External Hotswappable Drive Enclosure Recommendation

  • Thread starter Thread starter FFV
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FFV

Hi. Does anyone have a link to a 3.5" IDE external enclosure product using
USB 2.0 or Firewire that will allow me to replace the HDD like a front
loading *cartridge*? The software will of course need to allow me to
unmount the drive before doing this. DVD-RWs just aren't big enough for
backups and full length DVD movies!
 
what do you mean, one drive? there are hundreds on enclosures.

if you have two drives, buy two enclosures. it doesn't make sense to swap
drives in a 5" external enclosure, but if you have to just unplug it when
swapping.

| Hi. Does anyone have a link to a 3.5" IDE external enclosure product using
| USB 2.0 or Firewire that will allow me to replace the HDD like a front
| loading *cartridge*? The software will of course need to allow me to
| unmount the drive before doing this. DVD-RWs just aren't big enough for
| backups and full length DVD movies!
|
|
 
If you have WinXP and you want to do it cheaply, and have very high
interface speed (ATA/133 which is faster than USB and Firewire), just get a
standard ATA/133 IDE removable drawer with a power switch.

With PC already running, insert drive drawer, switch ON removable drawer,
tell XP to ScanForHardwareChanges in Device Manager, and the partitions on
the drive will appear in Explorer/MyComputer.

With PC running, to remove the drive, go to Device Manager, Disable the
controller, switch OFF removable drawer, wait a few seconds for drive to
stop spinning, remove drawer.
 
Yeah, its true a good way is to get an enclosure for *each* drive but I like
the idea of loading HDDs like cartridges. I have several older HDDs on the
shelf and I'd like to use them as backup and storage of data I don't need
often (DVD movies). I'd prefer not to have shell out cash for an enclosure
for each one of them.

I think what would be a perfect product is enclosure fitted internally in a
5.25" slot where one could eject HDDs like tape cartridges. You can get a
250GB 3.5" ATA drive for less than $200 on ebay. It'd make a great backup
alternative to slow and expensive tape drives. Anyone know of something
that's similar to this?
 
Thanks for the links. I like the under $30 prices of these drive
enclosures. Unfortunately, I can see from the pictures that they still
require the user to disassemble the drive enclosure to swap HDDs. :( I was
hoping to find an enclosure that can "front load" the HDD after dismounting
it from the operating system.
 
Thanks for the links. I like the under $30 prices of these drive
enclosures. Unfortunately, I can see from the pictures that they still
require the user to disassemble the drive enclosure to swap HDDs. :( I was
hoping to find an enclosure that can "front load" the HDD after dismounting
it from the operating system.
Click to expand...

You could simply get a 5.25" external drive enclosure (USB, Firewire
or SATA) and mount a 5.25" removeable hot-swap drive bay tray in it.
You'd have both - a portable enclosure with the ability to swap out
drives with no fuss.

-Slash
 
Sounds like that could work. Do you have a link to a 5.25" "removeable
hot-swap drive bay tray" you mention? I wouldn't mind having that actually
installed *internally* so long as I can swap out drives.
 
Hot swap IDE doesn't work unless the adapter is hot swap too. The USB bridge
will not be unless you use the power switch.


| You could simply get a 5.25" external drive enclosure (USB, Firewire
| or SATA) and mount a 5.25" removeable hot-swap drive bay tray in it.
| You'd have both - a portable enclosure with the ability to swap out
| drives with no fuss.
|
 
FFV said:
Hi. The Newegg URLs don't seem to be working. The page says "0 Item(s)
Found". :-(
Click to expand...

Sorry. It looks like they are no longer available there.

look at http://www.vipower.com/
they have many models which provide the USB -> IDE bridge and
removeable rack all in one product.

Kingwin also has a similar unit but looks beefier and has a nice power
switch and front door.
http://www.kingwin.com/pdut_detail.asp?LineID=&CateID=27&ID=105
http://www.kingwin.com/pdut_detail.asp?LineID=&CateID=27&ID=104


These are probably good units, and there may be others like them, I'm
just not sure though.
 
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