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Dave M[_2_] Dave M[_2_] is offline
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Default unassembling external drive enclosure

On Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:08:20 -0500, "Dave M"
wrote:

Ninho wrote:
Dave M écrivait

On 26 Oct 2011 13:14:34 GMT, Steph


That Steph above would be me

asked:


What is the make and model of the drive (not the drive itself, but
the whole assembly)?


"QPS Multimedia" "USB 2.0" "Made in China" and a barcode and serial
number is all identification I can find on the case. External
dimensions (centimetres) are about 22x13x4.

It appears QPS doesn't manufacture or distribute hard disk assemblies
any more.

I've had to replace the power supplies for two of my external
drives, one Iomega and one Western Digital. It's not too
difficult to find replacement power supplies. I found very
reasonable power supplies on Amazon. I bought Hootoo Laptop
Battery Chargers, which seem to work well and have been reliable
for over a year. Hootoo makes power supplies for many makes and
models.


Good to know, still I'd like to be able to get the drive out of the
stupid case first !
As for the power adapter again, its DIN-format connector is a dual
5V/12V output - 4 pins. Does this seem like a standard arrangement ?


Cheers,
Dave M


Yeah, that's not an uncommon arrangement. My Iomega USB drive has such a
connector. If you can't find a suitable power supply, there is another good
alternative.
First thing you have to do is to determine the type of interface the disk
drive has (Parallel or Serial, ATA/IDE, etc.). Then buy an external USB
enclosure kit for the drive. The external drive enclosures come with the
power supply, the correct interface for the drive and the USB interface to
your PC. You just remove your drive from the existing enclosure, mount it
into the new enclosure and plug it in.
Ebay lists lots of them. Assuming that your hard drive is a 3.5" unit, try
this search:
http://www.ebay.com/dsc/i.html?_nkw=..._TitleDe sc=1

Opening the case can be tedious. First, make sure that all the screws are
removed. Be sure to look under any labels on the case; there might be a
screw under it. The caase halves might slide apart rather than pop up.
Push the halves apart in opposite directions and pry them apart. If the
case halves are ultrasonically welded, you'll have to destroy the case to
get them apart. No big deal, since it will be discarded anyway, just be
careful not to damage the drive inside. Once inside, remove the mounting
screws and disconnect the cables. Remove the drive and place it into the
new enclosure. Fasten it with the correct hardware. Connect the cables,
put the enclosure together, plug it in, and you should be off & running.

Seagate now owns Maxtor, so you'll need to go to
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/ and find the datasheet for your
disk drive. That should give you the interface info you need to get the
right external enclosure kit. You should be able to find a good enclosure
kit on Ebay or Amazon. Prices vary; $15 - $50. Your chioce.


I should add that you should make sure that the kit you buy does indeed
contain all the necessary parts; case, interface, cables and power
supply. Also, make sure that it will fit your hard drive - 2.5" or
3.5". One such kit to look at:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-5-External... tem2a153f41ed

Cheers,
Dave M