Question 1

how does the hdd interface with the enclosure? do i need to purchase an ide cable and power supply cable (internal hdd to enclosure)? i ask this question because the aforementioned cables are not mentioned in the specs.
best regards.
brian h

Accepted Answer

Its plug and play.  Everything is in the box.  IDE interface and power supply.  Don't need to buy any cables or power supply.  Everything came in my box.

Question 2

Does anyone know if this will work with a Maxtor Hard drive? Or is it only compatible with certain makes of Hard drive? THX!

Accepted Answer

The hard drive manufacturer does not matter.  It is the interface that matters.  This works with IDE drives, which is the flat gray ribbon cable used in the 90's and early 2000's.

Most all drives today are SATA, which is a skinny cable, about 3/8 inch wide.

The drive you are using should say SATA or IDE on the top.  If not, goggle the model number and the manufactures web site should tell you.

Question 3

I have a computer with a bad motherboard but want to use the old hard drive for storage and hope to save stuff off of it. Not sure what I need its and 80gb western digital. From a desk top computer?

Accepted Answer

Before you purchase this or any other hard drive enclosure, you should determine if the hard drive you're trying to fit is SATA or IDE.  (IDE is also known as PATA.)  SATA is the newer format; the data cable is only about an inch wide.  IDE/PATA is the older format; the data cable is 2-3 inches wide.  This particular enclosure will work fine for IDE/PATA hard drives but will not work at all for SATA hard drives.  Check your computer's documentation or just look at the hard drive to determine whether it is SATA or IDE before making the purchase.  Good luck.

Question 4

How do you partition and format a hard drive using the Vantec NextStar 3 IDE drive?

Accepted Answer

There are instructions on how to do this included in the drive as well as a disk which should help you format the drive.  If memory serves me right, all I had to do was place my drive in the enclosure and plug it in.  Windows recognized it as an external drive without the need for a driver.  Pretty easy.

Questions & Answers