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Posted by Barry Watzman on November 4, 2005, 11:18 pm
Please log in for more thread options It could mean that the HD is bad, but before I'd assume that, I'd test
the enclosure with a known-good hard drive.
The system into which you plug the enclosure should be running Windows
XP. Not 9x (95, 98, 98SE or ME), and not 2000 (although 2000 should work).
No matter what else, you should hear the hard drive "spin up" when you
plug it in. If you don't, the hard drive is either TOTALLY dead, or
it's not getting power. Many of the 2.5" enclosures have one USB plugs
at the end intended for the enclosure, and two plugs (a "Y" cable) at
the other end, intended to let the enclosure get power from two ports
(thus get 1,000 ma if needed, instead of the 500 ma max from a single
port). However, ONLY ONE OF THOSE TWO PLUGS (the one in the "middle")
HAS THE DATA CONNECTION, so it's possible to "plug it in" but it's not
really plugged in.
Guy Kornetzki wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> Well I got the enclosure, popped-in the HD, connected it to the other laptop
> and.......nothing. It's not recognising anything being connected, not even
> saying there's a fault with a USB device.
> Tried running 'Add Hardware' wizard, still no Plug'n'Play devices detected,
> so I proceeded with manual install of whatever I was given. But at the end
> of the process got an error message saying: "installation failed because a
> function driver was not specified for this device instance".
>
> Any ideas? Does this mean the HD may be faulty? How can I check this at home
> without a PC lab?
>
> Thanks,
>
> ~ ~ ~
> GuyKo.
>
>
>>It's very simple, and very inexpensive. However, there are a few things
>>that you can do with a "real" IDE connection that you cannot do with
>>USB, although a USB connection is far more convenient and works well for
>>applications limited to normal data transfer. SMART reporting,
>>diagnostics and some other functions only work with a direct IDE
>>connection, however.
>>
>>
>>Guy Kornetzki wrote:
>>
>>
>>>That's great everyone, thanks a lot for your help.
>>>
>>>Will forward the info to my friend, the owner of the damaged laptop, so
>
> he
>
>>>can decide. But sounds to me like it might be a good idea in general to
>
> get
>
>>>an IDE to USB cable as an emergency tool to salvage info from
>
> Hard-Drives if
>
>>>the machine croaks.
>>>
>>>Have read about solutions which offer an enclosure for a Hard-Drive; is
>
> it
>
>>>as simple as slotting a 2.5" Hard-Drive into an empty shell thus turning
>
> it
>
>>>into a portable external Hard-Drive? Seems to me like this would be the
>>>ideal solution.
>>>
>>>Regards,
>>>
>>>~ ~ ~
>>>GuyKo.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Yes, remove the hard drive from the computer entirely and either use a
>>>>desktop IDE adapter (about $3 to $8) or use a 2.5" IDE to USB laptop
>>>>adapter ($10 to $20).
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Guy Kornetzki wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>>Can I access data from a Hard-Drive when the laptop can't seem to boot
>>>
>>>up?
>>>
>>>
>>>>>If I physically remove the Hard-Drive for example, can I connect it to
>>>>>something and access the data?
>>>>>
>>>>>Was told at the lab that it may be a motherboard problem, so looks like
>>>>>quite a serious fault. Hard-Drive seems to spin though when trying to
>>>
>>>power
>>>
>>>
>>>>>up, but screen is blacked-out; no go with safe-mode nor a recovery CD.
>>>>>
>>>>>Any ideas?
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks,
>>>>>
>>>>>~ ~ ~
>>>>>GuyKo.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
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