What kind of drive is this, and can I use it?

[ttg_Avenged]

Hi! I have some few, hopefully quick questions, ordered from most important to least.

1. OK, the priority is getting the content OFF of the HDD/storage device. The installed OS is Windows XP. I have Windows 7 Ultimate on my computer and I would like to hook up the drive to the comp. (don't worry I have space). I need to know, how? I plug in a 4-pin molex to PSU and HDD, then (whatever port that is on the HDD) to (where do I plug it into, PSU, MOBO?) Fill in the blanks, if you can please.

2. 2nd most is, SERIOUSLY! [strike]what port if that? AHCP? AHP? ACP? (something close to that?)[/strike] (after some research, I believe this is a IDE, am I right?) And what cables go where to make it work. Also, say I do hook it up correctly, will I be able to boot my Win. 7 3TB HDD and access this (120GB) HDD through Windows or some other misc. program? I need to pull the files (duplicate) off of the HDD onto my 3TB HDD...

3. This is just your guyses' input, anything I'm missing or do you want to add anything?

Here is a video summing everything up:

http://youtu.be/8ZDf_nsF_as
(STILL UPLOADING!)

Here is a pic. of the HDD (not my pic): http://www.recycledgoods.com/product_images/h/423/36557_1__21375_zoom.jpg

 

[Dogsnake]

Yes it is an IDE drive. Since you have provided no hardware information on the system you want to use to access the drive, it is hard to tell you what you want to know. If your mother board is the least bit modern, I would bet is has no IDE port. So here is an example of a cable you could use (http://www.amazon.com/USB-Cable-Adapter-2-5-Inch-3-5-Inch/dp/B000I0VIYE). I would expect the hook up to be temporary. So I would mount the drive into the case (you say you have room); power is from a 12v molex type; then with the side off the case I would attach the adapter cable using one of the outside case USB ports. Windows should see the drive as an added storage device. You should then be able to get to the contents to move to the system drive via cut/copy/paste.

 

[Paperdoc]

As DogSnake says, the picture you show is an IDE drive. See the wide connector on the left, with 2 rows of 20 pins? That identifies an IDE drive. (SATA connector is much smaller and has only 7 "pins" on it.) That is where the wide data cable "ribbon" goes. On the right-hand end is a row of 4 round pins. This is the power input connector, matching a "4-pin Molex" output from your PSU. (On a SATA drive, the power connector looks a lot like its data connector, only twice as wide with 15 "pins".) In between are pins for a jumper, used to set the drive into Master or Salve role. The jumper position is something you must set using as your guide a diagram on the drive label itself.

IF your mobo has an IDE port on it (it will be 2 x 20 pins, quite similar to the connector on the HDD), you connect the drive to the mobo port using a wide ribbon cable with 80 wires in it. (I know, how come 80 wires and 40 pins? There are good reasons, but for now take it on faith it works.) Such cables normally have THREE connectors on the, colour coded. The BLUE one on one end goes to the mobo port. NOTE that each of these connectors has one pin blocked off and some bumps on the body, so it only fits into a socket one way.) The Black one on the other end goes to the Master device. The Grey one in the middle goes to the Slave device.

Say what? OK, any IDE port can have up to 2 devices on it, sharing one port and cable. To keep things straight, the devices MUST be separately identified, and this is done by setting the jumper on the back of the drive. To operate at all, an IDE port MUST have a Master device, and that ought to be plugged into the Black end connector. (Some drives have slightly different jumper settings for Master with no Slave, and Master with Slave Present.) IF the port has a second device plugged into the middle Grey spot, that device MUST have its jumper set to Slave.

If you have an IDE port and cable in your machine, it is best to use those for connecting. If not, use DogSnake's idea with an adapter. When you do that, check the instructions with it. You will need to set the drive's jumper, and I would guess it will be to the Master setting, but do what the instructions say. Anyway, IF you are using an IDE port and ribbon cable, make sure this drive's jumper is set according to what else is already on that cable and port.

Once you connect this up and boot Windows, that drive should show up in BIOS Setup as a working hardware device. If it does not show up in BIOS Setup, there is no hope for Windows to see it. But if it's OK there, it also should show up in Windows' My Computer. If it does not, report back here and we can advise on what to try to get at it.

 

[Paperdoc]

Just found out this is a duplicate post. In your other thread you disclose that you have on older computer with an IDE cable, and a new one with no IDE port on the mobo. So if your plan is to connect the old IDE drive to your new comp, I guess an adapter like DogSnake recommended is the way to go. You may still have to set its jumper.