Mount IDE hard drive externally

I want to add a second hard drive to an older system.

Can I mount it externally if I can find a cable extension?
(It's too cramped inside the HP Pavillion.)

Thanks,
Andy

On 2/19/2011 9:16 AM, Mint wrote:
I want to add a second hard drive to an older system.

Can I mount it externally if I can find a cable extension?
(It's too cramped inside the HP Pavillion.)

Thanks,
Andy

Andy,
I have done this, but I paid attention to the maximum recommended ATA
IDE cable spec which (as I recall) is 18 inches. There are longer cables
being sold, and some may actually work without issues, but I would
personally avoid the 36 inch altogether and possibly try the 24 inch if
I needed the extra reach. An 18 inch 40 conductor ribbon will work fine
if you can fish it out the back of your case and find a nearby spot for
your drive.

Obviously the power connector length is not an issue.

Hope this helps.

Mint wrote:
I want to add a second hard drive to an older system.

Can I mount it externally if I can find a cable extension?
(It's too cramped inside the HP Pavillion.)

Which HP Pavilion?

--
Mike Easter

On Sat, 19 Feb 2011 06:16:56 -0800 (PST), Mint
wrote:

I want to add a second hard drive to an older system.

Can I mount it externally if I can find a cable extension?
(It's too cramped inside the HP Pavillion.)

Thanks,
Andy

The short answer is yes.

I've done this many times, on a temporary basis as when swapping one
hard drive for a larger one (ie cloning the small drive information
onto a large drive). You don't even need a case for the "external"
drive for this, but for long time use, it might be better to get a
case to protect the drive.

BUT.... look more carefully inside that HP case. There are usually a
lot of places you can put a drive. I've even run with one "velcroed"
to the door that you remove to access the case. Another place to put a
drive is in the floppy drive slot. Many cases still have such a slot
even though floppies are almost extinct. Or maybe there is a slot for
a second optical drive.... sometimes the extra slot is taken up by a
set of USB & I/O ports in HP cases, but the "back" side of that slot
may still have room for your extra drive.

Mint wrote:
I want to add a second hard drive to an older system.

Can I mount it externally if I can find a cable extension?
(It's too cramped inside the HP Pavillion.)

Thanks,
Andy


I leave the side off my PC, and connect stuff to it all the time.
That includes leaving a raw drive (either IDE or SATA) on the table
next to the PC. It's how I do backups. No wasted money on ESATA
cards, drive enclosures, that sort of thing. I hate having to bolt
slides and U-brackets to drives (for internal installation), and
it's a lot easier to just rest the drive on the table. (You can use
HDTune and SMART, to keep track of whether the drive is getting
too hot.)

I also have a 5.25" USB2 enclosure, and I keep a DVD writer in there.
That's for sharing with the PCs that don't have their own DVD capability.
I have more CD drives in the house, than DVD ones. So you can also
use enclosures as a way to add stuff to a PC. Yet another way to do
that, is with Firewire 400 or Firewire 800. I actually have a couple
enclosures of the 400 variety around here too, but they don't get
used that much. One advantage of Firewire, is the ability to daisy
chain, but due to the chip design in the enclosure, the second drive
in the chain doesn't get as good a transfer bandwidth as the first.
The Firewire 400 is fast enough for backups, but not good for much
else (I don't think the PC will boot from it, so it's not an OS drive).
I still don't have any Firewire 800 gear, no adapter cables
for that or the like. USB2 or USB3 are probably cheaper standards
to use, than Firewire, due to the volumes of USB gear.

Running cables outside the PC, in theory, could spread RF emissions
and upset TV or radio gear. But I haven't seen any signs of that
for eons. Years ago, I brought home an experimental computer from
work, and it emitted so much RF, I couldn't watch TV while it was
powered. (I had to take it back to work, it was *that* nasty.)
Eventually, we managed to design gear that met FCC requirements :-)
To give you some idea how long ago that was, it had 8" floppy drives.

Paul

On Feb 19, 9:16 am, Mint wrote:
I want to add a second hard drive to an older system.

Can I mount it externally if I can find a cable extension?
(It's too cramped inside the HP Pavillion.)

Thanks,
Andy

This afternoon I saw a still active link at Fat Wallet dotcom to a USB
3.5 docking station. Has its power supply and besides the ESATA
connect. About $25 shipped -- low profile around the drive, and it
has about 15 good reviews for cooling. (Or wait for a better deal on
a combo PCI USB3 card and USB3 dock). Generally the "preferred" way
for swapping around those stacks of $50-75 1-1.5T drives laying
around. The "hang-by-wire" route, the looks, would get on my nerves
eventually.

On Feb 19, 10:10*am, Mike Easter wrote:
Mint wrote:
I want to add a second hard drive to an older system.

Can I mount it externally if I can find a cable extension?
(It's too cramped inside the HP Pavillion.)

Which HP Pavilion?

--
Mike Easter

I could not find the model.

It's fairly old.
It originally came with Windows ME.

Property Value
Manufacturer Asus
Model A7V-VM
Version 1.02

North Bridge VIA KT133A Revision 03
South Bridge VIA VT82C686 Revision 03

CPU AMD Athlon(tm) Processor
Cpu Socket Socket A (462)

On Feb 19, 11:06*am, Charlie Hoffpauir wrote:
On Sat, 19 Feb 2011 06:16:56 -0800 (PST), Mint

wrote:
I want to add a second hard drive to an older system.

Can I mount it externally if I can find a cable extension?
(It's too cramped inside the HP Pavillion.)

Thanks,
* * * * * * Andy

The short answer is yes.

I've done this many times, on a temporary basis as when swapping one
hard drive for a larger one (ie cloning the small drive information
onto a large drive). You don't even need a case for the "external"
drive for this, but for long time use, it might be better to get a
case to protect the drive.

BUT.... look more carefully inside that HP case. There are usually a
lot of places you can put a drive. I've even run with one "velcroed"
to the door that you remove to access the case. Another place to put a
drive is in the floppy drive slot. Many cases still have such a slot
even though floppies are almost extinct. Or maybe there is a slot for
a second optical drive.... sometimes the extra slot is taken up by a
set of USB & I/O ports in HP cases, but the "back" side of that slot
may still have room for your extra drive.

HP really jammed stuff in this model.

I had to mount an external fan on top of the primary drive.

:-)

Andy

On Sun, 20 Feb 2011 05:40:51 -0800 (PST), Mint
wrote:

snip
HP really jammed stuff in this model.

I had to mount an external fan on top of the primary drive.

:-)

Andy

Hmmmm. I cannot imagine why anyone would want to mount a fan on top of
a hard drive. If your drive is running too hot, get a better drive.
My present main computer has 5 internal hard drives, ranging from 400
GB to 1 TB, and two optical drives, and none are running hot.

Mint wrote:
Mike Easter
Mint wrote:
I want to add a second hard drive to an older system.
Can I mount it externally if I can find a cable extension?
(It's too cramped inside the HP Pavillion.)
Which HP Pavilion?

I could not find the model.

It's fairly old.
It originally came with Windows ME.

Property Value
Manufacturer Asus
Model A7V-VM
Version 1.02

North Bridge VIA KT133A Revision 03
South Bridge VIA VT82C686 Revision 03

CPU AMD Athlon(tm) Processor
Cpu Socket Socket A (462)

I was actually more interested in the model number to determine the
case. Current Pavilions come in slim and full sized desktops.

The numerous different Pavilions which came with the Asus A7V-VM mobo
were various 7800 series and 500 series which had an empty 3.5" hdd bay
for your 2nd hdd and a removable drive cage to facilitate installation.
Some also had an empty 5.25 external.


--
Mike Easter