Assistance with choosing an external enclosure..

[daveyp225]

I changed the hard disk in my laptop and had an 80gb drive that I wasn't using. So, I bought a slim external enclosure which has stopped working within a few weeks...

Which enclosure (2.5") do you reccomend that I get? I am looking for the best enclosure for the money (Just payed my tuition for the fall, so I'm broke). I don't care how it looks so long as its relatively small, and reliability is my biggest concern. I also, strongly prefer an enclosure that gets its power from a single USB port, as I only have three on my laptop and one's broken.

Thanks in advance.
Dave

[glc]

http://www.apricorn.com/product_details.php?ID=220

Comes with an OEM version of Acronis True Image, and alternate power cables (PS/2, AC).

[daveyp225]

I have two problems with the drive you linked... My laptop doesn't have a PS/2 port and I was thinking along the lines of $25-$30 as far as pricing (if that's possible). Thanks though.

Is Thermaltake a good brand for enclosures? I noticed this one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817145012) on Newegg.

By the way, here is the enclosure I purchased originally: http://www.macally.com/spec/usb/storage_device/phr_250a.html

[kram 2.0]

I've been very impressed with Bytecc enclosures - while they do not provide supplemental software, it works well for manual backups. I own a 3.5" enclosure and it's working well. Take a look at this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817145329

kram

[daveyp225]

Thanks kram. Although that looks suspiciously similar to the drive that gave me problems, it has received impressive ratings. I will keep this drive in mind while I continue to look.

I also have an unrelated question about XP lisences. If I create two bootable hard disks from the same restore cd is it a violation? I want my second HD (which will be the one in the enclosure to be used for external storage) to double as a 'rescue' drive to swap in case of a problem...

[glc]

That should be okay, as long as you do not install the second drive into another computer.

Okay - here is the cheapest way to do what you need. It's not a housing, it's just a cable adapter, comes with AC power if needed.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=USB2IDE-25-35&cat=HDD