Connect an external usb hard drive to the sata connection on the mothe

[heeby]

My external usb hard drive is on the fritz and my pc can not detect it via usb port.
I was told that the PC might be able to detect the drive (so i can perform a data recovery) if it where connected to the computer's sata cable.
But i cannot open the case to get the drive out as it will void my warrenty.

Is there any way to connect the external usb hard drive to the sata connection on the motherboard?

 

[almartin]

If you can get a USB2 to IDE/Sata adapter you can run the sata drive as an USB drive but it will have to be set as a master drive. I got my NEW USB 2.0 TO IDE SATA Converter Cable Adapter w/Power supply. You won't have to connect it to your motherboard
Item# 200599533663 on E-bay

 

[sminlal]

What kind of connections does your external drive have? If it has an eSATA connection then you might be able to connect it using an eSATA to SATA cable. But if it's just got a USB connection and nothing else then you're going to be stuck with whatever problem you have no matter how circuitous the connection between it and your computer. In that case the only hope you have of getting at the data is to remove the drive in the hopes that the issue is with the enclosure itself.

 

[mman74]

If your USB drive is in a propietary encolsure, you are generally stuck. The USB to IDE adapter is not going to work. If it doesn't work via USB then it isn't going to work via an additional adapter.
If it is under warranty as you say then your best bet is to see if the manufacturer will back up the data for you.
If it isn't under warranty I would split the case open and connect it to an new IDE/SATA adapeter and hope that was the part that was faulty.
But you ask an interesting question, as I don't think the warraty covers the data.

 

[sminlal]

If it is under warranty as you say then your best bet is to see if the manufacturer will back up the data for you.

Yeah, the problem is that the warranties never cover the data and warranty service is basically limited to replacing the hardware. The hard drive companies would go out of business if they took on responsibility for recovering data from people's drives...

I think he's only got two options: (a) give up on the data and send the drive in for replacement, or (b) give up on the warranty and crack the thing open in the hopes that the drive inside is OK. It basically boils down to whether he values the warranty more than the data, or vice versa.

 

[heeby]

Thanx to every1 for your responses.

I forgot to mention that the external hard drive only has a USB connection and is powered separately, not that that would make a difference.
Also I forgot to mention that the hard drive is making that "clicking noise of death". Which prob means I'll never be able to recover the data myself, but still wanted to give it a try.

P.S. I asked around about data retrieval. I was told for my size hard drive, which is 1TB, it would be well over a $1000 AUS.

 

[tech7x]

A 2.5" 500GB drive i thought went bad after 6 months connected to Bell PVR. It was clicking....The drive I'd placed in a USB 2.0 enclosure. I took the drive out of the enclosure, and it tested fine on the computer. So the USB controller went bad, not the drive itself.