connecting hdd via usb

themartuigan · 08-04-2009, 02:08 AM

i have an IDE hard drive from my acer laptop and i want to use it as an external harddrive for my main computer which is an hp.
i got a cables to go connector which allows me to connect my hard drive to my cp via usb. when i connect it i hear a ding from windows saying that it has found new hardware but nothing asking to install a driver so i assume its good. i go to device manager and it appears in there as mass storage device under universal serial bus controllers, and as usb device under disk drives. But when i go to disk management it does not appear, the only thing that is there is my cd rom drive. i have tried renaming my cd rom drive just to see if that would help but nothing.
i am just wondering if any one can help to get this working. also i am wondering if its possible that because my laptop hd is windows xp media center and because my cp is windoes xp professional, but then again how would i be able to change that any way unless i could view my hd on the cp?

so if any body could please help to get this working i would be much in thanks. thank you.

**raptor_pa** · 08-04-2009, 05:10 AM

Can you feel the drive spin up when the USB is plugged in? If no then there is a possibility there is not enough power being delivered from trhe desktop USB ports. Disconnect any other USB devices and se if it will spin. Did this drive work correctly when it was removed from the laptop? Make sure the connector is properly on the pins of the drive, it's really easy on 2.5 inch drives to mis one set of pins. The differences in OS would not affect the drive being located or read.

themartuigan · 08-04-2009, 05:25 AM

yes i can feel it spinning when i plug it in. even after its been in for 5 minutes i can still feel it spinning. i have unplugged every other thing plugged in to the computer but it still does the same thing.
and it did work before it was taken out of the laptop.
every pin is plugged in excluding 4 pins. there is a gap between the 2 rows of pins and the excluded 4. my adapter doesnt have a place to put the extra 4 pins.

**raptor_pa** · 08-04-2009, 05:32 AM

The extra 4 are jumpers for service so that is good. Can you post a link to the adapter you got?

themartuigan · 08-18-2009, 07:07 PM

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.as...1541&sku=30504

**raptor_pa** · 08-18-2009, 07:10 PM

Is there a connection on the block of the adapter to plug in the AC adapter? Might need the 5V line from that rather than just the USB 5V.

themartuigan · 08-18-2009, 07:22 PM

no. the AC adapter only works for SATA drives and the larger IDEs.

**raptor_pa** · 08-18-2009, 10:10 PM

May well be the drive has failed. The problem is troubleshooting with USB is often useless. A 2.5 to 3.5 adapter to attach it to the IDE port of the motherboard would be a better test to see if BIOS can identify the drive.

08-04-2009, 02:08 AM	#1 (permalink)
themartuigan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 11 OS: xp	connecting hdd via usb i have an IDE hard drive from my acer laptop and i want to use it as an external harddrive for my main computer which is an hp. i got a cables to go connector which allows me to connect my hard drive to my cp via usb. when i connect it i hear a ding from windows saying that it has found new hardware but nothing asking to install a driver so i assume its good. i go to device manager and it appears in there as mass storage device under universal serial bus controllers, and as usb device under disk drives. But when i go to disk management it does not appear, the only thing that is there is my cd rom drive. i have tried renaming my cd rom drive just to see if that would help but nothing. i am just wondering if any one can help to get this working. also i am wondering if its possible that because my laptop hd is windows xp media center and because my cp is windoes xp professional, but then again how would i be able to change that any way unless i could view my hd on the cp? so if any body could please help to get this working i would be much in thanks. thank you.

08-04-2009, 05:10 AM	#2 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,931 OS: XP	Re: connecting hdd via usb Can you feel the drive spin up when the USB is plugged in? If no then there is a possibility there is not enough power being delivered from trhe desktop USB ports. Disconnect any other USB devices and se if it will spin. Did this drive work correctly when it was removed from the laptop? Make sure the connector is properly on the pins of the drive, it's really easy on 2.5 inch drives to mis one set of pins. The differences in OS would not affect the drive being located or read. __________________

08-04-2009, 05:25 AM	#3 (permalink)
themartuigan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 11 OS: xp	Re: connecting hdd via usb yes i can feel it spinning when i plug it in. even after its been in for 5 minutes i can still feel it spinning. i have unplugged every other thing plugged in to the computer but it still does the same thing. and it did work before it was taken out of the laptop. every pin is plugged in excluding 4 pins. there is a gap between the 2 rows of pins and the excluded 4. my adapter doesnt have a place to put the extra 4 pins.

08-04-2009, 05:32 AM	#4 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,931 OS: XP	Re: connecting hdd via usb The extra 4 are jumpers for service so that is good. Can you post a link to the adapter you got? __________________

08-18-2009, 07:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
themartuigan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 11 OS: xp	Re: connecting hdd via usb http://www.cablestogo.com/product.as...1541&sku=30504

08-18-2009, 07:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,931 OS: XP	Re: connecting hdd via usb Is there a connection on the block of the adapter to plug in the AC adapter? Might need the 5V line from that rather than just the USB 5V. __________________

08-18-2009, 07:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
themartuigan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 11 OS: xp	Re: connecting hdd via usb no. the AC adapter only works for SATA drives and the larger IDEs.

08-18-2009, 10:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,931 OS: XP	Re: connecting hdd via usb May well be the drive has failed. The problem is troubleshooting with USB is often useless. A 2.5 to 3.5 adapter to attach it to the IDE port of the motherboard would be a better test to see if BIOS can identify the drive. __________________