Drive Dock: Turn bare drives into floppies

[MerleOne]

There are many different models like all those on http://www.usbgeek.com, S&H are low and I find them quite reliable.  I admit though that the white dock shown by zridling is looking nicer !

[Carol Haynes]

I have a similar 'cable' USB device which allows you to plug in IDE, SATA or laptop 2.5" IDE drives.

See http://www.amazon.co...idos/ASIN/B000Q5YW76



Not the prettiest setup but quick and easy for connecting any drive quickly.

[kyrathaba]

This product "complains" rather than "complies", but it seems to be touted as a feature  

[mouser]

in some ways it's nice to have an all in one combining dock+usb+card reader, BUT this is often a path to pain, when one or more parts stops working well.

there are a ton of sata hard drive docks, and i personally think everyone should have one.

newegg is a good place to buy since the user reviews are excellent:
http://www.newegg.co...dock&x=0&y=0

[kyrathaba]

I have an old Samsung SpinPoint 80Gb IDE drive that would do just fine for backing up my most important files (photos, C# projects, etc.)  What I'd really like to find is an enclosure for it that offers one-touch backup of any directories on my laptop that I've specified.

I don't really care whether I'm dealing with firmware or software, but I'd just like to be able to stick this 80Gb HDD is a box, push a button, and it begins backing up "Pictures"... "Visual Studio Projects"... etc.

[Target]

I have an old Samsung SpinPoint 80Gb IDE drive that would do just fine for backing up my most important files (photos, C# projects, etc.)  What I'd really like to find is an enclosure for it that offers one-touch backup of any directories on my laptop that I've specified.

I don't really care whether I'm dealing with firmware or software, but I'd just like to be able to stick this 80Gb HDD is a box, push a button, and it begins backing up "Pictures"... "Visual Studio Projects"... etc.

-kyrathaba (June 28, 2011, 07:30 PM)

batch file....

[40hz]

there are a ton of sata hard drive docks

-mouser (June 28, 2011, 07:21 PM)

I can recommend the Thermaltake BlacX Duet SATA dock.  

Excellent quality, inexpensive, must-have accessory if you do any kind of PC hardware support or repair work. (Or if you need to scrub a particularly resilient piece of malware off somebody's boot drive.) Prices vary widely so be sure to shop around for it. List is $49.99 USD. But last time I needed another one I ended up scoring two on sale for $22 each. I would have bought more at that price but they were the last two in stock where I got it.

 

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@kyrathaba -Very nice find. Haven't seen one of those before. Caveats aside, I like the fact it's an all-in-one. If they just added in a 6-port USB hub it would be the perfect addition to a technician's field kit. And a lot less to carry. 

[kyrathaba]

Yes, I really like the Thermaltake BlacX Duet SATA.  Very sharp.  But I don't think it'd work with my old drive, which is IDE.

If they just added in a 6-port USB hub it would be the perfect addition to a technician's field kit.

+1

[40hz]

But I don't think it'd work with my old drive, which is IDE.

-kyrathaba (June 28, 2011, 09:24 PM)

It won't. It's strictly SATA. Straight EIDE docks seem to have disappeared recently. Thermaltake used to make a companion EIDE version OF the BlacX. But I haven't seen one in years so I'm guessing it's been discontinued.

Startech still makes a dual IDE/SATA docking station, but it's fairly pricey.

I had an IDE dock. But it died about a year ago. What I now use is the guts from an old external USB drive enclosure that I leave the cover off of. Not as convenient to use as a real dock. But it does help recycle some of those old dead external IDE drives. Which is a lot greener than tossing them in the trash.
 

[mwb1100]

I have an old Samsung SpinPoint 80Gb IDE drive that would do just fine for backing up my most important files

-kyrathaba (June 28, 2011, 07:30 PM)

I'd just get an inexpensive SATA drive to replace the the 80GB drive and be done with it...