[SOLVED] Removing External HDD as Internal HDD

Ascendancy · 01-06-2009, 06:48 AM

I bought a Western Digital External Hard Drive about a month ago for my laptop, and I am going to be getting a new desktop soon. I am wondering if I were to open the case of the external, could I just remove the HDD from it and put it into my computer, assuming I have a SATA cable for it to connect to the mobo and an extra power cable. Here is the model I purchased:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1185271084002

Madcatz · 01-06-2009, 09:07 AM

Actually depends on what type of external drive you bought. WD makes larger externals that are AC powered from a normal wall outlet, those will usually fit just fine and hook right up to most desktops as long as there are connections for it.

WD also makes smaller USB powered externals. These are laptop hard drives in these smaller ones, if its a sata drive, it uses the same connections as all other sata drives and you would just have to figure something out for mounting it. If its an ATA-6 drive, then you would need an ATA-6 to IDE or sata adapter to use it.

arej00dazed · 01-06-2009, 11:14 AM

how can we tell if it could be used internally w/o cracking open the case? i have one that im bout to send back cause ive had nothing but problems with it (my book home)

Ascendancy · 01-06-2009, 02:12 PM

Yeah the books from WD don't have screws or anything, so if you crack it open to check out if it'll work and there's no SATA port on it or it's got the wrong power input, you're screwed. The books do have A/C adapters in the back and use USB to connect to my computer, so based on what Madcatz said it seems like the WD mybooks wouldn't be a problem, I just wanted to make sure before demolishing the casing.

Madcatz · 01-06-2009, 02:39 PM

Well guys, most hard drives out there are either IDE or SATA drives. There are SCSI drives but they wouldn't use them in externals.

I havn't seen an external hard drive yet that is not IDE or SATA.

arej00dazed · 01-06-2009, 02:47 PM

well ascendancy, crack yours open and lemme know! im bout to send mine back

**grimx133** · 01-06-2009, 10:47 PM

With a working drive, look in device manager, or your bios, for that matter. Google the model number of the drive and there you go, all will be revealed. Usually. I've got a 1TB LaCie and found it to have a Samsung GreenPower or somesuch sata drive. Exact model is at home, as I always keep notes on stuff like that for the day when I find I need it and can't access the info.

Ascendancy · 01-08-2009, 06:26 AM

Well as of right now I'm pretty sure the drive is a SATA drive, so I would say there is nothing wrong with cracking open the case and using the HDD as an internal... I just wanted to make sure with you guys here to see what you think. However I can almost guarantee it'll work fine, and when I get my new desktop in a few days I'll be sure to try it out.

**raptor_pa** · 01-08-2009, 10:11 AM

I have yet to see any external that had anything but a standard IDE or SATA drive. Usuallly a model that was also sold as a bare drive. All the housing is is an interface to USB, external power supply, but still using standard 5VDC and 12VDC supplies. The USB powered externals use a 2.5 inch drive, all you would need is a 2.5 to standard IDE adapter

01-06-2009, 06:48 AM	#1 (permalink)
Ascendancy Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 161 OS: Windows XP Professional SP3	[SOLVED] Removing External HDD as Internal HDD I bought a Western Digital External Hard Drive about a month ago for my laptop, and I am going to be getting a new desktop soon. I am wondering if I were to open the case of the external, could I just remove the HDD from it and put it into my computer, assuming I have a SATA cable for it to connect to the mobo and an extra power cable. Here is the model I purchased: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1185271084002 __________________ I really don't know

01-06-2009, 09:07 AM	#2 (permalink)
Madcatz Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,389 OS: XP/7/Server 2008 My System	Re: Removing External HDD as Internal HDD Actually depends on what type of external drive you bought. WD makes larger externals that are AC powered from a normal wall outlet, those will usually fit just fine and hook right up to most desktops as long as there are connections for it. WD also makes smaller USB powered externals. These are laptop hard drives in these smaller ones, if its a sata drive, it uses the same connections as all other sata drives and you would just have to figure something out for mounting it. If its an ATA-6 drive, then you would need an ATA-6 to IDE or sata adapter to use it.

01-06-2009, 11:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
arej00dazed Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 68 OS: winXP Pro SP2	Re: Removing External HDD as Internal HDD how can we tell if it could be used internally w/o cracking open the case? i have one that im bout to send back cause ive had nothing but problems with it (my book home)

01-06-2009, 02:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ascendancy Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 161 OS: Windows XP Professional SP3	Re: Removing External HDD as Internal HDD Yeah the books from WD don't have screws or anything, so if you crack it open to check out if it'll work and there's no SATA port on it or it's got the wrong power input, you're screwed. The books do have A/C adapters in the back and use USB to connect to my computer, so based on what Madcatz said it seems like the WD mybooks wouldn't be a problem, I just wanted to make sure before demolishing the casing. __________________ I really don't know

01-06-2009, 02:39 PM	#5 (permalink)
Madcatz Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,389 OS: XP/7/Server 2008 My System	Re: Removing External HDD as Internal HDD Well guys, most hard drives out there are either IDE or SATA drives. There are SCSI drives but they wouldn't use them in externals. I havn't seen an external hard drive yet that is not IDE or SATA.

01-06-2009, 02:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
arej00dazed Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 68 OS: winXP Pro SP2	Re: Removing External HDD as Internal HDD well ascendancy, crack yours open and lemme know! im bout to send mine back

01-06-2009, 10:47 PM	#7 (permalink)
grimx133 Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada eh Posts: 3,142 OS: xp mce sp2, xp pro sp2, windows 7 beta My System	Re: Removing External HDD as Internal HDD With a working drive, look in device manager, or your bios, for that matter. Google the model number of the drive and there you go, all will be revealed. Usually. I've got a 1TB LaCie and found it to have a Samsung GreenPower or somesuch sata drive. Exact model is at home, as I always keep notes on stuff like that for the day when I find I need it and can't access the info. __________________

01-08-2009, 06:26 AM	#8 (permalink)
Ascendancy Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 161 OS: Windows XP Professional SP3	Re: Removing External HDD as Internal HDD Well as of right now I'm pretty sure the drive is a SATA drive, so I would say there is nothing wrong with cracking open the case and using the HDD as an internal... I just wanted to make sure with you guys here to see what you think. However I can almost guarantee it'll work fine, and when I get my new desktop in a few days I'll be sure to try it out. __________________ I really don't know

01-08-2009, 10:11 AM	#9 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,821 OS: XP	Re: [SOLVED] Removing External HDD as Internal HDD I have yet to see any external that had anything but a standard IDE or SATA drive. Usuallly a model that was also sold as a bare drive. All the housing is is an interface to USB, external power supply, but still using standard 5VDC and 12VDC supplies. The USB powered externals use a 2.5 inch drive, all you would need is a 2.5 to standard IDE adapter __________________