Adapters are currently produced in several versions. The use of 2.5 "and 3.5" form factor disks may be envisaged. Somewhat less often (and not always correctly), work with 1.8 "drives is provided. There are modifications that also support work with IDE (they are ATA, they are also PATA) disks. As a rule, besides the connector itself, a power supply is supplied with the adapter, since the USB capabilities for the promotion of plates hard drive is not enough. An alternative is to power directly from a pair of ports.
From a financial point of view, such a purchase may seem unprofitable. After all, the cost of such a set is 10-35 dollars. But in fact, ease of use and the opportunities that open often outweigh the reluctance to empty the wallet.
Application in real life
What can help such a USB-to-SATA adapter to the most common person? First of all, it's just convenient. Especially if you need to connect to your computer more than twice a year hDD. After all, you can not open the system unit, along the way painfully remembering where the suitable screwdriver and where the SATA cable lies is. In addition, it becomes unnecessary to use special containers.This device provides a special convenience in data transfer issues. A simple example: a year or two after the purchase of the computer, the car has become obsolete. Naturally, after the acquisition new system or a planned replacement drive for a model with a large volume, you want to transfer all data from the old machine. Without an adapter it would be necessary to again engage in manual work, at the risk of violating the terms of the guarantee. Now you can just use the free USB output and copy the information at a decent speed.
By the way, it will be very useful in case of a replacement drive to acquire a program for cloning. After all, this allows you to simply transfer the image to a new device, rather than reinstall the operating system and all applications again. Accordingly, the question of installation latest updates, restore a variety of passwords and program settings.
However, the most relevant uSB-to-SATA controller becomes in an emergency. For example, when copying information must be done immediately. The most common cause is various physical disks with the disk. The delay in death is similar: if you do not transfer data in time, they can be lost forever. And what if the drive contained a family archive of photos over the past decade, including such valuable photos from family holidays? Or if the car was stored carefully selected collection of audio materials or rare movies? Their loss can seriously affect the mood of the owner, and on the health too.
Another plus, which the USB-to-SATA adapter boasts, is the reduced load on the disk. If the operating system was installed on this drive, during the operation it causes additional calls, which can significantly shorten the lifetime of the emergency device. And connecting to another computer via USB eliminates this.
Finally, such an adapter is simply indispensable in cases where motherboard There are only two SATA connectors. As a rule, they are both busy: one uses the native hard drive of the machine, and the second is connected optical drive. In this case, using the adapter, you can bypass the existing limitations on the number of connected devices.
However, this device has one significant disadvantage. His owner very soon can be known as a computer doctor and just a magician. That will significantly increase the number of appeals from the suffering users in trouble and will reduce the amount of free time.
What to look for when buying
If desired buy a USB-to-SATA adapter in a personal collection of necessary things you need to take into account some of the nuances. In particular, you need to remember about compatibility. Most models work equally well with all operating systems, which, of course, is a plus. But sometimes there are still models that in some situations simply do not work. So it's better to take care of it beforehand.In addition, it is recommended to use models that support the USB 3.0 standard. After all, this provides a significant gain in the speed of data exchange. So, you can even connect an SSD-drive in order to minimize the time for transferring information. Otherwise, the 2.0 standard can become the bottleneck, which will limit the performance of the adapter. Especially now that an increasing number of machines are equipped with high-speed USB ports.
By the way, the idea to save money and buy a model of a cheap adapter can go sideways. Inexpensive products are often characterized by so weak food that they simply are not able to disperse the disk to operating condition. The second problem of the "economical" option may be the difficulty of determining even deliberately working disks.
The need to connect a hard disk to a laptop can arise if you need to increase the amount of space for storing personal data when an old hard drive is out of order, and in its place you need to install a new one, or when you need to copy a large amount of information to a laptop computer. There are several ways to connect.
The order of replacing the old hard drive with a new one
If the old HDD on the laptop is irretrievably "covered", then the only way out of this situation is to install a new drive. It can be purchased at any computer store. Buying a hard drive, you need to know that its usual size is not 3.5 ", as for a stationary PC, but 2.5".
Before connecting the hard drive to the laptop, you should also pay attention to the interface for HDD, which is available on the PC. Virtually all modern portable computers are equipped with hard drives with a SATA connector. Older models can have an IDE (PATA) interface. In the first case, the data transfer rate reaches 600 Mb / s (SATA 3.0), although a new standard (SATA 4.0) with a connection speed of 12 Gb / s is planned in the near future. The IDE connector allows data transfer with a speed of not more than 133 MB / s. To find out what interface your laptop supports, you need to get an old hard drive and look at its connector.
The procedure for replacing the old HDD with the new one is as follows:
Connecting the second hard drive
Install second hard You can drive to a laptop in several ways:
- via DVD connector;
- with the help of special adapters (external hard drive).
If you rarely use a DVD drive on a laptop, you can install a second hard drive instead. To do this you need:
If everything is done correctly, after turning on the laptop in the window "My Computer" appears new disk. It may need to be formatted before use. 
If you do not want to get rid of DVD drive, then you can connect an external HDD via a USB port using a set of adapters. They can look different, but the functions perform the same.
There are three types of adapters:
- from IDE to USB;
- with SATA to USB;
- combined.
The choice of this or that option depends on the interface that has external disk. A common set of adapters also includes a power supply, since the USB output can not always give out the required voltage. 
The procedure for connecting an external hard drive to the laptop is shown in the image. 
There are also special adapters that make it much easier to connect the HDD to the laptop. As an example, consider the adapter between USB and SATA / IDE company Sabrent, which is equipped with all the necessary connectors and does not need an additional power source. Its cost is about $ 15. 
To access from a PC or laptop to the contents of the hard disk via USB, you need a special device - adapter.
The connection is not complicated, the main thing is the availability of a special device. There are several types of devices that allow you to connect a hard disk (hard drive, HDD) of a desktop computer or laptop to a USB and open its contents. Here are the two most popular: a universal USB-controller (for example, AGESTAR FUBCP) or a case adapter (SATA External case, ITEC MySafe Advance and others).
In China, you can buy these built-in devices instead of a laptop drive:
Also there are combined variants with a complete set (adapter, cord, power unit).
The advantages of the first is that such a device is cheaper than a case adapter, and often supports several types of connection (SATA, IDE). However, using a common hard drive as a portable drive with it is problematic, since it will not be protected by anything.
The second option - the case adapter, is just designed to turn a hard drive into a portable memory device with a large enough capacity, as the case reliably protects from dust and mechanical damage. But at the same time the versatility of the device suffers: before buying, you will have to decide which of the connectors will support the adapter you are purchasing.
Using a hard drive in the case version is pretty simple, so we'll look at how to connect and open a hard drive via usb using a universal adapter (for example, AGESTAR FUBCP).
Procedure for connection
The first thing to do is to determine the type of HDD connector that you plan to connect via USB. The plugs are of the following types:
SATA (more modern connector, used in PCs of fresh assembling and in laptops);
IDE (can be found mostly in the "experienced" PC).
We will consider the connection on the example of AGESTAR FUBCP, as it supports both "old" and modern HDD. The average cost of such a device in Russian electronics stores is about 1500 rubles.
The device is equipped with three interfaces (plugs):
- SATA (7-pin connector).
- IDE 40pin (40-pin plug, for IDE 3.5 ").
- IDE 44pin (respectively, 44-pin plug, for IDE 1.8 "/2.5").
The AGESTAR FUBCP connectors are described below.
Step-by-Step Connection of HDD to Computer
So, we determined the connector of the connected hard disk, now it must be connected to the corresponding connector on the device. After that, insert the USB-connector for data transfer (black) into the USB port of the computer or laptop. If we work with hard drive laptop (2.5 "), you can turn on the adapter, and the HDD should appear in the list of drives on the computer. Sometimes with such a connection, the hard disk may not have enough power and will not be detected by the system. In this case, turn off and connect the red USB-connector of the adapter to any of the ports on the computer and turn on the adapter again.
If the connected hard drive was previously installed in a PC (3.5 "format), the power supply from the USB of your PC will not be enough. Included with AGESTAR FUBCP is a power supply for hard disks format 3.5 ". To open the hard drive via USB, first connect it to the corresponding connector (IDE / SATA), then insert the black USB cable into one of the USB ports on the computer, then connect the power adapter that works from 220 V (plug into the socket) .
After all the cables are securely connected - turn on the adapter. The connection is complete, hdd is determined by the computer, and it will be possible to work with it.
Perhaps you have an unnecessary hard drive removed from an old computer or laptop that lies and collects dust. If so, it will take quite a bit of cost to turn it into a removable USB 2.0 or 3.0 portable storage device. Learn how to do this.
The old drive from a laptop or desktop computer is not very suitable for connection in new equipment - of course, it does not reach the speed and volume of new drives that are connected to the computer. However, you can insert the old disk into a special case (adapter) and make a portable USB drive out of it.
A special adapter is not just a piece of plastic - it includes a set of corresponding inputs and is an adapter for USB. Thanks to it, a hard disk that is designed to connect to the motherboard via the appropriate connectors (IDE or SATA), can be connected to the USB port, that is, make it portable. 
The prices for adapters are quite acceptable, on average about 1000 rubles. Also the cost depends on the USB interface - the adapter with USB 2.0 will be cheaper for USB 3.0 (the difference in the data transfer speed).
Types of hard drives by interface
The adapter itself is not universal and it is necessary to select a suitable model for a particular drive. Attention should be paid to the size of the disk (2.5 "or 3.5"), as well as to the cable and cable for power supply (ATA / IDE lub SATA).
Disks 2.5 " much thinner and mostly they are equipped with laptops. They can be connected via an ATA / IDE cable or SATA cable. 
Disks of 3.5 " a little thicker and usually installed in a stationary computer. Also divided into ATA / IDE and SATA. 
Sometimes there can be certain combinations - a new connector can be connected through the controller to the "old" motherboard (SATA / IDE). Determining the hard disk is a key point, because you need to select the appropriate pocket (adapter) for the specified size and drive interface.
How to choose the correct adapter
When choosing an adapter, you should study the properties and find the right model, which is suitable for the method of connecting the hard drive and its connector. Below is an example of randomly selected uSB adapters for various types of hard drives.
- 2.5 "SATA: NATEC Rhino 3.0;
- 2.5 "IDE: Logilink 2.5;
- 3.5 "SATA: ITEC MySafe Advance 3.5;
- 3.5 "IDE / ATA: PRO-TECH 3.5;
- 3.5 "IDE / SATA: Tracer 731.
Installing the Hard Drive in the Adapter
Install the hard drive in the adapter will not be very difficult. Depending on the model may vary slightly and usually takes no more than a minute. Place the disc in the adapter housing, and then connect the wires to the appropriate connectors. 
Connection Features
Depending on the adapter model, interface and type of hard drive, there may be one or two USB cables on the outside. A USB cable is used to connect to a computer port, and a second one may be required for additional power.
When connected via a USB cable, the hard disk must be immediately detected by the system and available for data transfer.
And other IDE and SATA devices. Today I got a USB controller from AGESTAR FUBCP. As it became clear, it is intended for connecting devices through the usb interface.
This method is perfect for those who often have to work with hard drives and copying information.
I suggest you read more about this tricky device and understand how it works.
The kit with adapter includes:
- the usb itself is a sata / ide adapter;
- 12V power supply unit with molex connector;
- cable for power supply;
- warranty card, manual, driver disk.
There are 3 interfaces on the adapter: SATA, IDE 40 pin (for connecting IDE disks 3.5 "), IDE 44pin (for connecting IDE disks 1.8 "/2.5").
For greater clarity, I propose to look at the photo below. Click on the picture to enlarge.
Below is the photo of the adapter on the back side, where you can see the power button and the power connector.
The instruction from the kit is completely in Russian, so it's quite easy to deal with it. The whole process hard drive connections disks can be divided into 2 sections:
Connection of HDD 2.5 "
For such drives, you need to connect the usb adapter to the appropriate connector and connect the black usb wire to the computer. In most cases this will be enough.
In rare cases, when a hard drive requires power greater than 0.5 mA, you will also need to connect a red additional power wire.
Connecting the HDD 3.5 "
With 3.5 inch HDD, things are a bit more complicated. The difference is that they do not have enough power for usb. For this purpose, a separate power supply with a molex connector is included with the adapter. So, if there is a need to connect SATA drive, then we must connect it to the SATA connector of the controller, connect the usb wire and be sure plug the power cord into the adapter.
For 3.5 "IDE HDD you need to do the same thing, but the power cable must be connected directly to the hard drive. It was with this disk that I conducted all the tests.
In general, the scheme for connecting an IDE hard drive to a computer via USB will look like this:
HDD is defined in the system without installing any drivers. Judging by the instructions I read from cover to cover, driver installation is necessary only if you have Windows 98.)) After a few seconds and a couple of familiar windows windows I could use a hard disk like a regular flash drive.
Backup
I can not help but mention the backup system, which is also provided by this adapter. The most observant readers may have noticed a small black button " backup » on the body of the device ( see the photo with the signatures above). So, clicking on this button allows you to run the utility to copy files from your computer to the connected hard drive. Of course, before this you need to install the program from the disk that comes with it.
To install, you need to run the file " Setup.exe "from the folder" PCCLONEEX_LITE_2_01_31_JMICRON / PcCloneEx". Next is a completely standard installation process, on which I will not stop.
After the program is installed, you need to click on the "backup" button. A window appears prompting you to select the files to back up.
After you have checked the files or folders, click the adapter button again and confirm your action in the pop-up window. After the copying is completed, the program will issue a corresponding message. In the future, when the program is minimized, double click on "backup" Launches backup previously selected files in the background.
Honestly, the advantage of such a system of copying is very doubtful, but it's still nice that the developers have envisaged it.
Yes, by the way, the cost of this usb-adapter is about 600 - 700 rubles. A lot or little to judge only you, dear readers, but I do not even question the usefulness and convenience of this device.
On this I have everything, evaluate, share with friends, write in the comments. 🙂
