Need adapter USB to PATA laptop hard drive adapter.

I have a Vaio PCG-K23 laptop. The hard drive uses a parallel ATA interface. The laptop will not boot. I need to transfer the files on the hard drive to my desktop pc so I can back them up before I try to replace the hard drive. Presently, I use this kind of adapter

formatting link
to transfer the files. It works but it's inconvenient to use as it must be hooked up internally to the IDE ribbon cables and power plugs. I found this package
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which I think will work. However I'm not sure if just plugging in the 44 pin connector to the hard drive will supply power to the unit. I've tried using the ask a question link on eBay but something is getting lost in the translation. Can someone please advise me if the set of cords and adapters listed in this package is enough to get the PATA drive powered up and working?

Thanks for your reply.

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David Farber 
Los Osos, CA
Reply to
David Farber
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Spend a couple dollars more and get the AC power supply. I use this style, which works wit 2.5", 3.5" PATA or any SATA drive. One thing that may cause you problems: Some PATA drives exceed the current available from a USB port. I use an external drive housing with a power supply for those. You can buy a USB cable with two connectors for the computer end, to get more current.

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For the later PATA drives, the USB adapter cable will work fine.

You didn't give a model number for the hard drive. Do a search for it's specs. USB2 ports will supply up to 1A.

--
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to 
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.
Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

"David Farber" wrote in message news:lr8jnv$gti$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me...

I have a Vaio PCG-K23 laptop. The hard drive uses a parallel ATA interface. The laptop will not boot. I need to transfer the files on the hard drive to my desktop pc so I can back them up before I try to replace the hard drive. Presently, I use this kind of adapter

formatting link
to transfer the files. It works but it's inconvenient to use as it must be hooked up internally to the IDE ribbon cables and power plugs. I found this package
formatting link
which I think will work. However I'm not sure if just plugging in the 44 pin connector to the hard drive will supply power to the unit. I've tried using the ask a question link on eBay but something is getting lost in the translation. Can someone please advise me if the set of cords and adapters listed in this package is enough to get the PATA drive powered up and working?

Thanks for your reply.

I've used these kind of things in the past.

formatting link

You can get various types, PATA, SATA. The one I have will interface with both ESATA and USB connections. And even though they are supplied with a double USB power connection and a wall wart, the one I have will actually power the drive from the USB data connector alone.

Its a good way of converting any old laptop drive to an external backup drive.

Cheers,

Gareth.

Reply to
Gareth Magennis

The hard drive is a Samsung HM160HC. The specs say 2.1 watts for typical seek. 900mA for maximum spin-up current. Was you link above supposed to show two USB connectors on one cable? I didn't see that.

My other question was is there any point in having the external AC power supply that comes with the kit for a PATA drive? I can't see any way to connect it to the drive once the drive is hooked up to the 44 pin adapter.

Thanks for your reply.

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David Farber 
Los Osos, CA
Reply to
David Farber

The external power supply is to provide power for a 3.5" drive (it needs +12V which is not available from your USB port).

Reply to
jfeng

The adapter should try to provide power to the hard drive from the 5 volts, 0.5 A available from the USB port. If your drive needs less than

2.5 W this "should" work. If your drive needs more than 2.5 W, then this adapter may not work. I have used that style of adapter before, but it was with 3.5" hard drives, where I connected power directly to the hard drive... I never tried it with an IDE/PATA laptop drive that I remember.

The Molex-to-SATA power cable that comes with that adapter lets you power a 2.5" or 3.5" SATA hard drive from... somewhere. The package doesn't appear to include an AC adapter, so you'd need a computer power supply with +12 V and +5 V on a Molex connector. (Molex is the "classic" 4-pin power connector, about one inch or 25 mm wide, usually white nylon, used on internal IDE hard drives and 5.25" floppy drives.)

The USB-to-IDE/SATA adapter I use is this one. I bought it at a local store; I don't know anything about this online store. I paid about $25 a few years ago.

formatting link

It is almost the same as the one you posted, but 1) the SATA connector has both data and power and 2) it has a Molex male power connector on the adapter. It came with an AC power adapter that supplies +12 and

+5 V DC on a Molex female power connector.

The ways it can be used go like this:

3.5" IDE/PATA hard drive: Plug AC power supply directly into hard drive. Plug 40-pin connector of adapter into hard drive. Plug USB connector of adapter into PC. 2.5" IDE/PATA hard drive: Plug AC power supply into adapter. Plug 44-pin connector of adapter into hard drive. Plug USB connector of adapter into PC. 3.5" or 2.5" SATA hard drive: Plug AC power supply into adapter. Plug SATA connector of adapter into hard drive. Plug USB connector of adapter into PC.

I think there are a few SATA drives in the world now that need 3.3 V instead of 5 V. In that case, I don't think this adapter would work; I don't think it supplies 3.3 V on the SATA power connector. You don't need to worry about this with your drive, though.

Standard disclaimers apply: I don't get money or other consideration from any companies mentioned.

Matt Roberds

Reply to
mroberds

Hi Matt,

Would this device have the same capabilities (specifically PATA mode) as the one you mentioned?

formatting link

Thanks for your reply.

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David Farber 
Los Osos, CA
Reply to
David Farber

I bought this (maybe from a different eBay seller). It works well.

The cable in the upper right corner is the USB-to-IDE/SATA adapter. The SA TA drive is connected, via the red SATA cable (top row middle), to the oval thingy at the top of the rectangle. One of the long edges is the IDE (PAT A) connector for 2.5" drives, and the other edge is the one for 3.5" drives . I think this setup is the same as the one in your original listing, plus the power supply and power cord.

Reply to
jfeng

No, the supply is for SATA drives. PATA are going away fast, so why buy something that has limited use? :)

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Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to 
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.
Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

On mine, the triangular thing in the lower left corner is the four pin powe r connector that works with the 3.5" PATA drives (plus most desktop CD/DVD drives, 5.25" and 8" floppy drives, and 5.25" hard drives). The cable in t he upper left is the power adapter for SATA drives: plug the white Molex co nnector onto the black traingular connector from the power supply, and then plug the square black connector onto the power connector of your SATA driv e.

Reply to
jfeng

That device can easily do PATA for a 3.5" drive. In that case, the provided AC power supply would plug directly into the drive.

That device can do PATA for a 2.5" drive, *as long as the drive draws less power than is available from a single USB port* - 2.5 W.

If your drive draws more than 2.5 W, that device may not be able to power it. I don't think it has a way to plug the AC adapter into the device, to supply more power to the 44-pin 2.5" PATA connector than the USB port can provide.

There's a chance that there is a place for the AC adapter on the back side of the "pod" on the end of the USB cable, but there is no picture in the ad, and I haven't seen this style of device with such a connector on the "pod" before.

Most laptop hard drives probably draw less than 2.5 W, so this shouldn't be an issue very often.

Matt Roberds

Reply to
mroberds

8" floppy drives were 50 pin. They were rarely used with PCs, and pretty much obsolete in the '80s. Most of the 8" drives I worked with had AC motors, and ran from a +24 volt power supply. There were few half height 8" drives that were DC only, but they operated from +24 VDC to be compatible with existing hardware.

I have two of these adapters, with the cables and AC power supplies that I use to troubleshoot old computers and recover data.

--
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to 
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.
Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Hi Matt,

I ordered the kit with the external power supply and the multiple adapters.

formatting link

I'll report back and let you know how it works.

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

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David Farber 
Los Osos, CA
Reply to
David Farber

As I think about it, I am convinced that I got exactly this set from the sa me vendor (acturally, more than once). The first time, I mistakenly though t they had forgotten to include the SATA data cable (the middle top, red wi th rectangular black connectors on both ends). I overloloked the flat blac k cable withe the SATA data connectors. The cable was red (I think this is the "standard" color) in the most recent set.

Reply to
jfeng

I received the kit yesterday. The USB port is the only source of power for the PATA drive. If you have a SATA drive or the older type ATA drive with the big power connector, then you can use the external power supply that comes with the kit. Anyway, my PATA drive worked fine with the USB adapter.

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David Farber 
Los Osos, CA
Reply to
David Farber

I had a similar problem. I fixed it with a jumper that lets me get the power from the usb or the external power supply.

Reply to
mike

Did the connector on the power supply have four round pins (PATA style) like the one I received, or was it a slotted socket (SATA style)?

Reply to
jfeng

The connector from the power supply has a cord that has the four round pins which will plug directly into the drive. It is unnecessary for the notebook style drive. The kit also comes with an adapter so you can plug the power into a SATA drive as well.

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David Farber 
Los Osos, CA
Reply to
David Farber

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