" or 3.5" Serial ATA (SATA) Hard Drive Up To 2.0TB!
Boot and Swap drives at will!

Whether you're on a data recovery mission or just want to check the contents of an older swapped out hard drive, NewerTech Voyager is the easiest, most convenient way to access data from any Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive.

Just insert any standard 2.5" or 3.5" SATA I/II hard drive with up to 2.0TB capacity into the compact docking base and select one of the interfaces supported by your Mac® or PC for the fastest data transfer performance. Then, start reading and/or writing data to the docked hard drive. There’s nothing else to install or configure!

It's a plug-and-play device that uses USB or eSATA port.

Here's my question/problem. I have an old HP 8770 that broke down awhile ago but I never got rid of it because I've been cannibalizing it for parts. The one real thing of value, though, is the hard drive on which I still have plenty of data that I've not been able to access since it broke down. I just set it aside figuring I'd eventually hook it up in another computer.

This product came along and I thought it would be perfect to use with my old HDD. BUT the old HP HDD is Ultra ATA which, if I'm not mistaken, would not be compatible with this device since it's SATA.

Am I correct in assuming I cannot plug my Ultra ADA HDD into this device?

Is there any kind of Ultra ATA to SATA adapter that you think I could get that would allow me to use it with this device?

[Grav!ty Profile]

It's unlikely that a IDE (ATA) to SATA adapter will work on that docking device. If one considers that the adapter first would need to be plugged into the IDE drive, and then the adapter plus hard drive plugged into the docking device, it doesn't look like any of THESE adapters will fit...maybe some will but it would probably be a bit unstable standing upright on the adapter.

I have a few USB housings for IDE drives that work pretty good and I've seen many other designs that make it easier to plug a bare drive in than using a full enclosure. I guess if one wants to travel with spare storage or data storage, a full enclosure is best.

Newer motherboards generally now have external SATA ports (eSATA) at the back of the case to plug SATA drives into, as SATA is hot swap-able like USB is.

[phileysmiley]

Looks like some of those are meant to attach a SATA drive to a IDE mobo. I want to do the opposite. But this looks like it might allow me to use my laptop's eSATA port to access the IDE drive:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... DoQ8gIwBA#

Since my laptop has a eSATA port, do you think I can just get this adapter, hook it up to the IDE drive, and just attach it to the laptop? I mainly just want to be able to get at the data without having to hook it up internally to a desktop that's SATA.

Those enclosures look like they might do the trick, too. I guess they're essentially the same as the NewerTech device in terms of functionality.

The adapters and housings appear to be about the same price, too.

[Grav!ty Profile]

Yeah I think one just has more flexibility with the housings

[phileysmiley]

Thanks! Which would you recommend:

http://www.pricegrabber.com/user_sales_ ... id=9635590
$20.08

http://www.buy.com/prod/speed-metal-3-5 ... 94679.html
$21.99

[Grav!ty Profile]

I think check the size of the drive you're likely to use predominantly. If it's a standard IDE drive then the 3.5" one is what you need, but if it's a laptop or notebook drive then it's probably the 2.5" one.

I don't like the legs of the Speed Metal one. I can imagine that makes it awkward to pack in a carry bag or briefcase it they're permanently attached.

[phileysmiley]

OOpsy. Ya, the Startech is no good because I just noticed that's 2.5 only. I need it for a 3.5. So I guess I'd have to go with the Speed Metal.

[NT50 Profile]

I have an adapter at home that will connect all hard drive to my pc via USB cable. Note that it does not have an enclosure but I did not want one nor dd I want a docking station. I bough thtis one to use mainly when I take a customers hard drive out to retreive data.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product

[phileysmiley]

Wow, that looks interesting. It can handle not only the IDE 3.5" that I need it for but I could also use it for a SATA 3.5" in case one of my desktops goes down or for one of my laptop HDDs (although I do already have a spare enclosure for 2.5" which I bought back when one of my laptops died and I was trying to retrieve data from that HDD). Quite versatile. Like you I don't really need an enclosure or docking station either, just a way to get to the data on the HDD and use it without installing it inside a case alongside SATA HDD.

It's basically the same price as the Speed Metal device as well.

This might be a better bet if only for its versatility. Thanks!