External to Internal

[Stytis]

Anybody that has seen or owns an external CD burner knows that it just looks like the company just took an internal, and put it in a plastic cover/case that turns it into an external. However, does anybody know if this internal drive can somehow be removed from the external cover to be placed within the tower and used as an internal drive.

I own a Sony 4X4X6 and would try unsrewing the cover and removing it, however I don't have extra cash lyin' around to try, and possibly destroy my only burner.

 

[cloudchief]

Is this a scsi, usb, parallel port or firewire external case? I assume it is either scsi or usb, scsi I would say yes you could just take it out. Usb I don't know.

 

[Workin']

I have a HP 2x2x6 burner that used to be an external parallel port model but now it lives happily as an internal IDE drive on one of my old computers. As a parallel port drive, it really was just an IDE drive connected to a parallel/IDE converter module and an external power supply in the little box.

If it is SCSI, USB, or Firewire then I don't know what might lurk inside.... but since it's older and 4x speed it's probably parallel, right?

 

[Stytis]

It's a USB. Workin', this sounds like what I might have predicted. Although mine is USB, I figure it would probably just be a converter and power also. Even still, the idea just hit me that if I converted it to internal, I wouldn't be able to use the same drivers. So all you did though for yours was just unsrew a few screws, unplugged a few cords and replugged them into the IDE cords and Molex power cable?

 

[kw3i]

that is intresting

 

[Workin']

<< So all you did though for yours was just unsrew a few screws, unplugged a few cords and replugged them into the IDE cords and Molex power cable? >>

That's it! Didn't need any drivers under Windows, it's a standard ATAPI device. 4 screws held the external case together, and 4 screws held the drive in the case. I unplugged the standard 40-pin IDE connector and 4-pin Molex power connector from the external adaptor, then just reconnected the IDE and power cables inside my computer case. Booted up, and the drive was recognized by my BIOS as an HP-whatever drive, works like a charm.

 

[PCAddict]

I did the same thing with my HP 7200e. It lived as an internal IDE drive for crapping out a few months ago.

 

[Stytis]

Cool. This morning before school I unsrewed everything and found that it was exactly what you told me. Right now I was looking for drivers, but since I don't need them, I'll see how it works when I get home. Thanks for the info.

However, my tech teacher is asking whether or not anybody has ever tried plugging in another IDE drive to the housing an testing to see if it can be used externally through either USB or parrellel. I'll try with my other CD-ROM when I get home. Thanks for the confidence tho. 1 Feb, 01; 10:50

 

[Workin']

It should work fine with a different CD-ROM. Don't know about a hard drive, though.

 

[Maverick319]

TigerDirect has been selling USB housings for 3.5 and 5.25 drives for some time. I have an old Smart and Friendly CD-RW that I thought about buying one for, but figured the housing was better built than the CD-RW.

Anyway, Here is a link to the USB Housing.

 

[tippmann]

Using an external USB case with IDE hard drive works, but it will not work with a parrellel connection.