Hard Drives--Can I do it?

My 1TB Western Digital external drive has a jacked up "broken" pin for the usb 3.0 interface.( figures that it would happen now, a month after the warrenty ran out) Gonna run out to the store maybe beginning of the week to grab a new one after I check flyers, etc.
Question:
Is there anything in the way of me taking the old HD out of it's enclosure and installing it into my new machine as a primary HD?

 

I would contact the manufacturer first, before doing anything. As for pulling it, it is nothing more than a Sata drive in there anyways.

 

If it's an older drive, bronizs is probably right. On some newer external drives; however, the actual drive inside doesn't use a standard SATA connection. You might want to Google the specific make and model # of the drive to see if anyone has posted anywhere about taking it apart. If there's data on the drive you want to save and it's a non-standard connection, you'll have to contact the drive mfr. to see if a replacement case is available.

 

They all use a SATA or PATA connection on the drives. You just have to remove the adapter on the circuit board that is inside the enclosure. The drives in them are no different than what goes inside laptops.

Stating that the drives inside these enclosures are not standard, without proof to back it up, is like stating that all politicians and lawyers are honest.

 

If you need proof, here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64j_U-E2qpc

Other than that, I'm done with this thread.

 

You sure do like that video. Again like in the other thread, that is a proprietary motherboard specified by the manufacturer of the case. Not all are like that, majority are standard SATA or PATA drives with a daughter board on the back as I stated before.

Need to try harder gman863.

 

Thanks guys,
I think I'll just keep them the way they are, it still works through usb 2.0.

 

I have to side with Gman863. Most of the USB drives I've seen have the USB soldered right onto the bus board.

 

Zack, most low end units will use proprietary interfaces, such as the case with Western Digital's. Those of the likes of Toshiba, Apple, etc., will use a standard SATA or PATA drive, with a daughterboard on the drive.

You can take off the proprietary motherboard off of the WD and put a sister unit SATA or PATA board on it, and it will work fine.

Personally I hate it when manufacturers use proprietary interfaces, that you have to get the parts through them, not through third party chains.

 

Here is where you can check to see if they will issue a RMA on your old unit http://support.wdc.com/warranty/index_end.asp?lang=en WD has been known to do RMA's and exchange on a like unit, to especially keep customers, or fix the unit.

 

See this http://community.wd.com/t5/External-Drives-for-PC/Broken-USB-Port/td-p/164564 You are not alone. Ongoing issue with their product for quite a few years.