Server HD to Regular HD

[Shangri-laschild]

My best friend is good with computers and has built most of the computers we have used. I had gotten tired of mine and so we got parts to build me a new one. The new one is working wonderfully. There's only one problem.

So my old computer had a server hard drive in it. We forgot about this or to back everything up onto a disc for transfer when we put together my new computer. We used some parts off the old computer (the copper things that the motherboard sits on). I believe we also may not have been gentle with the old one when getting those parts...the general feeling was one of "god damn this piece of crap which I am glad to be rid of." I am as of yet not sure if any parts were broken though we did try to take everything apart the correct way. I do know that my old hard drive won't hook up to my new motherboard.

Is there any way to hook up the server hard drive sort of like an external hard drive in order to get all my pictures and internet bookmarks off of it? I wasn't sure if my only option to get that stuff was to put that computer back together. Neither of us has another server motherboard so it would have to be with those computer bits.

[LostMyMind]

server hard-drive?

You can mount any hard-drive to be external with an external hard-drive kit (case, cables, etc...) to usb (or firewire). Unless the hard-drive is formated strangely (i.e. RAID, encrypted). All you really have to do is make sure you have the right kit. In otherwords, is the hard drive an IDE, SATA, PATA, etc...

[rvdammit]

If it came from an old venerable server it might some flavour of SCSI. Looking at my favourite site for external kits shows none. Which leans towards getting a SCSI adaptor card to run it.

[Shangri-laschild]

If it came from an old venerable server it might some flavour of SCSI. Looking at my favourite site for external kits shows none. Which leans towards getting a SCSI adaptor card to run it.

All I know is it came out of what I believe is an Intergraph computer. I'm not sure how old it is but I know it was a computer that originally was only available to businesses. It was a bit on the small side but I don't know that it was all that old. How would I find out what kind of hard drive it is or will it say on it?

[lordlundar]

server hard-drive?

Nice to know I'm not the only one having a WTF moment. My guess would be a SCSI drive? That's about the only thing I can think of that would be used in a server of an older computer. (I say older because the newer ones are using SATAs as well.)

Does the connector look like one of the following?

SATA - http://www.mysuperpc.com/build/sata_..._jumpers_3.jpg

PATA - http://educations.newegg.com/categor...w1/image04.jpg

SCSI - http://www.retrotechnology.com/herbs_stuff/hdrive.jpg

If so, and it wasn't RAID setup (requires at least 2 drives so it's not likely) then you just need to find the appropriate kit for it. PATA and SATA are easy to find, SCSI not so much and are a pain to configure. If it is a SCSI, do a solid debate on whether or not the data is worth the effort. Even if you know what you're doing, it can take several hours to get it working right.

[rvdammit]

How would I find out what kind of hard drive it is or will it say on it?

Probably need to look up the model umber at the manufacturer's website. From memory a SCSI ribbon cable will also be the widest.

[LostMyMind]

All I know is it came out of what I believe is an Intergraph computer.

Wow, I didn't think there was anyone else that dealt with those old intergraph computers. My old job used 4 of those computers for graphing.

I do believe they use SCSI or IDE interface in those days. Do they even make SCSI hard-drives anymore? Since IDE is still used. I'm going to guess it is SCSI. You should be able to find an SCSI external kit. However, there were more than one type of SCSI connectors. So you really have to get the right one.

[Shangri-laschild]

Wow, I didn't think there was anyone else that dealt with those old intergraph computers. My old job used 4 of those computers for graphing.

My best friend got it online after some company shut down. He then realized he didn't have the room for the extra computer and it wasn't as good as his anyway so I bought it. For my first computer, it wasn't bad at all. I filled up all my space on it pretty quick.

Hopefully I should be going over to my friend's house soon to find out the details on the hard drive. They've got him working overnights and calling him in on days off so I haven't had a chance to go over because he's a light sleeper.

[digilight]

Most likely it is a SCSI drive, now which type of scsi is the question. Did the ribbon cable for the hard drive plug directly into the motherboard (big ass board that most everything else pluged into) or did it plug into a smaller card that also pluged into the motherboard. If it pluged into a smaller card than thats a SCSI card, and you may be able to transfer that card to your new computer and just run the cable to it. Otherwise I've had good luck with Adaptec 2940 cards in the past.

Again like LL stated, is the data worth getting off. SCSI isn't the easiest in the world to work with. You have to make sure that the drive is terminated corectly, and that you load the drivers for the scsi board on the computer so that they will communicate.

Another option is to take the physical drive to a local computer store with knowledgable staff. See if they recognize the type of connection and can help you out.

[Shangri-laschild]

Again like LL stated, is the data worth getting off. SCSI isn't the easiest in the world to work with. You have to make sure that the drive is terminated corectly, and that you load the drivers for the scsi board on the computer so that they will communicate.

Another option is to take the physical drive to a local computer store with knowledgable staff. See if they recognize the type of connection and can help you out.

It's all my links and pictures and I have a lot of both. It is very much worth it to me. I have definitely learned my lesson though. Back up info and then destruct. Not the other way around Luckily there is a nice computer store where I live so I'll try taking it there. Hopefully that will help.

[wolfie]

My 2 cents worth:

SCSI hard drives can have either a double-row pin header connector (50 pins in 2 rows of 25, looks like a PATA connector except wider) as shown in the picture someone else linked to, or a more dense connector (I've never used it, so I can't tell you the exact layout) inside a D-shaped shell (roughly the width of the shell on a parallel port, but somewhat thicker). Higher-performance drives are more likely to have the second type.

Although an add-in SCSI board was the most common, some motherboards (especially if they came in a system designed as a server) can have SCSI on them (many years ago, I built a system for a relative based on a used ASUS 80486 motherboard that had SCSI on it). Just because the hard drive connects to the motherboard rather than an add-in card doesn't mean it's PATA.

[Pedersen]

Okay, I'll finally toss in the SCSI knowledge I've got.

SCSI has gone through numerous standards. SCSI, Fast SCSI, Wide SCSI, Fast/Wide SCSI, UltraSCSI. A few others I've forgotten, I'm sure.

Then there's the Differential SCSI variant for most (if not all) of them.

The connectors that I've dealt with include 50 pin, 68 pin, 80 pin, and a "narrow" variant of one of those (I forget which). And those are the internal connectors.

External connectors have been a Centronix style and a newer style that I don't know the name for. I'm sure there have been other external styles, as well, so that just makes it worse.

Each cable/connector type has different electrical properties. Different rules about how to connect. And different physical connections, of course. So, how do you know what you need to know to hook up a SCSI drive?

Welcome to the wonderful world of SCSI.

There's only one way to tell: Post a model number. Every hard drive I've seen for the past 20 years has had the model number printed on a white sticker (along with other information) on the top of the drive. Give me that information, and I'll give you the information on the parts you need to buy to read that drive.

If you're not sure bit is the model number, take a photo and post it online, and I'll work from there.

[Shangri-laschild]

There's only one way to tell: Post a model number. Every hard drive I've seen for the past 20 years has had the model number printed on a white sticker (along with other information) on the top of the drive. Give me that information, and I'll give you the information on the parts you need to buy to read that drive.

If you're not sure bit is the model number, take a photo and post it online, and I'll work from there.

I will once I can. The hard drive is at my friend's house and I haven't been able to go over there in a while with both of us busy. Thanks for the advice!

[lordlundar]

Welcome to the wonderful world of SCSI.

And you can keep it!

[Shangri-laschild]

Update

Is SCSI the one that's pronounced scuzzy? If so that's what I have. I'm going to call into the local computer store and see if they can do it for me so as to save me and my friend the time. Hopefully I will have all my files soon! It's starting to bug me that I don't remember what was on there and so I can't just re-look up the links.