I used to have this ancient computer that wouldn't recognize more than I believe a 40GB drive. So it wouldn't recognize the 80GB drive I put in it. Once I booted the machine from a floppy, linux would see the drive without any problems. So once your older computer is booted into linux, you shouldn't have any trouble accessing the drive. At least that's been my experience. On 11/20/2011 0:15, Michael Havens wrote: > I gave up on the external hd aspirations because my mobo probably > won't boot a USB. You say that older mobos have problems recognizing > larger disks.... 160 gb is probably one of those. Could I partition it > maybe and it would see more of it... is there a work around? > > On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 8:32 PM, Jim March <1.jim.march@gmail.com > > wrote: > > Let me add some hard disk advice, regardless of whether you do > IDE/PATA or SATA. > > Laptop-class drives (2.5") are smaller and slower than a > desktop-class drive (3.5"). BUT the laptop drives are much > tougher, esp. in terms of drop-resistance, and put out a lot less > heat. > > You'll pay more for the gigabyte for a laptop-class drive. > > If you're using a laptop IDE drive in a desktop computer, you need > an adapter to make it work. Costs $5 at Fry's Electronics. On > SATA drives the connectors are the same for laptop or desktop. > > If you have a motherboard without SATA support, a SATA PCI adapter > card is very cheap - about $20 tops (Fry's has tons). It can be a > much, much better idea to buy a SATA drive plus PCI adapter now as > opposed to an IDE drive for an older motherboard. By jumping to > SATA right away you gain the ability to upgrade to a hotter > SATA-support motherboard later. And usually, the SATA PCI adapter > card will let you run a big SATA drive on a motherboard that > doesn't otherwise support big IDE/PATA drives, because the SATA > PCI adapter takes over a lot of the hard disk support firmware > from the motherboard. > > The best hard disks today are made by Western Digital, in my > opinion. A very close second is Seagate. Comparatively speaking, > the Japanese such as Hitachi, Toshiba and Fujitsu suck. In terms > of reliability Samsungs from Korea are actually better than the > Japanese drives. Maxtor is Seagate's "budget line" - avoid. > > If you're buying an external drive that is NOT made by one of the > above drive-makers (LaCie, Buffalo, SimpleTech, many MANY more) > then you're buying a pig in a poke. You have no idea what brand > of actual drive is in there unless you either crack the case open > (breaking the warrantee most likely) or you use software tools to > probe the make/model info. If however you buy a Western Digital > external drive fr'instance, you can take it to the bank that > there's a WD drive in there. Same concept for all the rest, > except that Seagate owns Maxtor and might slap a Maxtor drive > under a Seagate-brand chassis. > > Hope this helps, > > Jim > > > On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 7:18 PM, JD Austin > wrote: > > IDE, EIDE, and PATA (Parallel ATA) have the same interface. > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_ATA > > Older motherboards may have trouble recognizing larger drives. > IDE/EIDE/PATA is on it's way out.... get SATA if you have a > choice since it's unlikely you'll find a motherboard with EIDE > on it. > Open Box= someone else didn't like it. > I'd go SATA if I were you (supports native hot swapping). > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATA > I often use laptop drives for such things. > > On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 18:48, Michael Havens > > wrote: > > this is the ad: > http://www.macconnection.com/IPA/Shop/Product/Detail.htm?sku=8239542&cm_mmc=Base-_-8239542-_-Used-_-WN3&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=8239542 > > > > > On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 6:44 PM, Michael Havens > > wrote: > > I have a sales guy telling me at > http://www.macconnection.com/ that an eide drive > (theirs) will work on an IDE system. Is this true. As > stated before I don't know if my system is ide or > eide. I have an IBM NetVista computer. This is what > they're trying to sell: > > > Open Box Western Digital 160GB Caviar SE EIDE 3.5" > Hard Drive - 8MB Cache > > > > -- > :-)~MIKE~(-: > > > > > -- > :-)~MIKE~(-: > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - > PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - > PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > > -- > :-)~MIKE~(-: > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss