BleepingComputer.com: Hard drive help...

Hey everyone, I've tried searching everywhere for the answer to this, and have yet to find it. First off, you can find my computer here...

http://www.emachines.com/products/products...?prod=ET1161-01

...and my specific motherboard here...

http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/Shar...06254Rsp2.shtml

Here's the issue. I have a 2.5" IDE drive from my girlfriend's old laptop that's no longer working. I'm trying to get the files off of it, and an external usb enclosure doesn't do the trick. From what I've read, usb 2.0 ports put out 0.5A, while this drive requires 0.7A. Even using both usb plugs on the cable, the drive spins up a bit, but is never recognized. So my next attempt involved using the IDE connector on the motherboard. I have 40 pin-44 pin adapter which uses a 4 pin molex to power the drive, that connects to the drive and then to an IDE cable, which in turn plugs into the IDE connector. At this point, when I have this all said and done, the computer won't boot. It gets the the screen with F10 for boot menu and F2 for BIOS settings and then fails to continue. If I turn of the computer and then disconnect the 2.5" drive, the computer boots like usual. At this point, I'm stumped. Both my DVD-R and hard drive are connected via SATA, and I don't have any other drives connected.

Any ideas?

Edit: Forgot to add that I am running Vista.

This post has been edited by Handsome Dan: 07 March 2009 - 01:42 AM

Sounds like you need an External Enclosure with an AC adaptor as well. Following is a link for one but they do get pricey.

http://www.meritline.com/usb-hdd-enclosure...---p-22606.aspx

You might try ebay as well.

Good luck.

DR

Did you hit "F10" to access the boot menu and choose your current SATA drive as primary?