Maxtor Hard Drive Broken

[kidfromkrypton]

Hi, I have a Maxtor One Touch 4 750GB external hard drive that has a broken plug (for the USB connector). It broke off and was rattling in the hard drive. As a result I can not access my files.

I don't know much about hard drives but I read somewhere that if you can open up the hard drive enclosure than you can get the disk out and use it in a different external hard drive. I would like to do that if that's the only solution, but I would assume I can't just take the disk out and put it any external hard drive. What kind of hard drive would be compatible? Do I need the same brand HDD? Do I need one with the same amount of memory? Any help is much appreciated.

 

[Paperdoc]

The actual HDD inside an external drive is NOT usually anything special. These days it is almost surely a SATA-type unit. More precisely, a SATA II (now more properly called SATA 3 Gb/s). Usually it is of the 3½" wide size (common for a desktop machine), but some are 2½" wide (Laptop size). All SATA HDD units have the same two connectors on them for power (15 connection points) and data (7 points) connections, so they can be plugged in to any machine.

If your external unit is older, it MAY have inside it the older type of HDD unit called IDE. The desktop size of these is the same physical size as a SATA unit, but the connectors are different. It has a power connector about 1" wide with 4 pins in a row, and a data connector with 2 rows of 20 pins each. these are the SAME connectors as for use in a desktop case and the unit could be mounted in one of those. An IDE-type laptop unit is the smaller 2½" width and its connectors are NOT the same as the desktop size one, so it does not mount inside a desktop case so easily.

When you open your external case it should not be too hard to disconnect and uninstall the HDD inside. Then read its markings and look at the connectors on the back edge. That will tell you what type of new external enclosure you will need to buy.

 

[smorizio]

there also ext case for 20.00 that you can drop the drive into or a usb to ide/sata kit that on new egg for 29.00. that comes with all the adapters and power to run a drive outside of a computer ontop of a desk where you can pull the data off onto another encloser.

 

[kidfromkrypton]

Best answer selected by kidfromkrypton.

 

[kidfromkrypton]

Thank you very much!

 

[kidfromkrypton]

The actual HDD inside an external drive is NOT usually anything special. These days it is almost surely a SATA-type unit. More precisely, a SATA II (now more properly called SATA 3 Gb/s). Usually it is of the 3½" wide size (common for a desktop machine), but some are 2½" wide (Laptop size). All SATA HDD units have the same two connectors on them for power (15 connection points) and data (7 points) connections, so they can be plugged in to any machine.

If your external unit is older, it MAY have inside it the older type of HDD unit called IDE. The desktop size of these is the same physical size as a SATA unit, but the connectors are different. It has a power connector about 1" wide with 4 pins in a row, and a data connector with 2 rows of 20 pins each. these are the SAME connectors as for use in a desktop case and the unit could be mounted in one of those. An IDE-type laptop unit is the smaller 2½" width and its connectors are NOT the same as the desktop size one, so it does not mount inside a desktop case so easily.

When you open your external case it should not be too hard to disconnect and uninstall the HDD inside. Then read its markings and look at the connectors on the back edge. That will tell you what type of new external enclosure you will need to buy.

Thanks paperdoc, I didn't see your reply at first! Very informative. I'll have to see what kind of HDD it is!