ICY TIP: Transfer or clone the data from an IDE (PATA) hard drive to a SATA SSD / HDD with MB881U3-1SA USB 3.0 HDD adapter

If you have built, repaired, or owned computers before 2009, then you probably have data stored on a few IDE interface hard drives. Since 2009, SATA has replaced IDE in most consumer desktop and laptop computers and as a result, IDE interfaces are not as common as they used to be. Some motherboard manufacturers have dropped support the interface altogether, using only SATA I, SATA II or SATA III interfaces. How then do you transfer or access your data, operating system, or applications from those old IDE drives? Icy Dock has the perfect solution: The MB881U3-1SA SATA/IDE USB 3.0 Pro Adapter with Docking Stand. The MB881U3-1SA hard drive adapter is a user friendly, tool-less, multi-interface hard drive adapter that is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. The adapter utilizes a USB 3.0 connection (backward compatible with USB 2.0) to transfer data at up to 5 Gbps for both IDE and SATA hard drives. The MB881U3-1SA is compatible with newer 2.5” and 3.5” SATA hard drives / SSD, as well as older 2.5” and 3.5” IDE hard drives. The MB881U3-1SA makes accessing the data on your IDE disk simple at blazing fast USB 3.0 speeds. Typically, an IDE drive has a substantially lower capacity than its SATA counterpart, and in most cases, a user’s data is spread out among multiple IDE disks because of their limited capacity, making it difficult to find which disk carries the wanted data. With the MB881U3-1SA JBOD function, you can easily combine the data on multiple IDE disks onto a single SATA disk by transferring the data off each IDE disk at a time, and swapping out the IDE disks after the transfer has finished. The MB881U3-1SA allows for direct data transfer between an IDE drive and a SATA drive with a single adapter, eliminating additional step of copying the data onto an internal hard drive before transferring it over to the new drive, simplifying the combination of multiple disks into a quick and easy process. Transferring data from an IDE drive to a SATA drive is a two-step process. First plug both the IDE drive and the SATA drive into their respective slots on the adapter and both drives will be accessible by the computer. Second, drag the contents of the IDE drive and drop it into the SATA drive. Repeat this process for any additional IDE drives that you have until all the contents of each IDE drive is stored on the SATA drive, or when the SATA drive reaches capacity (in which case, a hard drive upgrade is necessary). The SATA hard drive now has the entire contents of each IDE drive, and the IDE drives may act as a back up of your data. The process can also be executed in reverse, making backups of the larger capacity SATA drive by spanning the data across multiple IDE drives. Just make sure the content you’re copying is less than the capacity of the IDE drive. You can also make backups of the data if the data size is less than the capacity of both hard drives. The MB881U3-1SA is also useful when replacing or upgrading the OS hard drives. If the upgraded hard drive uses a SATA interface, you can use the adapter to transfers the entire contents of your IDE drive over to your new SATA drive by using the cloning software such as Acronis True Image and Symantec Norton Ghost. This makes an exact copy of all of the data onto the new drive, keeping all applications and operating systems intact. Aside from backing up or transferring data, the MB881U3-1SA can also be used as a permanent dock. With the included metal stand, the adapter can be used as an open vertical external enclosure for SATA hard drives. The stand props the adapter vertical to save space and improve airflow. The adapter allows older motherboards that do not have SATA support to utilize SATA hard drives through the USB 3.0 port. Alternatively, this adapter also allows newer motherboards that do not have IDE support to utilize older IDE hard drives through the USB 3.0 port. The MB881U3-1SA is a versatile tool with performance that exceeds the competition. It is a useful addition for any computer system. MB881U3-1SA 2.5” & 3.5” SATA & IDE USB 3.0 HDD Adapter with Docking Stand http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=130