Problem: Making PowerBook hard-drive an external drive

[inlimbo]

Hi,

I want to put my old 15" PowerBook hard drive into an external case.

I pulled the hard drive out of the PowerBook.

And I purchased a NexStar CS 2.5" SATA to USB 2.0 external case.

But the connections don't match.

What do I need to do?

Do I need to buy some sort of adaptor?

Hard drive is a Hitachi 120GB 5400RPM (model # HTS541612J9AT00) 2.5"

Sorry, these photos are blurry as hell.

Picture of hard drive pins:

Pins are in the following configuration (1's represent pins):

1111111111111111111111 11
111111111111 111111111 11

***********
************
Picture of hard drive with adaptor attached (this is what connected the hard drive to the Powerbook).

Picture of external-case connections.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[DoFoT9]

if appears that you have purchased the wrong case!!

powerbooks use IDE hard drives, an older style and interface. you have purchased the newer SATA interface.

you will have to purchase a IDE ->USB (or fw) external hard drive.

 

[inlimbo]

Dammit!

Thanks for your speedy reply DoFoT9!

I thought it was SATA like my current MacBook Pro. My mistake.

Thanks again!

 

[DoFoT9]

Dammit!

Thanks for your speedy reply DoFoT9!

I thought it was SATA like my current MacBook Pro. My mistake.

Thanks again!

yea i did the same thing! i purchased an optibay case for my MBP Sata->Sata, only to find out that i needed a Pata->Sata.. i wasnt happy

sorry i had to be the bearer of bad news

 

[BlueRevolution]

SATA is the connector on the top, and PATA/IDE is on the bottom. These are 3.5" hard drives, but the connectors look more or less the same on 2.5" drives. Not a hard mistake to make, unfortunately.

 

[inlimbo]

Ah, I see.

Fortunately the cases are fairly cheap, so it’s not an expensive error to rectify.

 

[DoFoT9]

Ah, I see.

Fortunately the cases are fairly cheap, so it’s not an expensive error to rectify.

thats true i paid $10 for mine! from ebay. goodluck

 

[Fishrrman]

If the external enclosure you bought is a nice one, you might consider saving it instead of returning it - and just pick up a SECOND [IDE style] enclosure.

At some point, you may decide you need more storage, and you'll have a waiting enclosure for another - this time, SATA - drive to go into....

 

[inlimbo]

Thanks again everyone!

I got an IDE-to-USB case today and it all works!

My PowerBook died about 6 months ago. The hard-drive was fine, but the computer wouldn’t hold a charge or run off the power-outlet. It would work for about 20 mins and then turn-off. And then it stopped turning on at all. So I couldn't pull the data of the drive.

But now I can!

Better than paying an Apple Genius $68AUD just to transfer the data over to my new MacBook Pro. Now I can do it myself.

I'll keep the SATA case as per Fisherrman's advice. Because I know if I sell it, I will end up needing it some time later.