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Ide Drives

Advantages of External Hard Drive

The computer component that holds data is a hard drive and an external hard drive is a hard drive that is outside the computer case in its own enclosure (also called hard drive cage).  Every computer needs at least one hard drive to store its operating system, programs and user interpretation. It is usually internal but additional external hard drives have become indispensable.

An external hard drive has become indispensable because there are potential security threats to our computers like virus due to Internet access even after employing anti-virus programs and firewalls.  

Apart from this, inadvertent corruption of sensitive documents and additional space required for multimedia storage are some of the problems and one single solution to all such problems is the external hard drive.

The external hard drive is enclosed in an enclosure outside the main computer and is slightly larger than the hard drive itself and sometimes has a cooling fan.  The external hard drive is connected to the computer through a high-speed interface cable, which enables the external hard drive to communicate with the computer by means of interfaces like USB and Fire Wire. 

An external hard drive is a very constructive piece of equipment in the sense that it allows the user to back up or store important information detached from the main internal hard drive, which could be affected by on-line or off-line activities.  An external hard drive can hold sensitive documents, DVD images, disc images, large music files, movies and also a back up of the contents of the main internal hard drive safely and securely.  When on line, external hard drive can even be left turned off. 

An external hard drive has another advantage – it is portable and operates on plug and play basis.  The external hard drive can be used as a storage device for any computer with a USB or Fire Wire capability. 

Hard drives are available in two basic formats: SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) and IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics).  IDE drives use a 40-pin connection and are cheaper and SATA hard drives are faster and transfer data at six times the speed of IDE external hard drive.

An external hard drive is basically composed of the Platters, the Spindles and Spindle Motor, the Read/Write Head and the Head Actuator.

The Platters are the actual discs inside the external drive that store the magnetized data.  Platters made of glass or ceramic are used because they are thinner and are more heat resistant.  Generally, the external hard drives have at least two platters and the larger the storage capacity of the hard drive the more the platters.  The Spindle Motor is built right into the Spindle and spins the Platter at a constant set rate ranging from 3600 to 7200 rpm.  The Read/Write Head reads and writes the data to the Platter.  There is necessarily one head per platter side and each head is attached to a single actuator shaft.  Only one of the heads is active at a time reading or writing the data.  All the heads are attached to a single head actuator, which moves the head around the Platters.  The platters spindle, spindle motor, head actuator and the read or write head are all contained in a chamber called the Hard Disc Assembly (HDA)

We can even buy several hard drives and barter them in and out of the same enclosures, using one for work, one for back up, and one for multi media and song and so on and thus there are boundless reasons to use an external hard drive.

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IDE to Slim Optical IDE Drive Adapter $12.99 0.49 oz 1 x 40-pin Male IDE 1 x MPC-2 Male 1 x SP4 Male Power 2 x 50-pin Male ATAPI This IDE to Slim ATAPI or IDE Optical Drive Adapter lets you connect any slimline IDE-based optical drive to a computer using an IDE cable The adapter features a 40 pin IDE data connector for connection to the host computer, Power, and two CD Audio connections, as well as a 50-pin ATAPI device connector for slim IDE drives. Data Transfer Adapter Green IDE to Slim Optical IDE Drive Adapter Lifetime OPT2IDE RoHS StarTech.com Yes www.startech.com

StarTech.com IDE/EIDE Cable $6.99 1 x 40-pin IDC Female 18" 2 x 40-pin IDC Female 12 and 6 inches between connectors This 18in dual drive IDE cable lets you connect two ATA 66/100/133 drives to a computer IDE port, as Master and Slave drives. This high quality flat ribbon-style IDE cable is the ideal solution for connecting hard disk drives, CD-ROMs, Tape Backup drives, Zip drives, DVD-ROM, or any ATA peripheral to your IDE capable computer. Data Transfer Cable IDC IDE/EIDE IDE/EIDE Cable IDE66 Lifetime StarTech.com www.startech.com

replacement for TS128GSSD25-M . Designed as a drop-in replacement for IDE hard disk drives, Transcends 2.5" PATA Solid State... $185.5 replacement for TS128GSSD25-M . Designed as a drop-in replacement for IDE hard disk drives, Transcends 2.5" PATA Solid State...

StarTechcom Hard Drive Enclosure for 35 SATA/IDE Hard Drives $32.99 This enclosure allows you to convert almost any IDE or SATA hard drive into an external hard drive. The aluminum casing provides durability and the fixed luminescent base glows blue when the enclosure is in use.

Startech OPT2IDE Ide To Slim Optical Ide Drive Adapter $24.49 This IDE to Slim ATAPI or IDE Optical Drive Adapter lets you connect any slimline IDEbased optical drive to a computer using an IDE cable The adapter features a 40 pin IDE data connector for connection to the host computer Power and two CD Audio connections as well as a 50pin ATAPI device connector for slim IDE drives. Enables an ATAPI device to work on a EIDE/IDE interface. Two screws are included for mounting to the rear of the slim drive. Jumpers for setting master or slave on the IDE channel. Connecting Slimline IDE based CD and DVD drives to IDE controllers. Color: Green. Connector A: 1 IDE 40 pin Male. Connector A: 1 MPC2 Male. Connector A: 1 SP4 Male. Connector B: 2 50 pin Slim ATAPI Male. Height: 1.02 . Length: 6.69 . Width: 5.43 .

BYTECC IDE Adaptor IDE to SATA Converter For Drive $10.99 Type: IDE to SATA Specifications: Connectors: 1 x 40 pin IDE connector for host connection 1 x 7+15pins Serial ATA port for SATA hard drive 1 x 4-pin power connector Features: Converts IDE connector for Serial ATA Drive Compatible with Ultra ATA 100/133 with Data transfer rate up to 1.5 Gbps (150 MB/s) No Driver required Supports SATA devices such as CD/DVD Drives, CD/DVD Burners....) Supports up to 2 channels & 2 devices With no Jumpers, makes it easy for configuration Parts: 180 days limited

Whole sale IDE SATA converter, 50pcs per lot , freeshipping to all over the world $118.84 This converter allows you to convert the interface of your IDE drives to SATA and the interface of SATA drives to IDE (40-pin).

Cables To Go IDE/EIDE Cable $10.99 02742 1 x 40-pin IDS Female 1.76 oz 19" 2 x 40-pin IDS Female Devices Supported: 2 Connector Spacing: 0-12-19in Cables To Go Data Transfer Cable Gray IDE/EIDE IDE/EIDE Cable IDS Lifetime Retail With IDE cables from Cables To Go, you can easily connect your IDE device to your motherboard or host controller. Each cable features 40-pin socket-to-socket connections and meets or exceeds all industry specifications. IDE ribbon cables are designed for use with Ultra33 and other IDE/ATAPI hard drives, CD-ROMs, CD-R/CD-RWs, tape drives, zip drives, LS-120s and other IDE/ATAPI devices. www.cablestogo.com

StarTech.com IDE/EIDE Cable Adapter $8.99 1 x 40-pin IDC Female 1 x 44-pin IDC Male 1 x Male 3 2.5" to 3.5" IDE Hard Drive Cable Adapter Imaging 2.5" notebook hard drives This 2.5in to 3.5in IDE Hard Drive Adapter cable provides a 44-pin female IDE connector and a 40-pin male IDE connector as well as an LP4 power supply connection, allowing you to connect a 2.5in IDE laptop hard drive to a desktop computer. Data Transfer Cable Adapter IDC IDE/EIDE Cable Adapter IDE4044 Lifetime PC StarTech.com www.startech.com

Belkin IDE Cable $19.99 1 1 x 40-pin IDC Female 18" 2 x 40-pin IDC Female Advantages: Increases data integrity. Required for maximum performance of Ultra ATA-66 /100- UDMA-66/100 IDE drives. 80-conductor ribbon cable featuring its unique grounding design. 40 conductors in the bulk cable provide extra grounding to reduce the levels of interference and cross talk between the drive and its controller. Hard Drive all IDE Belkin Belkin International, Inc Copper Data Transfer Cable F2N1107-18INCH Flapping and waving it winds through the computer. Making its way to each destination then twisting to another until finally the Belkin Ribbon Cable has touched each drive. Now your data can freely flow in a never-ending stream of information. Connects an internal IDE hard drive to your controller card. Required for maximum performance of Ultra ATA-66/100 UTDMA-66/100 IDE drives. Gray IDC IDE Cable IDE/EIDE Lifetime Retail www.belkin.com

IDE (40-Pin) to SATA Hard Disk Converter $4.29 - Mini board size, no space wasted? - This devices will convert IDE signals to Serial ATA for SATA hard drives

Aleratec 2.5 To 3.5 IDE Hard Drive Adapter 2-Pack - IDE / EIDE Adapter. Each $26.05 Manufacturer: Aleratec Inc. Each. The Aleratec 2.5" to 3.5" IDE adapter allows you to connect two 2.5" IDE hard disk drives into the 3.5" IDE trays of Aleratec's 1:5 HDD cruiser IDE/SATA duplicator. It features tool-less installation. Packaged Quantity: 2

StarTechcom 2-Port PCI IDE Controller Adapter Card $30.99 Replace your PC's failed IDE ports with this adapter card that features data transfer rates of up to 133 Mbps and is compatible with most hard drives, Zip drives, CD and DVD drives and other ATAPI peripherals.

StarTech.com IDE to SATA Adapter Converter $16.99 0.43" Height x 1.79" Width x 2.13" Length 0.45 oz 1 x 40-pin IDC Female IDE 2 x 7-pin Male SATA 3 Compatible with Ultra ATA 100/133 with Data transfer rate up to 1.5 Gbps (150 MBps) Compliant with Serial ATA 1.0 specification Converts IDE to Serial ATA No drivers required Supports ATAPI devices (CD/DVD drives, CD/DVD burners, etc... ) Supports up to 2 channels and 2 devices With no jumpers, makes it easy for configuration Great for transferring data between IDE devices and Serial ATA hard drives Ideal for business and enterprises using a combination of IDE and Serial ATA hard drives The PATA2SATA2 IDE to SATA Drive Motherboard Adapter Kit offers a cost-effective way to upgrade to SATA storage using IDE drives, without the expense and hassle of upgrading the existing system (motherboard, etc.) for compatibility. This dual channel bridge lets you connect two high-speed SATA drives without the cost and effort of upgrading your IDE (Parallel ATA) motherboard, while minimizing the space required for IDE cable connections - helping to improve airflow within the case which in turn helps to optimize system performance. Plus, the PATA2SATA2 IDE to SATA Drive Motherboard Adapter includes a power connector and SATA data cables, to ensure the upgrade to SATA is easy! PLEASE NOTE that SATA drives connected to the PATA2SATA2 IDE to SATA Drive Motherboard Adapter require the customary connection to the computer power supply. If the power supply does not provide the appropriate connection, the SATAPOWADAP 6" LP4 Male to Serial ATA Power Adapterwill be required. Data Transfer Adapter IDC IDE to SATA Adapter Converter PATA2SATA2 StarTech.com www.startech.com

SATA and IDE to USB 2.0 Converter for 2.5, 3.5 and 5.25 Hard Drives (Black) $24.39 Highlights Connect any SATA or IDE drive to your computer's USB portPerfect tool to duplicate, copy, backup, or transfer large amount of data from one drive to anotherUse your hard disk as an additional external hard driveSupports Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/Vista/MAC OS9.0High-Speed USB 2.0 (up to 480Mbps) data transfer rate and backward compatibility USB 1.1Support 2.5" IDE laptop hard disk, 3.5" IDE PC hard disk, 2.5"/3.5"/5.25" hard disk CD-ROM burnerOne Touch Backup function SpecificationsWeight: 39.6gDimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.5 cmPackage Contents 1 USB 2.0 to SATA / IDE Adapter with Power Source Port1 Power Adapter (100~240V AC)1 Power Cord1 SATA date cable1 SATA hard driver adapter cable1 Driver CD1 USB to US

Drive eRazer 3.5 IDE/PATA DR $97.99 Drive eRazer - Standard version, stand-alone product for quick & thorough erasing of 3.5-inch IDE/PATA hard drives (Old part is DRZR1)

Startech USB To SATA IDE External HDD Dock For 2.5in Or 3.5in Hard Drives - Storage Controller - IDE / SATA-300 - Hi-Speed USB. Each $55.52 Manufacturer: Startech Computer Products. Each. The UNIDOCK2U HDD Docking Station delivers full, instant access to any 2.5" and/or 3.5" IDE or SATA hard drive without having to mount the drive in a computer, or install it in an external enclosure. Connect

Inland USB to IDE/SATA Cable Adapter $22.99 08412 1 x SATA 1 x Type A Male USB 2.0 USB Supported drive interface: IDE Ultra ATA, Serial ATA Support drive type: 2.5" hard drives, 3.5" hard drives, 5.25" optical drives Data Transfer Cable Adapter IDE Inland Inland Products, Inc Type A USB to IDE/SATA Cable Adapter www.inlandproduct.com

USB to SATA/IDE Combo Kit $29.99 Let's face it - computer geeks collect files. Many of them large, some of them illicit, and perhaps even one or two illegal. Hey, we're not here to judge - we're here to help! Those files often live on hard-drives that occasionally get upgraded. The old drive gets ripped out in favor of the new in the never-ending effort to increase storage capacity. That doesn't mean, however, that those old drives have outlived their usefulness. You can dock just about any of those old drives into this simple device. Stick a USB transfer cable into one end along with the power-cable, and in one of the other ends, you can connect a 3.5" IDE hard drive, or a laptop 2.5" IDE drive, or even a miniscule 1.8" IDE hard drive! But, why stop there? You can connect a SATA drive, too! How about an optical disk drive? We've got it covered. Blu-Ray, DVD, CD, writeable, rewriteable... it doesn't matter! We're drive agnostic with our USB to SATA/IDE Combo Kit. Now your old drives have a brand new life. Or, if you're the handy type, you can keep this one device handy to recover data from a drive in a dead computer. You won't have to haul several different devices - just this one! Features Connect USB 2.0 ports to any IDE or SATA drive: 3.5" IDE 2.5" laptop IDE 1.8" micro IDE 3.5" SATA 2.5" SATA Optical drive that supports standard IDE or SATA connectors* AC Input: 100-240v/50-60hz DC output: 5v/12v Supports Windows (98se and up) or Mac OS (8.6 and up) Includes power supply, molex y-splitter, USB cable and drive dock * Some "slim-line" optical drives use a modified SATA connector that won't fit. Your mileage may vary.

MANHATTAN 179195 HISPEED USB TO SATA/IDE ADAPTER $44.19 PROVIDES FAST DATA ACCESS TO IDE SATA DRIVES WITH 1TOUCH BACKUP; TRANSFERS DATA BETWEEN SATA IDE EXTERNAL DRIVES WHEN BOTH ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY ATTACHED; SUPPORTS DATA TRANSFER SATA SPEEDS UP TO 1.5 GBPS HISPEED USB SPEEDS UP TO 480 MBPS; SUPPORTS 48BIT LBA (LOGICAL BLOCK ADDRESSING); FITS EXTERNAL SATA IDE HARD DRIVES UP TO 5.25 ; PLUG PLAY HOT SWAPPABLE; COMPATIBLE WITH WINDOWS MAC LINUX ; LIFETIME WARRANTY

SIIG SATA-to-IDE Adapter $21.99 1 1 x 40-pin IDE Female 1 x 7-pin SATA Male Serial ATA (7-pin) Compliant with Serial ATA 1.0a specificationSupports ATA/ATAPI Ultra DMA data transfer rates up to 150MB/sCompliant with ATA/ATAPI PIO modes 0 to 4 Pentium® or equivalent PC with an available Serial ATA portWindows® 2000/XP (32-/64-bit)/Server 2003 (32-/64-bit)/Vista (32-/64-bit) Quickly converts older IDE/Ultra DMA devices for use with newer Serial ATA controllersCompact L-shaped design reduces interference with other devicesConnects directly to an IDE drive - no expansion slot requiredConnects most large Ultra ATA 133/100/66/ hard disk drives to the latest Serial ATA controllersWorks with many ATAPI optical storage devices such as CD-ROMs, CD-RWs, DVD-ROMs and DVD-RWs (up to 16x) SATA to IDE AdapterSATA data and "Y" spit power cablesQuick Installation Guide Box DMA EIDE FCC, CE, RoHS Lifetime Repair/Replace - Not Applicable PC PIO Retail RoHS SATA-to-IDE Adapter SC-SA0112-S1 SIIG SIIG, Inc Serial/Ultra ATA Controller Slimline Taiwan Ultra ATA Ultra ATA 100/66/33 Ultra ATA/100 (ATA-6) Ultra ATA/133 (ATA-7) Ultra ATA/33 (ATA-4) Ultra ATA/66 (ATA-5) Ultra DMA Up to 1 x IDE/ATA Up to 1.04 Gbps Yes www.siig.com

Side-0002 - Premiertek Side-0002 Usb To Sata/Ide Cable Adapter - Male Usb - Ide, Ide, Sata $34.73 the Hi-speed Usb 2.0 to Serial Ata (sata) or Ide 2.5 inch And 3.5 inch Drive Adapter Creates a Bridge Between One Usb 1.1/2.0 Port And One Serial Ata or Sata-based Mass Storage Device Port. The Usb 2.0 to Sata And Ide 2.5 inch /3.5 inch Drive Adapter Turns Any Sata or Ide Hard Drive Into a Convenient External Drive. Easily Transfer Files From Computer or Notebook, Back up Files, or Store Large File Archives on Hard Drives. The Hi-speed Usb 2.0 Interface Provides For Easy Installation With Its Plug And Play Design. The Adapter Supports All Existing Serial Ata Sata And Ide Drives 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch . [DM1155] UPC: 813538011147 UNSPC: 26121600 6.75L x 5.1W x 2.25H 1 LB

StarTech.com Bi-directional SATA IDE Adapter/Converter $17.99 0.71 oz 1 Year 1 x 4-pin SP4 Male Power 1 x 40-pin Female IDE 2 x 7-pin Male SATA 2.40" Length x 1.97" Width 4 Bi-directional adapter converts IDE to SATA or SATA to IDE. The PATA2SATA3 is a bi-directional SATA IDE adapter/converter that lets you connect a Serial ATA drive to a legacy IDE port, or an IDE drive to a SATA motherboard port. A cost-effective solution for upgrading existing IDE systems to support SATA hard drives or optical drives, the SATA/IDE adapter eliminates the expense of having to purchase a controller card while saving the expansion slot that would be required for card installation. In addition to SATA hard drive installation, the adapter can be reversed in order to connect older IDE drives to a newer SATA-enabled motherboard, making it easy to retrieve old files from a previous system. Bi-directional SATA IDE Adapter/Converter Black Data Transfer Adapter PATA2SATA3 RoHS SP4 StarTech.com Yes www.startech.com

Cables To Go Serial ATA to IDE Converter $32.99 0.50" Height x 2.50" Width x 1.50" Depth 1 x 40-pin IDC Female IDE 1 x 7-pin SATA 10153 2 4.80 oz Compliant with Serial ATA specifications, revision 1.0 Allows you to connect existing IDE drives to your Serial ATA host adapter Plugs directly into the 40-pin IDE connector, no PCI-slot is required Black Cables To Go Data Transfer Adapter IDC RoHS Serial ATA to IDE Converter Yes www.cablestogo.com

Adsaide44 - Addonics Adsaide44 Sata To Ide Adapter $36.13 the Sata - 44-pin Ide Converter is a Perfect Solution For Converting 2.5 inch Serial Ata Hard Drives to 44-pin Ide Interface. Just Simply Attach This Converter to The Back of Any Sata Storage Device, And Instantly The Serial Ata Drive Can be Used as an Ide Device in All Kinds of Applications That Have Been Tested And Certified For Ide Storage. [DY4086] UPC: 605242968363 UNSPC: 43201500 5.63L x 4.3W x 1.75H 0.4 LB

SYBA SD-ADA50016 SATA to IDE (IDE to SATA) Bi-Directional Adapter $12.99 Type: SATA to IDE Features: Unique bi-directional SATA – IDE converter Supports 3.5-inch SATA and IDE (ATA) hard drive Supports 5.25-inch SATA and IDE (ATA) optical drives Power-On and HDD-Activity LED indicators Ultra low power consumption Connectors: one IDE (ATA) connector, one SATA host connector (Yellow), one SATA device connector (Black) and one 4-pin FDD power connector Two independent Ultra ATA channels with 128/256 bytes buffer per channel Driverless. No driver is needed Serial ATA Interface Complies with SATA 1.0a specification Supports SATA Generation 1 with transfer rate up to 1.5Gbps (150MB/s) Supports Spread Spectrum in receiver Supports SATA power saving mode: Partial and Slumber IDE (ATA) Interface Complies with ATA Specification Complies with Ultra ATA 133 with transfer rate up to 133MB/s Supports PIO mode o, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ...

Addonics ADSAIDE44 - Storage Controller - SATA-150 - IDE. Each $27.94 Manufacturer: Addonics. Each. The SATA - 44-pin IDE Converter is a perfect solution for converting 2.5" Serial ATA hard drives to 44-pin IDE interface. Just simply attach this converter to the back of any SATA storage device, and instantly the Serial ATA

Addonics AAT18ZIF25 1.8 ZIF to 2.5 IDE Adapter $24.99 Type: ZIF to IDE Specifications: Number of Connectors: 2 Connector Details: 1 x ZIF Male IDE Features: Compatibility: Toshiba 1.8" Hard Disk Drives Parts: 1 year limited Labor: 1 year limited

Cables To Go 02742 19in DUAL IDE DRIVE FLAT RIBBON CABLE $18.25 With IDE cables from Cables To Go you can easily connect your IDE device to your motherboard or host controller. Each cable features 40pin sockettosocket connections and meets or exceeds all industry specifications. IDE ribbon cables are designed for use with Ultra33 and other IDE/ATAPI hard drives CDROMs CDR/CDRWs tape drives zip drives LS120s and other IDE/ATAPI devices. Connectors: 40wire/40pin IDC Female to Two 40wire/40pin IDC Females. Devices Supported: 2. Cable Type: IDE/EIDE. Connector Spacing: 01219in.