My computer went "POW" and that was it. Dead. So sad. I removed the hard drive (after unplugging any power anything), and imagined heading off to Geek Squad or Disc Doctor to have that last month of files unloaded -- that last month that I didn't back up...aaaAAARgh!
I was quoted prices from $500 to $1,500 to take a perfectly good hard drive -- that wasn't the part that broke on the old computer -- and retrieve the data.
This adapter costs less than $20. My new computer arrived. I attached these cords to the drive from the broken system -- the connections are obvious -- and attached the USB connection to my new computer.
It appeared as a regular old drive on the new computer. I highlighted and dragged from old to new. Done.
$1,500? Or $500? How about under $20. You do the math. DekCell USB 2.0 to SATA + IDE (2.5", 3.5", 5.25") Cable with Power Adapter
A perfect item for transferring data from old hard drives to a new computer. Works as promised, though users might want to note that attached drives (ATAPI, IDE, etc.) should be set as MASTER in order for USB ports to recognize attached devices. I've tried this item with several IDE hard drives and DVD recorders -- all were recognized by Windows XP without the need for an additional software driver (which is required for older versions of Windows.)
I called several IT places looking for a way to transfer the files off my old hard drive (mother board failed on PC) to my new laptop. They quoted me an average of $135 for the work. I found this product and thought I would give it a try. I received it in a matter of a few days and within minutes of getting out of my mail box, hooked it up. It worked quickly and very painlessly; a no brainer. I'm not an "IT" type of a guy but the PC noticed the drive, I copied and pasted and presto...done. I saved more than enough to pay for a few rounds of golf. I highly recommend this to anyone.
I'm not inclined to jump to conclusions, but I do believe in "you get what you pay for".. that wasn't much here. I couldn't get the device to work on any of 3 different operating systems, 2 machines, or 3 IDE drives. Yes they were all Mastered and no I didn't bother to try SATA. Go spend more money - your time is worth something too.
My Deckcell USB 2.0 to SATA + IDE (2.5", 3.5", 5.25") Cable with Power Adapter came early. It was in good condition and it worked on two out of three HDD's. The third drive was recoganized by the computer but no drive letter appeared in "my computer" window. But what can i say 2 out of 3 isn't bad. I would buy from BrilliantStore again
Instead of buying this product, buy an external drive bay. They are more expensive, but they are 100% compatible. This set does not work with my Dell laptop. Brilliantstores gave terrible helpdesk support and BenQ support said that these kits are junk and never work. How true they were. I really wish that I would have just spent the extra money on an external bay..
I have had this product at least a year now and it has given me no trouble.
It was a little bit tricky to figure out [but that could just be me] and I wish it had a longer cable [most adapters have too short of a cable], but it has been in operation without interruption almost a full 100% of the time since I purchased it and I have never had a problem from it.
I'm not an IT guy by any mean. Yet, when my ThinkPad laptop declined to boot and I wanted to recover the data from its SATA hard drive, I opted the DIY option over using Best Buy's service for two reasons: data security and $100. Mission accomplished with three lessons: 1) Based on previous reviews, it's clear that you better connect it right as trial and error can lead to a disaster. However, in the absence of instructions, I had to extract some hints from previous reviews. 2) When I got it right, it worked like a charm! 3) Being a cheap kit, I doubt it'll survive more than a few uses, but in my case that was all I needed. So here are the detailed instructions:
1) Extract the hard drive from the laptop - handle the hard drive very gently.
2) Connect the cable with the 4 colored wires to the power adapter. Note, the wires are numbered as are the pins. There's only one way to connect the two, but it requires some force - be careful!
3) Connect the power adapter to the wall.
4) Connect the cable with the 4 colored wires to the hard drive. Listen to some humming, meaning the hard drive is alive.
5) Wait 20 sec.
6) Connect either side of the red cable to the cable with the USB.
7) Connect the other side of the red cable to the hard drive.
8) Connect the USB to a working computer (you'll need the driver if you're on Windows 98 or below)
9) Wait 20 sec.
10) Find the hard drive under "my computer" and do what you have to do.
11) When you're done, disconnect the hard drive in a reversed order. Do not shut the computer down with the hard drive connected as it can be harmful when re-booting the computer. - Usb To Ide - Ide - Ide Adapter - Sata Usb Adapter'
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