[SOLVED] Data recovery on old Maxtor 2B020H1 IDE 3.5 inch drive

mralk3 · 03-20-2018, 07:18 PM

As the title states, I am looking to do some data recovery on a hard drive from 2001. It is a Maxtor, model 2B020H1, 20 GB capacity, IDE. The drive was in my Aunt's old desktop and has family photos on it she wishes to recover. I am not certain it will even turn on.

Can anyone recommend a good IDE to USB 3.0 adapter cable? Preferably on Amazon. There are so many to choose from with many mixed reviews. I am looking for a recommendation of a product that you have used and that provided a good outcome. I am not looking to spend more than $35 on the adapter.

frankbell · 03-20-2018, 07:55 PM

You could try photorec. It's FLOSS.

mralk3 · 03-20-2018, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankbell

You could try photorec. It's FLOSS.

I found that in my searches and remembered using it several years ago. I just need to figure out what IDE to USB adapter to get.

syg00 · 03-20-2018, 08:10 PM

I bought a caddy that accepts both IDE and SATA so I could mount any and all drives. Was cheap and does the job.
If it mounts, just copy as normal - photorec is only needed if you can't read the filesystem.

mrmazda · 03-20-2018, 11:57 PM

Only USB2 for PATA HD, but what I've been using since 2013, and fast enough for a HD that's only 20GB.

mralk3 · 03-21-2018, 12:11 AM

Thanks for all the replies. I ended up getting an adapter that I can use with as many drives as possible to future proof the purchase. Here is what I purchased:

Sabrent USB 3.0 TO SATA/IDE 2.5/3.5/5.25-INCH Hard Drive Converter With Power Supply & LED Activity Lights [4TB Support] (USB-DSC9)

It has a ton of great reviews.

mralk3 · 03-23-2018, 02:02 PM

Well I got the adapter today. I plugged the hard drive in and nothing happened. I was a bit confused because the disk was spun up and making that annoying buzzing sound those old disks make. Turned it off, switched the jumper to master, powered it up, and the disk mounted. Looks like my Aunt will get her files back. No thanks to the guy at Staples who said that the hard drive was dead and unrecoverable.

Thanks for all the comments, much appreciated.