Author Topic: Using an old master HDD with XP as a USB slave on new PC with Vista (Read 6492 times)

Float Downstream · « **on:** January 06, 2009, 05:29:13 AM »

My old (HP Pavilion) computer's power supply died, and I just got a new Dell Inspiron 530 desktop with Vista Home Basic. The new computer has all SATA connections, so when I wanted to transfer the data from my old all-PATA PC to the new one, I got one of those USB-PATA adapters. My old slave drive transferred its data just fine, but when I try connecting my old master drive, it doesn't work. When I remove the jumper to set it to the slave position, it isn't detected. When I set the jumper to the cable-select position, the computer detects the drive for about a minute, and then the "Found New Hardware" icon in the system tray disappears for about 30 seconds and comes back for about a minute and continues back and forth but never settles, and the drive does not appear in My Computer. I assume the conflict is with the old master drive having XP installed on it, but I do not know for sure and have no idea how to resolve the problem. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

soybean · « **Reply #1 on:** January 06, 2009, 09:18:46 AM »

Quote from: Float Downstream on January 06, 2009, 05:29:13 AM

... I wanted to transfer the data from my old all-PATA PC to the new one, I got one of those USB-PATA adapters. My old slave drive transferred its data just fine, but when I try connecting my old master drive, it doesn't work. .

This seems confusing. You succeeded in transferring data from the old drive to your new computer via the USB-PATA adapter, right? So, what does "I try connecting my old master drive, it doesn't work" mean?

truenorth · « **Reply #2 on:** January 06, 2009, 11:23:21 AM »

if i understood the problem correctly: 2 "old internal HDD's" the "slave " transfers the "other (the master)" won't.truenorth

Float Downstream · « **Reply #3 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:21:29 PM »

I'm sorry for the confusion, but yes, truenorth is correct; of the two old hard drives, the master drive does not seem to work while the slave does. I don't know if it's because the OS tries to boot when I plug it in or if there's some other problem that I've overlooked.

patio · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2009, 09:18:40 PM »

Please re-state your current drive setup is and what you want to accomplish...

soybean · « **Reply #5 on:** January 06, 2009, 09:32:58 PM »

Quote from: truenorth on January 06, 2009, 11:23:21 AM

if i understood the problem correctly: 2 "old internal HDD's" the "slave " transfers the "other (the master)" won't.truenorth

He has a new computer with a SATA drive and no native support for PATA drives. He pulled the PATA/IDE drive from his old computer and retrieved data from it by using a USB-PATA adapter. So, 2 "old internal HDD's" doesn't make sense here.

Float Downstream · « **Reply #6 on:** January 07, 2009, 12:57:15 AM »

Quote from: patio on January 06, 2009, 09:18:40 PM

Please re-state your current drive setup is and what you want to accomplish...

My new computer has a 300GB SATA hard drive and no native support for PATA drives. My old computer had two PATA hard drives: the master drive (C:) and the slave drive (E:). I bought a USB-PATA adapter to transfer the data from the old drives to the new one. When I connected the old E: drive, I successfully transferred my music to my new computer. When I connect my old C: drive, it does not successfully transfer my files. What I want to accomplish is a retrieval of the documents from my old C: drive to my new C: drive. Hope that clarifies the problem.

patio · « **Reply #7 on:** January 07, 2009, 01:41:53 AM »

Are the files on the old C: drive visible at all > >
If so give this a try: Here

Float Downstream · « **Reply #8 on:** January 07, 2009, 03:35:36 AM »

No, the drive doesn't appear in My Computer, so I cannot see the files. When I connect it with the jumper set to the cable-select position, the "Found New Hardware" icon appears in the system tray for about a minute and then disappears for 30 seconds or so. It just continues this process of briefly appearing and disappearing but never settles. When I remove the jumper to set it to the slave position, the drive does not appear at all after being connected. I haven't set it to the master position because I want to use it as a slave, and I figure that it would try to override my new drive's OS. A friend mentioned something about the master boot record, but I don't exactly know what that is.

patio · « **Reply #9 on:** January 07, 2009, 07:27:21 AM »

You haven't been moving the jumper with the machine on i hope...

truenorth · « **Reply #10 on:** January 07, 2009, 07:50:01 AM »

Float Downstream,While it is beyond my knowledge level (but i suspect not Patio's) as to why "C" drive is causing the problem it is and "E" did not i may have a suggestion that will allow you to transfer the data from "C" to your newly installed 300GB HD. It may also permit the continued use of the "C" drive as an additional HD. Purchase an external USB connectable HD case and install your "C" drive in it. An issue may exist re the file format of the "C" drive in this hardware configuration--I don't know. An issue may exist as to the presence on the "C" drive of the XP O/S on it--i don't know.Before i would rush out and buy a case (though they are not expensive) i would permit Patio to guide you some more. However he or others may have additional comment on my alternative suggestion. I can present other methods of the data retrieval/transfer if that becomes necessary in the future but let's give the post a bit more time to evolve. goodluck,truenorth

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #11 on:** January 07, 2009, 08:01:18 AM »

since your using a Adapter, you should be setting the jumper to the master position.

It will not override your SATA drives, since the jumpers only deal with the IDE channel that the device comprises, in this case, a separate channel handled by the USB->PATA adapter which the computer simply sees as a Storage device.

kimmy · « **Reply #12 on:** January 10, 2009, 09:34:48 AM »

Try plugin 2nd HDD to 2nd SATA port (SATA don't need to set jumber for slave), then reboot? if detected, try to format 2nd HDD then clone Original HDD to 2HDD. I think new motherboard incompatible with your old HDD.

Float Downstream · « **Reply #13 on:** January 24, 2009, 04:23:16 AM »

Sorry for the delay, but I was out of the state for a couple weeks. Anyhow, I tried connecting my HDD with the jumper set to the master position as BC_Programmer advised, but it just did the same thing that it does when I set it to the cable-select position. No, patio, I haven't moved the jumper with the computer on. Do you think that I should buy a USB enclosure as suggested by truenorth, or do you have alternative solutions that may work?

P.S. Thanks for the suggestion, Kimmy, but my old HDD is not SATA-compatible, so I had to get the USB-PATA adapter.

truenorth · « **Reply #14 on:** January 24, 2009, 11:42:50 AM »

Float Downstream, Because it is a while back in the thread remember my concerns re the "file format' and "O/S installed on C" on the master your trying to access.No one has addressed those 2 issues yet.I would want to know the answers to both of those before i would buy the USB enclosure.truenorth

Float Downstream · « **Reply #15 on:** January 31, 2009, 03:14:18 PM »

Well, truenorth, it appears that I may have taken too long to reply before, and everyone lost interest in the issue. I recall you mentioning that you had other methods of retrieving the data; are they too complicated or costly to attempt before trying to use a USB enclosure?

patio · « **Reply #16 on:** January 31, 2009, 03:27:49 PM »

There were plenty of suggestions not tried yet while you were waiting for a response...
Don't blame us for losing interest.

LSF22 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 01, 2009, 10:33:46 AM »

will it not read it if its a C drive when you already have a C drive on your new computer?

Float Downstream · « **Reply #18 on:** February 25, 2009, 03:21:20 AM »

Man, I finally got my internet re-connected, and still no luck with my old C: drive. Hey patio, I did try the previous suggestions; although, I didn't try the stuff on your link to take ownership of a drive because the files on the drive were not visible, and I didn't buy a USB enclosure because truenorth suggested that I wait until the thread evolved more. I did try setting the jumper to the master position, though, and it still didn't work. I wasn't trying to "blame" anyone, I just figured that the post had been disregarded because that's what happened when I tried posting the same topic in the help forum on Vista's site. Sorry.

patio · « **Reply #19 on:** February 25, 2009, 06:52:13 AM »

Try jumpering it as slave and connect it to the middle ribbon connector...
Do this on both IDE 0 and IDE 1
Restart after each attempt to make sure it is being recognised in the BIOS...
Do you feel the drive spinning up ? ?

Float Downstream · « **Reply #20 on:** February 25, 2009, 03:14:58 PM »

The drive does spin when I connect the power cable to it, but my computer doesn't have IDE capabilities, which is why I had to get the USB-PATA adapter.

JJ 3000 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 25, 2009, 04:56:17 PM »

Does the drive show up in Disk Management?

patio · « **Reply #22 on:** February 25, 2009, 04:58:08 PM »

Sorry...i misread after revisiting this thread...as long as it's hooked up to SATA 2 or above it should be treated as a slave drive by the controllers as long as the SATA1 drive is functioning properly...
How does it show up in Disk Management ? ?

chevronman · « **Reply #23 on:** February 25, 2009, 10:56:35 PM »

Did you buy an external housing to hold your old hard drive to transfer your data? If you did, the drive jumper must stay in the master position for it to work. The first time I did it my computer would not recognize the external drive. As soon as I put the jumper back to the master position it found it and worked and still works great.

patio · « **Reply #24 on:** February 26, 2009, 06:56:36 AM »

SATA drives don't have jumpers...except for speed.

chevronman · « **Reply #25 on:** February 26, 2009, 11:04:38 PM »

Unless I read it wrong, she said she had a pata connection which i thought was a 40 or 44 pin ide depending on the size of the hard drive. She said her new connection was a sata so I am assuming that there would be a jumper involved in the connection.

chevronman · « **Reply #26 on:** February 26, 2009, 11:13:52 PM »

Sorry I used the term she, just assumed, The topic starter is what I should have used.

chevronman · « **Reply #27 on:** February 26, 2009, 11:38:28 PM »

Device Installation:
1. Confirm device jumpers are set to master mode.
(3.5” IDE/PATA HDD or CD/DVD Optical Drive Only)
Note: See FAQs for more information about master mode
2. Connect SATA/IDE connector to SATA/IDE device.
Note: When connecting PATA 2.5” or 3.5” drives to DriveWire, it is necessary
to align the polarizing pins in the DriveWire’s connector up with the open
space on the hard drive to avoid breaking pins on the hard drive.
3. Connect the AC power adapter to DriveWire. For 3.5” PATA hard drives,
plug the AC adapter directly into the hard drive.
CAUTION: Power adapter must be properly alligned
to prevent damage.
4. Connect DriveWire to your computer using the
Mini USB Cable

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Author Topic: Using an old master HDD with XP as a USB slave on new PC with Vista (Read 6492 times)

Float Downstream

soybean

truenorth

Float Downstream

patio

soybean

Float Downstream

patio

Float Downstream

patio

truenorth

BC_Programmer

kimmy

Float Downstream

truenorth

Float Downstream

patio

LSF22

Float Downstream

patio

Float Downstream

JJ 3000

patio

chevronman

patio

chevronman

chevronman

chevronman