How to to make working 3.5"HDD cheap 2.0 USB Chinese SATA enclosure with 1 tb SATA HDD in it.

AlexKach

Reputable
Mar 4, 2014
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4,510
I needed to have working external HDD USB drive with 1TB internal SATA HDD in it. I bought one on ebay. it makes sound, lid light and the PC is talking that the drivers are fine but new drive letter doesn't show up in the windows explorer and I can not use. HDD is working and loaded from PC slave mode. I tried to connect this enclosure to lap top and desktop. Windows is talking that this USB storage devi8ce is fine but there is no new drive letter or any other entrance into it. What did I do wrong? If there is hope to push it working?
Thank you in advance for suggestion.
 
Solution
No,

In order to use a 3.5" Sata hard drive you must have a 12v supply to it.
The enclosure should of come with a 12v power supply.

Only a 2.5" laptop drive will work with a usb as they use 5+v and the Usb can provied 5v.

You need an external 12v to drive a 3.5" drive.
When you connect a 3.5" drive inside a tower or computer case the connection is 12v to it.

Now if you have 12v to the external drive and the usb connected.

You problem is a clash with letter assignments of windows.

In other words two drives share the same drive letter such as for example D: and D:
A internal and the external you connected.
So one will not show in the drive window of explorer.

You must if using windows 7, click on start.
In the search box type DISK...
No,

In order to use a 3.5" Sata hard drive you must have a 12v supply to it.
The enclosure should of come with a 12v power supply.

Only a 2.5" laptop drive will work with a usb as they use 5+v and the Usb can provied 5v.

You need an external 12v to drive a 3.5" drive.
When you connect a 3.5" drive inside a tower or computer case the connection is 12v to it.

Now if you have 12v to the external drive and the usb connected.

You problem is a clash with letter assignments of windows.

In other words two drives share the same drive letter such as for example D: and D:
A internal and the external you connected.
So one will not show in the drive window of explorer.

You must if using windows 7, click on start.
In the search box type DISK MAN.

Click on the result that says format and create partitions.
A windows will open.
Click on actions, and re scan drives.
The usb drive will show up.
Now if the drive is new and just bought right click and format it.

If it has data on it you wish to keep.

Right click on the 1tb usb drive.
And select change drive letter or path.
Another box will open click on change.
On the right side select a drive letter not used by any other drive in the system or laptop eg H:
click ok.

Actions and re scan for drives. The same apply s for any partitions of each hard drive if there are any on both that clash or are duplicated.

The drive will then show up in windows my computer or explorer. or windows disk manager as for example as H:



 
Solution

AlexKach

Reputable
Mar 4, 2014
2
0
4,510
Thank you for your help gentlemen, I really grateful for your attention. I have the other USB powered external hard drive which I use a lot both with PC (Windows XP - OS) and laptop (win 7 home ed.). I am trying to use internal HDDs which I have. That's why I bought external 3.5" SATA enclosure. The HDD is with files. I moved the files when connected HDD to PC as slave. Too maly media files over USB would be moved forever long. I inserted this HDD into the enclosure and tried to connect it as to PC as well to laptop. Both computers I use successfully with external verbatim HDD for a long time. The extra driver is created by both OSs with no problems with Verbatim USB powered external HDD but it is not created with new one 3.5" SATA enclosure but both OSs tell me that the 3.5" SATA enclosure is installed fine. I just can not get in it since there is no extra drive letter in the Windows explorer. I bought the enclosure in the UK form. You know with this terribly heavy outlet plug like for 220V/13Amps in the USA. I replaced the power cord with standard outlet. The lamp on the enclosure is on everything is looking fine but the extra drive letter is not created and there is no access to the HDD.