Hi guys I wonder if you can help me out.

I have had a new PC recently and sold my old lappy on ebay, keeping a couple of HDD's I used with it with work on. I used to connect these up to my desktop using an IDE-->2.5" laptop HDD convertor. I tried to use this the other day again to transfer all my old work files (last year's school work) and I couldn't get it to register on my computer (despite trying every mehtod I have in my pretty good level of IT), whatever happened, the BIOS wouldn't either up.

So then I had a problem: (what's wrong?)

1) Something wrong with my computer
2) HDD's are mucked up and won't work
3) Converter has become dodgy

1): Tried other computer, same problem => not the problem.
2) Unlikely (I am hoping!) They were kept in a drawer for a month or two like they had been in the past with no problems so should have worked, they are fairly robust little things.
3) Possible, used multimetre and it is getting power (+5.5v) but checking all 40 pins has proved to be difficult with my mansized fingers. So, I AM HOPING THIS IS THE PROBLEM. Or, maybe I haven't thought about how to do it and have done something wrong (again, unlikely, tried even using it on IDE 1 as master but to no avail )

I was wondering if anybody had one of these little converters and whether they would mind lending me on for a few days (I would obviously pay postage!). I am just desperate to try and get my work off as it is all my A/S work and two of my exams are synoptic and hence require A/S work. I computerised all my notes and can't do this again without going grey! lol. Or if somebody has another idea of what I can do? I am loathed to pay up to £10 for a converter that probably won't work as I am starting to think both of the HDD's have messed up (will really cry!)

So please help me, pretty please!

Regards and thank you in advance.

Paul

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Uno 1.0ie Start. Standard.

I am a schizophrenic currently so please bear with me whilst I try to get rid of the 40+ personality.

Goto PC World. Buy converter. Use converter. Return saying on the basis that it isn't compatible with what you want to do.

Job done.

<font face="Verdana">-- T.
<font color="maroon">'98 Marea Weekend ELX (1.8 16v).</font id="maroon"></font id="Verdana">

I don't believe that is a part that PC world would sell and I am not confident to do the above - I am awful at taking things back

Might have to just buy one and hope, if not, be poorer this month (already spent more than i have coming in )

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Uno 1.0ie Start. Standard.

I am a schizophrenic currently so please bear with me whilst I try to get rid of the 40+ personality.

I can't help you I'm afraid but I just wanted to sympathise. My printer packed up on the day my Uni thesis was due and I couldn't print it off at uni due to the computers being so old they wouldn't recognise a multitrack CD. In the end I did on super-fast speed at home but half of it came out a bit grey [8)]

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Thanks for the sympathy. I am not sure yet whether this will be a massive problem or just a medium problem. Might just have to buy one from ebay and try, although i don't think the outcome will be good I just don't understand what the problem is!

At least you got home and printed it

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Uno 1.0ie Start. Standard.

I am a schizophrenic currently so please bear with me whilst I try to get rid of the 40+ personality.

this might sound daft but if all else fails put the hd in the freezer overnight, its been known to work for others. might get more help from www.cybertechhelp.com

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Please do not Email or PM me asking for support. Post on the forums instead. Your reply may help someone else. Thank you

Cheers Dave, does sound mad but then again so does the theory of a HDD! The mechanics of a hard disk have been described as a jumbo jet flying at a height of ten feet over uneven ground.

I will have to try another converter before trying such worrying methods. Looks like I might have to spend yet more on ebay for a converter when mine is probably fine

Regards and thanks.

Paul

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Uno 1.0ie Start. Standard.

I am a schizophrenic currently so please bear with me whilst I try to get rid of the 40+ personality.

http://www.hddrecovery.com.au/downloads/200ways.pdf

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Please do not Email or PM me asking for support. Post on the forums instead. Your reply may help someone else. Thank you

Cheers Dave, as I say, hope it doesn't come to this! Hope it is me being dumb/the converted is mucked up!

Thanks again

Paul

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Uno 1.0ie Start. Standard.

I am a schizophrenic currently so please bear with me whilst I try to get rid of the 40+ personality.

I'm sure I've seen those converters on ebay for 3 or 4 quid.

I am going to have a look - already did yesterday but I felt annoyed at myself for paying money out for something that i've already got and probably works fine - if this is the case

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Uno 1.0ie Start. Standard.

I am a schizophrenic currently so please bear with me whilst I try to get rid of the 40+ personality.

£3 or less but £5+ postage (mainly from HK) or the best part of £10. I have just spent another 15 mins giving it a go to no avail. I really hope it is me forgetting something or the converter is mucked up. I can't believe two HDDs could fail despite me using them for 18 months fine before I ignored them for a little while.

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Uno 1.0ie Start. Standard.

I am a schizophrenic currently so please bear with me whilst I try to get rid of the 40+ personality.

Jumper settings perhaps? ie master/slave/cable select

Tried it unfortunately, tried even going on PRIMARY MASTER but it doesn't help

Thanks still.

Paul

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Uno 1.0ie Start. Standard.

I am a schizophrenic currently so please bear with me whilst I try to get rid of the 40+ personality.

I've had an idea - find someone on the FF who lives near you and has a laptop and CD writer

I have the phone number of a suitable person but a certain scumbag named Go**che would latch on to this



Steve the geriatric Panda and Beagle freak

Have you tested them in another laptop? I'm a bit suspect of those converters!
Oh, and it's not something silly like only plugging in the IDE cable and forgetting the power supply? Sounds stupid, but I know I've done it!

This has got me flummoxed as well.

Are you connecting the converted laptop HDD to IDE2 on the motherboard of a desktop? Does this desktop just have one primary HDD. Have you gone through BIOS settings to see if the drive is recognised - auto setup? It seems strange that if the HDD is getting power to it, it should be recognised.

I am so glad I use SATA - nice and easy, although RAID 0 was a bit of a chore to set up, due to my stupidity!!!

Fiat Ulysse 2.2JTD Eleganza, 53 plate, with options Angel tuned Photos and avatar still to be sorted - there is always tomorrow

Ok, firstly:

Trying one of the drives I have on an old lappy tonight when my Dad gets home with a PSU for it. The trouble is, one drive is 12mm, and one is 17mm, as you may know, no modern laptops take anything bigger than 9.5mm drives. The lappy I have will take a 12mm drive. However, only one has an O/S on, so crossed fingers the thinner one has an O/S on. If it works, or at leasts shows partly to work, I will buy a converter I guess and give it a try. I am also very suspect of the converters - badly and cheaply made. Lol, unfortunately, not as simple as no power.

Basically Stuart, the coverter takes the normal 40 (?) pin IDE input from the motherboard and combines that with the power plug to give a 44 pin laptop style plug. You can therefore do any of the following:

Use it as a primary drive on IDE1
Use it as a slave drive on IDE1
Use it as a primary/slave on IDE2

Tried all of the above and it fails to work, so either HDD or converter I think. It doesn't click at start up (i.e. activity) but not sure how to interept that really - could mean no power getting through but could mean other stuff. Never had to use the BIOS when I have used it in the past, just auto-detects all the drives in the past

Cheers for the help however.

Paul

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Uno 1.0ie Start. Standard.

I am a schizophrenic currently so please bear with me whilst I try to get rid of the 40+ personality.

what type of converter is is?
if its an ide cable one that goes straight from mobo to laptop hd then try connecting it the other way around (pin 1 on the hd may be connected to last pin on the cable so switch it around)


then the bios should detect. if you put ur hand on it does it feel like its spinning? might be a power prob

just a thought




Sei sporting
motore di punto

Straight connection with a small PCB from motherboard IDE 1 to laptop socket.

Tried pin 1 (red strip) to pin 1 on HDD, marked on, then tried it the opposite way around just incase when it wasn't working (getting desperate!) No spinning, so hopefully a power problem, will have to buy a new converter I think. Thanks for trying.

Paul

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Uno 1.0ie Start. Standard.

I am a schizophrenic currently so please bear with me whilst I try to get rid of the 40+ personality.