Is it possible to connect a regular hard drive via USB. Connecting a hard drive via USB

Connecting hard disk to a computer or TV seems like a simple procedure, but like any other place there are undercurrents and stones.

And so the first question that I most often hear is why the cables for connecting external hard drive with a personal computer there are two paired USB. Someone will say spare parallel, for more fast transfer data, but it is for something completely different.

Actually not everything USB outputs, especially on older computers, provide stable power necessary for the operation of your external HDD. It is through the second, short (thin) one coming out of the main one that you can get the additional power you need. You can also use an additional ( USB cable food).

It is recommended to connect the main cable for fast usb port (3.0), and additional power to the weaker USB port (2.0) is possible in two identical ones, but it is not advisable to do the opposite.

If the device does not work, it may be for the following reasons:
There is not enough power (power);
The sequence of USB cables (main, power) is connected incorrectly
Non-working USB ports;

The appropriate drivers for USB ports are not installed (you need to install the official driver).
Recently used hard drives was questionable due to slow data transfer. But on this moment USB 3.0 appeared instead previous version– USB 2.0. After this, users and keepers of Terabytes of information breathed a sigh of relief. After all, in fact, external HDD– this is a necessary thing that makes life easier for many. Many users now have additional external memory, but disk performance leaves much to be desired.

SO, WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF THE NEW USB 3.0

Due to the increased transmitted current, almost doubling, the new development allows you to power a significantly larger number of devices from one port.
Manufacturers have proven that the created USB 3.0 will allow you to duplicate information from a computer to external hard The drive is 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
This will allow you to save your time and eliminate the need for connection additional sources nutrition.

CONNECT THE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE BY YOURSELF
Remember that to replace your hard drive with a new one, you do not need to replace your entire computer. External storage devices are sold separately and are easy to connect to your computer. To do this, you don’t need to call a professional, because you can easily do it this work on one's own.

If you own the computer: install new board you can do it yourself without any problems. There must be an unoccupied slot on your personal computer PCI Express version x1. You need to turn off the computer, open the system case, insert the card into the desired slot and assemble the computer. In order to new map earned, you need to install the appropriate driver. With this your work is done, you can calmly go about your business on your personal computer. As you can see, doing this yourself will not be difficult.

Approximate cost of what you need external hard disk - from 500 to 800 rubles.
If you are a laptop owner: install new hard disk will be even easier for you. Your laptop must have an ExpressCard slot. You need to turn off the laptop, insert the card into the desired slot, turn on the laptop, install the driver.
Laptop cards are a little more expensive - about 1000 rubles.

How to choose the required form factor of a hard drive.
There are currently two types of factor forms in circulation - 2.5 and 3.5 inches. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
2.5 INCH FORM FACTOR.
Its advantages include:
compactness;
a light weight;

does not require additional nutrition;
resistant to mechanical stress.
The disadvantages are:
relatively small volume;

the cost of disk space is higher;
works slower compared to 3.5 inch models.
2. 3.5 INCH FORM FACTOR.
Its advantages include:
weighty capacity;

performance (compared to 2.5 inch models);
price disk space below.
Its disadvantages include:
mandatory source additional food;
heavy weight (about 1 kilogram);
big sizes.

Weigh the negatives and positive sides these two types and choose the one that suits you. Typically 2.5 inches hard disks are used as a high-capacity flash card, they can be taken with you everywhere. 3.5 inch drives are more suitable for home use. They are often purchased by lovers of “big” and high-quality information.
Today, the most popular and high-quality, according to experts, are the following models:
FreeAgent 3.5-inch 2 TB drive, Seagate (features the highest performance);
Samsung S2 Portable 2.5-inch drive, capacity 640 GB

Currently on the market there is great amount various models, but among this large selection It's not worth getting lost. Before purchasing, compare your financial capabilities, goals and the required amount of device memory you need. Look at reviews in online stores, consult with experts or with friends who have already purchased this useful item. Then you can decide to buy without any twinges of conscience. Remember that “the miser pays twice.” A high-quality item will be resistant to mechanical stress, work efficiently and will serve you for many years.

Often not all users may know exactly how to connect external HDD To own computer. Everything is relatively simple here. For 3.5-inch hard drives one end of the HDD is connected to the USB port of the computer, while the other is connected to a 220 V power supply. The fact is that the power supply of a computer or laptop is not enough to spin up such a hard drive. This approach allows high speed transfer data to a computer.

For a 2.5-inch HDD, one end of the cable is connected to the hard drive, the other is inserted into the USB connector. There is one thing! If your computer does not “produce” the required 5 V from the USB connector, then you should also connect the second end of the Y-shaped cable to the PC. Then your new hard drive will receive additional power and will work without problems. For additional power, a second cable can also be supplied separately.
connect external hard drive

Diagram of connecting an external hard drive to a computer.

The data transfer speed will be directly affected by the USB port. If first USB ports 1.0 the data transfer rate was as much as 12 Mb/s, but already in USB 2.0 data is transferred at an astonishing speed, i.e. up to 480 Mb/s, which is considered a good indicator. And USB 3.0 operates at super speeds - up to 5 Gbps. But connection interfaces are very different. For example, if the laptop was brought from America, then it will be possible to use the Firewire or eSATA interface, which makes HDDs of this type truly universal for any laptop.

Don't think that connecting an external HDD will cause special problems from the user's side. Not at all, as soon as the laptop “sees” the external hard drive, you can try to test it. To do this, any document is created on the laptop desktop and then it is easily dragged with the mouse to the external HDD. And if all ports are working normally, then this process will take a matter of seconds.

Hard drives of this type will always be needed as additional capacitive storage media. And the user will no longer have to buy an impressive number of empty disks, on which all the information will be recorded. necessary information. And indeed, why spend significant amounts of money on capricious and poorly made in China “dumbos” when you can buy a reliable and multifunctional external hard drive from famous brands type Western Digital, Seagate or Hitachi.

But what to do if the hard drive from your PC or laptop does not fit into another computer or there is no way to “make” it removable drive? It's not all so sad! There is an exit.

• method two:

In one store selling openly Chinese electronics and electronics, I managed to buy a HDD/USB adapter that allows you to connect a hard drive via USB. To be honest, I myself didn’t know that such things existed. Consists of this device of three parts:

• the device itself, which is a housing the size of a cigarette pack
• USB cable tightly connected to the adapter body. The cable has two USB plugs, I’ll explain why later
• power supply for output voltage 5/12 V.

Let me immediately note that this adapter is universal and allows you to connect via USB hard drives of any existing standard SATA 2.5/3.5/5.25, IDE 2.5/3.5/5.25.

USEFUL:

Now let's talk about the connection method:

• for SATA drives Everything is simple: insert the appropriate connector of the adapter into the hard drive socket, connect the adapter to the computer using a black USB cable and turn on the adapter with the switch at the end of the case. From now on, you can work with your SATA HDD as with a regular external drive or as a flash drive;
• for IDE 2.5 drives everything is the same, you just need to additionally connect the red USB cable to the computer. It will provide power to your HDD;
• for disks from PCs of the old IDE 3.5 format and the very ancient IDE 5.25 instead of the red USB cable, you need to connect the power supply to the adapter and plug it into the network. I remind you that all manipulations for connecting drives must be carried out BEFORE applying current, that is, first connect everything, then plug it into the outlet, and then turn on the power button on the adapter body. Switch off in reverse order.

ON A NOTE:

A very useful thing, it has helped me out more than once at home and when working with clients, when I was doing private repairs and setting up computers. This device cost me 700 rubles in 2014 at a dollar exchange rate of 35 rubles per dollar, that is, $20. This is in a retail store in a small county town. I think that such a thing can be found in online stores much cheaper, and from the Chinese themselves at online auctions - for pennies. Please write about prices, other similar devices and your experience of using these devices in the comments.

About the opportunity external connection an additional hard drive for the PC, so I immediately fell for this business. There are a great many hard drives lying around idle, and putting them to work is a good task. Well, there’s no point in buying expensive and sometimes unreliable flash drives for home use to download some voluminous information material, such as movies, when there are unused HDD drives on hard magnetic disks (HDD). And it’s easy to implement this feature, you just need to get the appropriate adapter from the power supply, which will directly connect the hard drive lying on the table with USB connector personal computer. But the price somewhat cooled my ardor, from 1500 rubles. And this even without a power supply. This is where I remembered, registered on the site and immediately placed an order. Here the issue price was 200 rubles.

I placed the order on April 11, received the parcel at the post office on May 17. The waiting period is 35 days, which I think is quite acceptable. I received a notification about the receipt of the order via SMS, which is very convenient. As a result, I have a plastic bag of 150x150x30 mm on my hands. WITH reverse side The package material is welded using the contact method, eliminating any access to the contents without compromising the integrity of the package.

Inside is a sealed plastic bag, packed in two layers of soft but dense synthetic material. And here are the contents - the adapter itself and the connecting wires with connectors.

The adapter is made in a plastic case measuring 60x40x10 mm and has a connecting cable with a diameter of 5 mm and a length of 500 mm with USB plug at the end.

The front side of the case with markings, a locking mechanism is visible at the bottom incorrect connection adapter for hard drive.

The back side of the case also bears informational symbols. Connector with a lock-limiter on the side.

A connector with a latch - a limiter in the form of a “blind” socket.

IDE and SATA hard drives, which this adapter will mainly work with.

This is how the adapter is connected to an IDE hard drive.

This is how the adapter is connected to a SATA hard drive.

The practical connection was made as follows: the PC was turned on, then the necessary connections were made to the adapter, hard drive and power supply. The adapter plug is inserted into USB connector on the system unit and the power supply adapter with the hard drive is turned on. Literally 5 seconds later a message appeared about a new one found external device and then a window popped up asking me to select an action with this new device. Naturally, I opened and gained access to the contents of the disk.

• Summary - the adapter functions properly.

To power the adapter and hard drives, I used a standard (naturally separate) power supply from a personal computer. All the necessary wires and connectors for the IDE hard drive are already there, but additional ones are needed for SATA. This can be seen in the photo.

Conclusion about the adapter

I didn’t see any shortcomings, but here are some comments:

1. The adapter cable is a bit short, its length is actually missing another 20 centimeters, but it would be better if it were a meter long.
2. power adapter for SATA drives with unfixed pins (moving), connection is difficult.
3. But the SATA connecting cable, in my opinion, is too long. Here even 10 centimeters would be enough. And one of the plugs is needed perpendicular to the cable. For more convenient connection to the adapter socket.

In general, this adapter is a very, very convenient thing, I recommend it for owners of various extra HDDs. Review made Babay iz Barnaula.

Discuss the article ADAPTER FOR CONNECTING HARD CARDS TO A PC

There are two types of hard drives - internal and external (like a USB flash drive). Hard drives are connected via the IDE interface, which is used on all older hard drive models. Or - SATA, which has a much narrower connector and cable width.

When connecting a hard drive to a laptop, remember that not all modern laptops have external connectors for of this connection. Then the connection can be made using USB interface. But for these purposes you need a specialized SATA/IDE to USB input adapter. This adapter can be found complete with a hard drive power supply. The unit is required due to lack of power from the USB interface.

When connecting a hard drive through an adapter, you need to be extremely careful not to inadvertently damage the hard drive when it is lying next to the laptop. Manufacturers computer office equipment They produce special pockets for hard drives with the necessary built-in adapters. This pocket serves as a kind of protective case for the HDD.

The container's connectors should be connected to the hard drive by installing the HDD in the container's pocket. Then to USB input laptop, connect the connecting cable and, if necessary, external power to the container.

The hard drive is usually connected when the laptop is turned off. After turning on the laptop, the hard drive will automatically begin to appear in the explorer of the laptop's operating system. Otherwise, you need to install drivers from the included disk or downloaded from the container manufacturer’s website.

This method of connecting a hard drive is no different from connecting any other USB storage device. However, there is a strict rule when doing this. To avoid irreversible damage to the HDD, do not turn off the power while the disk is running. Also need to use safe removal devices after working with hard drive, before disconnecting it from the laptop.

If you often have to transfer information from your computer’s hard drive to a laptop, or vice versa, then you should purchase a special portable HDD. This type of hard drive has a USB cable for connection, is protected from external damage by a durable case and is used specifically as a portable drive.

The ability to connect additional hard drives will be very useful to you if there is a lack of free disk space on the ones already installed. Connect HDD to personal computer Can:

1. Installed in system unit using standard SATA connectors on motherboard.
2. Installed into the system unit using the SAS RAID controller connectors.
3. Using a USB-SATA adapter.

This is interesting! PredecessorSATA was the interfaceATA (another name isIDE). The difference lies in the method of data transmission - serial transmissionSATA, parallelATA. It is generally accepted that serial transfer is faster, however, for the average user the difference is invisible.

SATA

Step 1. Remove the case cover of your system unit.

Step 2. Attach the data cable to the connector on the motherboard.

On a note! The connector number is not important. Definition boot hard disk operation occurs according to the software installed on it.

Step 3. Connect the data cable to the connector on the hard drive.

Step 4. Connect the power cable to the hard drive connector.

Important! When connecting the cable, the computer's power must be turned off. When connecting a cable with voltage applied to it, there is a high risk of damage controller hard disk or controllerSATA motherboard! In the event that your power supply has power connectors only for hard drivesIDE, use a special adapter.

Step 5. Secure the hard drive to the case with screws.

Important! Make sure that the cables do not come into contact with the cooler blades of the system unit.

If you are using a 2.5-inch drive, use special slides to secure the hard drive more tightly inside the system unit.

Connecting the hard drive inside the case to the connectorsSAS

These connectors are backward compatible, that is, SATA can be connected to SAS, but SAS cannot be connected to SATA.

Step 1. Install the hard drive into a special structure (sled) of the appropriate size.

On a note! The designs are designed for certain form factors, that is, inserting a 2.5-inch drive into the controller cage of 3.5-inch hard drives will not work.

Step 2. Insert the slide into the controller basket and push until the slide handle locks in the desired position.

Important! Don't forget to check the cable connectionRAID to the motherboard and change your controller settings.

Connecting a 3.5-inch hard drive using an external power adapter

Step 1. Attach the adapter to the hard drive.

Step 2. Connect the adapter and desired port your computer using a USB cable.

Step 3. Connect the power cable to the adapter.

Step 4. Apply power to the adapter by switching the toggle switch to the working position.

Step 5. If necessary, install drivers for the connected equipment.

Connecting a 2.5" hard drive using a 3.5" adapter

2.5" drives are commonly used in laptops. The connectors are no different from the connectors for 3.5 drives, but the laptop hard drive is attached to the case using a special basket (sled).

Step 1. Remove the slides or other structures from your hard drive.

Step 2. Follow the instructions for connecting a 3.5 hard drive using an adapter.

Connecting a 2.5-inch hard drive using the appropriate adapter

When using a special adapter for 2.5 hard drives, you do not need to remove the slide. As a rule, such adapters do not have external power and receive voltage from the computer’s USB port.

Step 1. Connect the adapter to the hard drive.

Step 2. Connect both ends of the USB adapter cable to the computer ports.

Important! Two ends of the cable are needed because one of them transmits information, and the other carries power to the adapter.

Video - How to connect a hard drive

Conclusion

We looked at three different ways connecting hard drives with SATA connectors to a personal computer. Each of them requires purchase additional equipment, at least - trains. If you decide to use a SATA drive as an external one (connected via a USB adapter), it is recommended to purchase a reliable protective case for disk. When working with the device, the cover should be removed to avoid overheating. Some parameters of hard drives working with different technologies, are presented in the summary table.

Name	Data transfer rate, Mb/s	Number of devices per port
IDE (ATA)	133,5	2
SATA R.1	150	1
SATA R.2	300	Up to 15
SATA R.3	600	Up to 16
SAS R.150	150	Up to 4
SAS R.300	300	Up to 4
SAS R.600	600	Up to 4

Good day everyone, my dear friends. Today I want to tell you about how to connect a hard drive via USB to a computer or laptop. Personally, I had this question when I replaced it on my laptop, after which the old “hard” remained restless, although fully functional. Therefore, I hasten to please you. If you have such a device, then you can make a great one out of it mobile storage data.

There is, however, one small condition. These methods are only suitable for more or less modern hard drives with an interface of at least SATA.

Cam Box - This is (as you understand) a certain box (plastic or metal), inside of which there is a special slot for a particular disk. Naturally, it is worth noting that there are boxes for both large HDDs (3.5) and small ones (2.5), which go under laptops.

The HDD is simply inserted into the box, and after assembly it will be no different from a regular external hard drive. After that, you just need to insert a USB cable into it and connect it to your computer. This way you get double benefits:

• You bring an old device back to life and use it;
• You practically get an external HDD for free

On such media it will be possible to store any backup and archival copies, or use it in everyday life.

All the fun will cost you an average of 300-500 rubles.

Adapter (SATA-USB)

The easiest and least expensive way is to purchase a special SATA-USB adapter. The adapter itself is a cable, at one end of which there is a connector for connecting a disk, and at the other end there is a USB port.

Well, I think you guessed what needs to be done in this case. Yes, it's simple. Connect the hard drive to the connector, and insert the other end into the USB port of your computer or laptop.

But it’s just worth considering that conventional HDDs (3.5) may not have enough power from one USB cable, so purchase a cable with two connectors and use them simultaneously.

Depending on the company and the quality of the product, such cables will cost you approximately 200-600 rubles.

Dock station

The most expensive, but very effective option is to purchase a docking station. These devices are somewhat reminiscent of old consoles like Dendy or Sega. The similarity is that instead of connectors for cartridges, there are connectors for HDDs. All you have to do is simply insert the hard drive into this station, and then connect it via USB to the computer.

There are such devices different types, and in many cases you will be able to work not only with one disk, but with several at once, even of different form factors (2.5 and 3.5).

The cheapest options with one device will cost you no less than 1000 rubles, or even more. More powerful stations cost 3 and 4 thousand rubles each.

As you can see, there are enough ways to connect a hard drive via USB to a computer, for every taste and color. So you no longer have to leave all your devices unattended.

Well, this is where I end my article. I hope you liked it, so don't forget to subscribe to my blog updates and also share blog articles on in social networks. Good luck to you. Bye bye!

Best regards, Dmitry Kostin

When the first computers appeared, all programs, games and other files took up virtually no disk space. Now things are completely different, and it is often necessary to install additional storage media. Therefore, every user should know how to connect second hard disk to computer. In fact, this is not difficult to do, you just need to follow simple instructions.

First, the device must be purchased in a store. Please note that the hard drive has several connection interfaces. After purchasing the purchase, you can begin installing the device.

Preparing for installation

• How many hard drives are already connected to the motherboard? Most often, a computer has only one hard drive, so installing a second drive is not difficult. In most cases, the HDD is located directly under the DVD-ROM, so finding it will not be difficult;
• Is there extra space to install a second hard drive? If it is not possible to install a second or third disk, then you will have to purchase a USB drive;
• What type of cable is used to connect the hard drive to the computer? If the purchased device does not have the same interface as on a PC, it will be difficult to install it.

Please note that you will need a 3.5-inch hard drive. There is no need to buy small disks designed for laptops.

Physical disk connection

If the system unit has not yet been disassembled, disassemble it. Now it is recommended to get rid of static electricity. This is done by any means known to you. If you wish, you can purchase a special grounding bracelet in the store.

After some minor manipulations, the hard drive will be secured in the case; now all that remains is to connect the hard drive. Before plugging in the power cable and cable, it should be noted that the procedure is slightly different for the IDE and SATA interfaces.

IDE interface

When connecting a drive with IDE interface ohm, it is recommended to pay attention to such a nuance as setting the operating mode:

1. Master (main).
2. Slave (subordinate).

If you are installing an additional hard drive, then you must enable Slave mode. To do this, you need to use a jumper (jumper), which is installed in the second place. The first row includes Master mode. It is important to note that on modern computers, the jumper can be completely removed. The system will automatically determine which hard master is.

At the next step, you need to connect the second or third hard drive to the mother. To do this, the IDE interface is connected to a cable (wide, thin wire). The second end of the cable is connected to the IDE 1 Secondary socket (the main drive is connected to the zero socket).

The final connection step is power supply. To do this, a white chip with four wires is connected to the corresponding connector. The wires come directly from the power supply (a box with wires and a fan).

SATA interface

Unlike IDE, a disk with SATA interface equipped with two L-shaped connectors. One is for the power connection, and the second is for the data cable. It should be noted that such a hard drive does not have a jumper.

The data cable is connected to a narrow connector. The other end is connected to a special connector. Most often, the motherboard has 4 such ports, but there are exceptions and there are only 2 ports. One of the slots may be occupied by a DVD drive.

There are cases when a drive with a SATA interface was purchased, but no such connectors were found on the motherboard. In this case, it is recommended to additionally purchase a SATA controller that is installed in a PCI slot.

The next step is to connect the power. An L-shaped wide cable is connected to the corresponding connector. If the drive has an additional power connector (IDE interface), it is enough to use one of the connectors. On this physical connection hard drive is complete.

BIOS setup

When all manipulations with the hard drive are completed, you should turn on the computer and then enter the BIOS. It is important to note that launching the BIOS on each computer is carried out differently. To do this you need to use the key:

• Delete;

After entering the BIOS, you need to proceed to configuration settings. It is important to assign booting from the drive on which the operating system is installed. If the priority is set incorrectly, the system simply will not boot.

If one of the disks does not appear in the BIOS, it means that the hard drive was connected incorrectly or the cable was damaged. It is recommended to inspect all wires and reconnect (don't forget to turn off the computer).

Once the BIOS setup is completed, you can boot into the operating system. After this, all that remains is to assign a letter to the drive.

Final stage

Since connecting the hard drive to the computer is not enough, you need to make the final setup directly from Windows. On some computers, a similar procedure is carried out in automatic mode. To check this, you should open “My Computer”, and then see if a new disk has appeared.

If nothing happens, you need to launch the control panel. Then select “Administration”. Once a new window opens, you will need to select “Computer Management”. In the left column, you need to find the “Disk Management” tab (on some computers “Disk Manager”).

• At the bottom of the window, select disk 1 (if more than 2 hard drives are connected, select the disk with the largest figure). This will be the new hard drive;
• A letter must be assigned logical reason. To do this, click on the disk right click mouse, and then select “Assign letter”;
• As soon as the disk is assigned a new letter, it must be formatted. The procedure can take a long time, it all depends on the size of the hard drive. When formatting it is important to choose file system NTFS.

When the formatting process is complete, root directory“My Computer” a new drive will appear. If for some reason you cannot connect the HDD using the built-in manager, it is recommended to use third-party programs.

An excellent tool for working with hard drives is Partition Manager. Besides similar utility allows you to split a disk into several logical volumes.

Conclusion

Connecting a hard drive takes no more than 15 minutes. If you follow the instructions, there shouldn't be any difficulties. Modern computers don't need additional settings BIOS, of course, if the disks are not installed in absolute new computer. Also do not forget that from operating system It depends on how big the connected hard drive can be.

Video review: connecting a hard drive