HDD Docking Station for a 1993 IDE HDD

rossiter

Prominent
Sep 20, 2017
1
0
510
Need a HDD docking station for a 1993 Western Digital Caviar 2420 HDD (425.3 MB). Bought a StarTech UNIDOCKU33 but was told afterward that it won't work with a HDD less than 1GB.
 
Solution
Well, MAYBE it will work. The issue, according to the StarTech website, is that HDD's made before about 1995 often did not use a newer interface standard called DMA2 Support, but their dock does need that. HDD's made at that time usually were under 450 MB, so that's an easy way to guess whether your HDD does or does not have this feature. I could not find full specs for that HDD, so I can't answer that, either. But it is possible that your HDD DOES have that feature and can work with your new StarTech dock. Lacking the specs, the only way to know is to try it out. Remember to set the jumpers on the back edge according to the label ON THE DRIVE to make it a Master device. If it does not work, no damage - you just won't be able to detect...

Paperdoc

Polypheme
Ambassador
Well, MAYBE it will work. The issue, according to the StarTech website, is that HDD's made before about 1995 often did not use a newer interface standard called DMA2 Support, but their dock does need that. HDD's made at that time usually were under 450 MB, so that's an easy way to guess whether your HDD does or does not have this feature. I could not find full specs for that HDD, so I can't answer that, either. But it is possible that your HDD DOES have that feature and can work with your new StarTech dock. Lacking the specs, the only way to know is to try it out. Remember to set the jumpers on the back edge according to the label ON THE DRIVE to make it a Master device. If it does not work, no damage - you just won't be able to detect that drive.
 
Solution