Ok here goes. My laptop basically crapped the bed but the harddrive is still usable. I WANTED to run the laptop hd as an external one on my desktop. So I went to a computer store and they told me i needed a usb to ide adaptor. I bought it and brought it home plugged in the adaptor to the laptop hd and to my desktops usb. With it being plugged in the desktop should have created an E drive for me to veiw the contents of the laptop hd but i got nothing. Can anyone tell me what I did wrong or even how to fix this?

Any help is appreciatedThis USB to IDE adapter -- does it have its own power supply, (probably some kind of wall WART) or does it take its power from the USB socket?

If the latter, the laptop USB socket may not have ENOUGH current available to run the hard drive.

The hard drive -- do you hear it spin up?

Have you removed any jumpers or caddies that are on the hard disk at the connector end?

How do you know for sure that disk is "usable"?



BigDog - WELCOME to the CH forums.

What's the operating system in use on your desktop?

try to look at the computer management on your if the usb is enable.I use XP on both the desktop and laptop HD's. The adaptor CAME with a power supply but I was told by the technicians at the computer store that would only be needed if i plugged another desktop HD into the adaptor. I really dont know anything about jumpers or how to disconnect any of them. The laptop HD was tested on a friends laptop after my laptop crapped and it booted up just fine.Can you give details of the ide/usb adapter - make/model etc so we know what we're trying to deal with - an image would also help.

Thanks