old external with usb socket, need help getting data

[herm0016]

I am trying to get the data off of an old 2.5 in laptop drive. the controller for the drive has a usb socket like the back of a motherboard. I can cut up 2 extra usb cables and make one that has usb A on both ends, but do i need to flip the data pins? it is very strange. The drive contains data for work that we need and if our "IT" guy on site does not have a cable/cant fix by re-image, he is worthless.

Maybe i just need to buy a different controller? would rather not spend money/time on this though if i can just solder together a cable real quick.

 

[VirtualLarry]

doesn't look like that controller board is part of the drive itself, is it? Looks like a notebook PATA drive. I would just get an appropriate enclosure.

 

[herm0016]

no, its not part of the drive. sigh. ohwell... have to order one. such a strange connection. Has anyone seen one like this before?

 

[Old Hippie]

such a strange connection. Has anyone seen one like this before?

It's an IDE connection.

You haven't seen one before? LOL!

 

[imagoon]

I have that enclosure (with an old PATA drive in it even). I can't tell you the wiring though, the cable itself is just "usb A to A" which I know you can buy at Microcenter etc.

 

[herm0016]

yea, i have seen pata.... i mean the controller. I never had a usb a to usb a external before. always was usb b to usb a or more modern drives with micro and mini usb. we tried a regular usb a to usb a and it did not work. the controller may be bad, or we need a special cable. not sure. guess i'll just get a new enclosure.

 

[StarTech]

yea, i have seen pata.... i mean the controller. I never had a usb a to usb a external before. always was usb b to usb a or more modern drives with micro and mini usb. we tried a regular usb a to usb a and it did not work. the controller may be bad, or we need a special cable. not sure. guess i'll just get a new enclosure.

That is a common, old USB external enclosure for PATA. It is less frequent to see the full size USB A connector - most have a mini version on the drive side, but even today you see some external enclosures with the A connector. What is more, there is a resurgence of them with USB3 like this one

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817332024

USB A to USB A cables are common.

 

[Old Hippie]

yea, i have seen pata.... i mean the controller.

I see says the blind Old Hippie. LOL!

There are 2 different kinds of USB-A to USB-mini A cables.

One kind has an extra wire for charging portable devices and the other doesn't but that shouldn't effect you.

It's probably time for a new case.

 

[corkyg]

1. Remove the actual 2.5-in HDD from the laptop's caddy!

2. Then you can access it easily as a 2.5-in PATA drive in any external case that supports PATA IDE.

 

[Compman55]

1. Buy this : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812119245

2. Take HDD out of usb enclosure.

3. Connect to a regular IDE ribbon cable. Transfer your data.

Its that simple, and will be way faster if this data is large. USB is super slow.

 

[corkyg]

You are talkin' my language, Compman, except that a standard PATA IDE cable won't work with a 2.5-in HDD - it combines power with the data. You will need an adapter for that. Sample:

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=906&sku=17705

 

[herm0016]

yea, will not fit on a ribbon cable. that would have been my perferred method. is there a pata to ide adapter?

whoops... should have looked. thats it. cool.