external enclosure for a laptop HD?

[flyguy214]

My laptop just had some major work done and I am trying to salvage what I can from my old hard drive. Can anyone link me to a decent (inexpensive) external enclosure for a laptop hard drive?

 

[corkyg]

I would opt for this NexStar from Newegg:

NexStar

I you really want to milk good data transfer speed down the road, get an eSATA PCMCIA card. This case will do that and USB.

 

[Zepper]

A little perspective here. Did he say the drive he wants to use is a SATA drive? The likelihood is that it is PATA. Recovering data from a drive is usually more successful with an internally connected drive. Low level data recovery tools often can't work with USB or FW connected drives. Here is an adapter to use a PATA notebook HDD with a desktop (SATA drives require no adapter):
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=HD-108&cat=HDD
And here is a USB adapter cable to hook directly to a Notebook drive w/ no enclosure - the inexpensive way to go if your drive is in good shape - it can hook PATA or SATA HDDs to USB:
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=2020&cat=HDD Similar name-brand units can be found on Newegg et al., if that gives you more confidence...

.bh.

 

[flyguy214]

Originally posted by: Zepper
A little perspective here. Did he say the drive he wants to use is a SATA drive? The likelihood is that it is PATA. Recovering data from a drive is usually more successful with an internally connected drive. Low level data recovery tools often can't work with USB or FW connected drives. Here is an adapter to use a PATA notebook HDD with a desktop (SATA drives require no adapter):
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=HD-108&cat=HDD
And here is a USB adapter cable to hook directly to a Notebook drive w/ no enclosure - the inexpensive way to go if your drive is in good shape - it can hook PATA or SATA HDDs to USB:
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=2020&cat=HDD Similar name-brand units can be found on Newegg et al., if that gives you more confidence...

.bh.

Thanks. The second one looks perfect. I just want to try to salvage my pictures off the old one. Kind of hard giving up on over ten years worth of pictures.

And I am not very concerned about name brands. As long as it works I am happy. Right now the drive is dead to me, so this couldn't hurt anything if it does suck.

 

[Zepper]

Yeah, and those cables come in handy as a techie tool if you are the one who is always called to fix friends' and family's confusers...

.bh.

 

[Rottie]

Originally posted by: corkyg
I would opt for this NexStar from Newegg:

NexStar

I you really want to milk good data transfer speed down the road, get an eSATA PCMCIA card. This case will do that and USB.

the link you mentioned is a cool master case not nextstar. maybe wrong link?

 

[nerp]

I bought a super, super cheap Rosewill model from Newegg just to suck data off a dead laptop's HD. Worked great. Use it from time to time when I'm traveling to stockpile movies on the HD I left in there.

 

[murphyslabrat]

And here is a USB adapter cable to hook directly to a Notebook drive w/ no enclosure - the inexpensive way to go if your drive is in good shape - it can hook PATA or SATA HDDs to USB:

OMG NO! I just purchased that adapter, and it sucks abysmally! I have no idea what would be better, but I have been smacking my head into a brick wall trying to use this thing. It is as reliable as Jack Thompson's logic, do not get the thing.

Specific problems:
1. Power supply didn't work
2. 8/9 various hard-drives and optical drives failed to work...most of the time. One worked consistently, but that was an SATA device. No idea why, but that's how it fell.
3. The 8 devices work sporadically: you try repeatedly plugging and unplugging, and eventually it will work. However, if you restart or disconnect it, you have to engage in the whole ritual again.

For the love of all that is geeky and enthusiast(ic), avoid this piece of sh*t.

If anything, get the adapter or enclosure.

 

[corkyg]

I just replaced a SATA 3.5" drive uin a NexStar 3 case (eSATA/USB) and the internal SATA connectors mate perfectly. The screw holes did not match up for mounting, but a piece of tape worked fine. The 2.5 drive works perfectly in that 3.5 case using the SATA connectors.

 

[Old Hippie]

OMG NO! I just purchased that adapter, and it sucks abysmally! I have no idea what would be better, but I have been smacking my head into a brick wall trying to use this thing. It is as reliable as Jack Thompson's logic, do not get the thing.

:laugh:

If you'll notice, you answered a month old post. The OP never came back with his resolution, but your mini-review of that adaptor was worth the read.

Thanks Murphy!