[Tfug] Removable carrier in USB case?

[Bexley Hall]

Hi Tom,

> > But, the idea came to me that I could gut an
> > external USB CD-ROM and install the carrier and
> > frame in *that*!  Then, conceivably, diddle with
> > the drive on *any* USB-capable machine!
> 
> You want an external USB enclosure you can stick a random
> drive in, and started hacking up a USB CD, right?  Now you're 
> being bitten by the hardware telling the system "I am a CD 
> drive".

So far, that doesn't seem to be the problem.  I had a (formatted,
in use) 250G drive in the carrier when I first tried this and it
was *seen* as 250GB.  Problem appeared when I tried to format
the drive (and suddenly it was a 128G device!)

Though your point is well taken!

> Maybe this is obvious, but why not start with an external
> USB HD case?

Because most (all?) external HDD cases are "completely
enclosed".  I.e., they don't have an "open side" into
which a drive carrier can be inserted/removed.

> For stuff like this,
> I've actually got dongle that's just an ATA (and laptop HD
> sized ATA) to USB connector.

Hmmm... so how do you get power to the drive?  (since
3" drives tend to use more power than is available via
a USB port)  I assume your gizmo just "dangles in the
breeze"?  (i.e., not an enclosure)