Connect Internal Hard Drives Externally

I’ve been fixing computers for some time now, as part of the tools of the trade I have many cables and tools that helps me with the day-to-day task of fixing computers, drives, and other technology. One of the tools that have helped me a lot is a USB 2.0 to IDE & SATA cable from Cables Unlimited that I got at CompUSA, but you can get it pretty much anywhere you can buy computer parts.

This useful tool allows you to plug a hard drive to a computer without having to open it and installing it inside, better for people like me that I only have an Apple MacBook. To add to its simplicity, I can use it even if I’m on Windows XP using VMWare on my MacBook.

This product comes with a power cord with a couple of connectors to use in regular four-pin power connector or Serial ATA Power connector. The head unit connects directly to either IDE 44Pin for 2.5-inch hard drives or IDE 40Pin for 3.5-inch hard drives, alternatively you can use a regular SATA hard drive connector from the head unit to your SATA hard drive.

You can also use this tool to connect an internal CD/DVD ROM externally for testing, the variety of OS’s compatible with this tool is very decent. I’ve used it with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and OS X and they all work ok. I was able to use the Disk Utility application from Mac OS X to format a new 2.5 SATA drive to make it ready for my MacBook, and it worked great.

Back when I got this tool I paid about $25 for it, it is still at this price point except for the manufacturer, which for some reason has it listed at around $50. Talking about the manufacturer, you can find more information by visiting www.cablesunlimited.com. If you have a question about my experience with this product, leave a comment or use the contact form on my website to write directly to me.