Problems with notebook SATA to USB adapter

[mflood86]

Hey everyone. I have a notebook that recently died on me, and I'm trying to back up the data from this drive. The drive is a: "40.0GB SATA II hard disk drive - 5400 RPM, 2.5-inch form factor, 9.5MM thick - with bracket". I purchased a SATA to USB adapter kit, which claimed to support all sizes of SATA and IDE drives. Unfortunately, the provided adapter does not fit the drive. I tried to take a picture of the problem, but it's a bit blurry, so this may or may not help.

Point is, the connector on the hard drive does not appear to be a typical SATA connection. Nor is it an IDE of some sort. The only difference I can think of is that the HDD is a SATA II drive. . .are the connections for SATA II a different size/shape than standard SATA?

Anyway. I'm not sure what the issue is, so if you can point me in the right direction, I'd be much obliged. Thanks!

 

[MKS]

Hmm according to this SATA and SATA II use the same type of cable.
http://www.overclock.net/faqs/99397-info-there-difference-between-sata-sata2.html
What brand and model is it? (Should be a sticker on the HD)
What brand of laptop did it come out of?

 

[mflood86]

It's a fujitsu drive, model number MHV20409H. Dunno if that'll help you, 'cause I couldn't find any info on it with a quick google. It says Serial ATA right on it, and the hp parts store confirms it as a SATA II device.

It came out of a Compaq Presario V3000Z CTO notebook.

Thanks for your interest.

 

[MKS]

Anyway the Last 9 could be a B? This model matches everything.
http://www.fujitsu.com/us/services/computing/storage/hdd/mobile/mhv2120bh-sata.html
If you go into Models(under specifications) it says that the 40GB model is MHV2040BH.

360 deg view of it the model. http://www.fujitsu.com/downloads/COMP/fcpa/hdd/mhv2120bh-sata_360.swf Look at the "Serial Cable for hot plugging"

 

[mflood86]

I would say that looks like exactly the one, MKS. I apologize for the mistake on the 9/B. It's smudged and hard to read. My bad.

Anyway, I see the serial cabling thing that you're talking about. What exactly does that tell you/me? Do you know what cable I need, now that you're familiar with the model?

(Thanks so much for your continued help on this)

 

[MKS]

According to this website: http://www.superwarehouse.com/Fujitsu_Mobile_40_GB_Internal_Hard_Drive/MHV2040BH/p/641817
It connects via a Serial ATA-150 interface.
I couldn't find a direct to USB converted but maybe you'll have better luck. If you needed too you could get a Sata PCI card and a Sata cable and do it that way.
Examples
Card:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816132009
Cable:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812105912
I think it connects to the smaller plug to the right? Sata interfaces are usally less then a inch long.
Sorry, i'm more of a last gen PATA person. I'm still getting use to the SATA thing.

 

[mflood86]

Hmm. Well, thanks for the help, but I honestly can't think of any reason why this shouldn't work. HDD is Sata, adapter is SATA. It even says SATA right on the cable.

If anyone else has any ideas about this, I'd be grateful. For now though, I guess I'll just. . .try to figure something out. lol Thanks again MKS!

 

[mflood86]

Solved, figured it out. Turns out that some certain laptops have adapters that go over the actual SATA connections, so that the hard drive can lay down flat onto the pins, rather than being pushed onto them. Hard to describe, but that was the case. The issue was that the adapter looked for all the world like part of the hard drive itself, and the connections were similar enough to the real ones that I didn't know the difference. And of course I couldn't find that in the compaq documentation anyway.

/sigh.

Anyway, figured it out, and a big thanks to MKS for working with me on it. Helped me rule out a lot of things.

Cheers guys.