External USB 2.0 HDD Enclosure?

[CaptainZombie]

I have a 160gb laying around from my old PC that I gutted and I wanted to use it with the new PC I bought a few weeks ago. Since my new HDD is not using IDE cabling, I tried to also hook up the 160gb via IDE and the system wouldn't boot properly. I even checked the BIOS for boot sequence.

My other alternative is getting an External USB Enclosure for the 160gb HDD. Has anyone had experience with HDD enclosures?

I primarily want to use this HDD so I can load all my MP3's to.

[aukevin]

Re: External USB 2.0 HDD Enclosure?

I bought this one from newegg about a month and a half ago. No problems with it, easy installation, sleek look:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817348003

I also have this one, a couple bucks cheaper but not as nice looking, but it was all plastic and snap together, so no screws. But since you are getting it for a harddrive, I'd recommend the first one because this one has a louder fan which is annoying. I have a DVD-RW drive in it so it doesn't need the fan on.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817186103

[Dukefan22]

Re: External USB 2.0 HDD Enclosure?

I bought one primarily for the same reason you are thinking of. I got a new HD which used SATA cabling instead of IDE. The other HD was still good, but it was a little slow and had a few corrupt clusters so I wanted to get a new one. I got an external enclosure, hooked up the cables, plugged in the USB, turned it on, it comes right up like an external drive (think of like a flash drive). I now store all my mp3's and other random files on there. It's a great device for the money.

[aukevin]

Re: External USB 2.0 HDD Enclosure?

I bought one primarily for the same reason you are thinking of. I got a new HD which used SATA cabling instead of IDE. The other HD was still good, but it was a little slow and had a few corrupt clusters so I wanted to get a new one. I got an external enclosure, hooked up the cables, plugged in the USB, turned it on, it comes right up like an external drive (think of like a flash drive). I now store all my mp3's and other random files on there. It's a great device for the money.

That's why I bought the nicer looking enclosure as well. My new computer was a SATA one as well.

[ehh]

Re: External USB 2.0 HDD Enclosure?

I have a 160gb laying around from my old PC that I gutted and I wanted to use it with the new PC I bought a few weeks ago. Since my new HDD is not using IDE cabling, I tried to also hook up the 160gb via IDE and the system wouldn't boot properly. I even checked the BIOS for boot sequence.

My other alternative is getting an External USB Enclosure for the 160gb HDD. Has anyone had experience with HDD enclosures?

I primarily want to use this HDD so I can load all my MP3's to.

I had to do the exact thing you're thinking of last winter when I got my new Dell desktop. I love the enclosure kit I got for my 80 gig HD, I haven't had a single problem with it. If I had known it would have worked so seamlessly for my music collection I probably would have gotten a laptop.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: External USB 2.0 HDD Enclosure?

Thanks guys, yeah my new HDD is running with the SATA cabling also. I currently have 320GB HDD in the PC, but gutting the old PC so I can sell the parts on it, I wanted to keep the 160gb for MP3's and other media files.

Do I have to worry about this HDD ever getting hot in these cases?

I bought this one during lunch for $40 at Circuit City.