Use old IDE enclosure for new sata drive

vbimport
#1

Hi,
I already have an old IDE enclosure (Bytecc 340U2F; firewire and usb) which i was using with a pioneer 112 drive. My drive died recently, so i have ordered a new bluray reader (LG CH08LS10). Problem is that the new drive is SATA. Is there a way I can use the new drive with the old enclosure without having to buy a new sata enclosure.

There are few sata to usb converters on newegg(Link). I can somehow drill a hole at the back of the enclosure and put in this cable. But I would lose the firewire, and am not sure whether the enclosure fans would kick in without drive connect to its own chipset. Is there a better way? Can I use a SATA to IDE converter (what will fit)? Can I buy an entire chipset and throw out the old one?

Basically, any suggestions for the best/cheapest option? Or you recommend to just buy a new $40 sata usb enclosure?

Thanks.
P.S. I am connecting it to an imac so unfortunately it has to be external.

#2

Hi,

alone the internal IDE->USB (or firewire) converter isn’t always troublefree. Now add some IDE/Sata converter (these are even more unreliable with optical drives. I wouldn’t recommend that.
Apart from that, there is normally not enough space for such an additional part.

Get a Sata->USB (or firewire) enclosure for piece of mind.

Michael

#3

Thanks. So the sata to ide converter option is eliminated. I agree having a new enclosure would be best, but I just want to explore if there is a cheaper solution.

What about the first option I mentioned. Buying something like this (sata to usb), and running the cable from the back of the enclosure. However, with this solution would the fans still work independently?

#4

If you want to combine an USB/Sata adapter and your enclosure, then remove the electronic stuff from your enclosure (and keep it for future use). Of course, in such a scenario there is no fan any more. This shouldn’t be an issue at all. Retail external drives don’t have fans either.

Michael

#5

Won’t I still need the electronic stuff inside to power the drive?

#6

[QUOTE=pumpkinwhite;2470102]Won’t I still need the electronic stuff inside to power the drive?[/QUOTE]

What you’re asking is impossible. Just buy a new SATA enclosure. You can’t jury rig an IDE enclosure to work with a SATA drive, unless you completely replace the internals of the IDE enclosure with SATA components and power. You can’t just plug some simple adapter or cable in and have it work. Forget about it.

#7

[QUOTE=pumpkinwhite;2470102]Won’t I still need the electronic stuff inside to power the drive?[/QUOTE]If your USB/Sata adapter comes with a power supply (don’t buy one without PSU), then not.

Michael

#8

After fighting with many adapter configurations, I have to agree with negritude. That route tends to be paved with frustration. Not to mention the bottleneck and timing issues going from sata to USB. There is, however, a way to convert an IDE enclosure on the cheap if you have an empty back panel slot. Installing one of these http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812226003 esata brackets hooked to a spare sata mobo port or SiI3114 pci-sata card. Then install an IDE-sata power cable adapter http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189005&cm_re=power_cable--12-189-005--Product in the enclosure and route a 1 meter sata-esata cable http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812150071 through the back of the enclosure. You could also get these components for about $10.00/shipped off E-bay. You do need to have the drive powered up at boot, and you don’t want to try any hot-swapping. Currently have 5 of these conversions running smoothly on my home computers :eek::).

#9

[QUOTE=deanwitty;2470609]After fighting with many adapter configurations, I have to agree with negritude. That route tends to be paved with frustration. Not to mention the bottleneck and timing issues going from sata to USB. There is, however, a way to convert an IDE enclosure on the cheap if you have an empty back panel slot. Installing one of these http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812226003 esata brackets hooked to a spare sata mobo port or SiI3114 pci-sata card. Then install an IDE-sata power cable adapter http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189005&cm_re=power_cable--12-189-005--Product in the enclosure and route a 1 meter sata-esata cable http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812150071 through the back of the enclosure. You could also get these components for about $10.00/shipped off E-bay. You do need to have the drive powered up at boot, and you don’t want to try any hot-swapping. Currently have 5 of these conversions running smoothly on my home computers :eek::).[/QUOTE]

Wow . . . sounds like you like to tinker around with stuff just a bit. :bigsmile:

#10

[QUOTE=justcallmebob;2470641]Wow . . . sounds like you like to tinker around with stuff just a bit. :bigsmile:[/QUOTE]
LOL :bigsmile:. Guilty as charged :o. Wasted too much time, money, and tinkering with sata-ide and sata-usb adapters when it occured to me that there was an easy way to avoid that mess. When I discovered I could bend a top corner of the back panel in just enough to pass the sata cable through snugly to avoid the danger of having it pull out of the drive, I was sold. Gave me a clean, simple, direct sata hook-up, made it easy to swap sata drives in the enclosure or between computers, and saved me a bunch of money over buying new sata enclosures :cool:.
And I love saving money almost as much as I love tinkering :D.