The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    is all Ext. USB Hard drive can be converted to intern. one?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by icehell, May 6, 2013.

  1. icehell

    icehell Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    190
    Messages:
    526
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    icehell, May 6, 2013
    #1
  2. misft33333

    misft33333 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    72
    Messages:
    121
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Yes, I did that with my WD green drive 500 gb. The external hard drive connection was only USB 2.0 so I just pried open the enclosure and put it into my 4 bay enclosure.

    Surprisingly, it is still working today even though it has been approximately four years (I have had bad experiences with green drives).

    Of course, you will void the warranty unless you are very meticulous in taking it apart, it is up to you.
     
    misft33333, May 6, 2013
    #2
  3. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

    Reputations:
    7,588
    Messages:
    10,023
    Likes Received:
    1,077
    Trophy Points:
    581
    afaik, all USB drives hide a normal hard drive inside, getting to the drive might not be easy though.
     
    tijo, May 6, 2013
    #3
  4. radji

    radji Farewell, Solenya...

    Reputations:
    3,856
    Messages:
    3,074
    Likes Received:
    2,619
    Trophy Points:
    231
    Depends on what you plan on installing it in. A hard drive like the picture you posted uses a USB 3.0 interface. So, you can install it internally in a desktop and run the USB 3.0 cable to a USB 3.0 card installed on your motherboard. I actually just did that for my uncle's co-worker. The hard drive you posted would not work as an internal hard drive for a laptop. What tijo is talking about is that some external hard drives will simply be a normal SATA hard drive in the OEM's proprietary enclosure. I have actually found a few OEM external drives where the OEM used a proprietary connector on the hard drive controller board instead of the normal SATA connector. In that instance, you may not be able to remove the actual hard drive from an external drive's enclosure at use it internally.
     
    radji, May 6, 2013
    #4