External USB Hard disk interfaces (for Copy+ & similar) - A Warning! - Sky+

jeallen01 · 02-11-2009, 10:52

Hi Folks

Bought two USB to PATA/SATA hard disk interface kits off Ebay (for about a tenner each) so that I could (finally, after nearly a year!) copy all my Sky+ PATA hard disk material to a new, larger disk.

Result: complete waste of time with these interface kits as they were not recognised by my laptop running XP Pro SP3 - neither Windows Explorer nor Windows Disk Manager, nor Copy+ could see these disks attached to the laptop (where as all other USB hard disks and Flash drives were/are fine).

After wasting an awful lot of time on Saturday in trying to trouble shoot the problem, and contacting the supplier, the only solution was to strip out two of my external USB harddisk enclosures and fit the two drives to those. Result: instant drive recognition and then success in using Copy+ to copy the material to the new drive.

Am now returning the kits to the supplier - who I am not going to name because it was clear from talking to him that he was as surprised as I was (and is now supposed to be sending me a prepaid mailer to return them and then to refund my money), AND, and because there are a lot more such kits (with identical "photos") on Ebay from other suppliers, and so the problem was probably not of his making.

So, I strongly recommend you don't buy these kits.

ALSO, A SAFETY WARNING - some of these kits come with "13A plugs" which are not to UK BS1363 safety standards!
They are much smaller body with the wrong physical body shape AND have no internal fuse - so they must not be connected directly to a 13A wall-socket => BIG bang if something goes wrong with the cable or mains adaptor!

These plugs (which may carry a CE marking!!!) are illegal in the UK, and so, if you already have such plugs in your systems, I also strongly recommend that you replace them immediately, and then destroy them so that there is no chance of them being re-used for some other equipment.

John

AND how the **** did that weight loss ad get stuck into my post. Sorry but I don't know how to delete it and will report this to the Mods.

rhod · 02-11-2009, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeallen01

So, I strongly recommend you don't buy these kits.

Will be interesting to see if the replacement you get works OK. You may have been unlucky with a faulty unit.

Quote:

These plugs (which may carry a CE marking!!!) are illegal in the UK, and so, if you already have such plugs in your systems, I also strongly recommend that you replace them immediately, and then destroy them so that there is no chance of them being re-used for some other equipment.

Good advice - Some of the plugs and adapters I've seen supplied with stuff look very ropey..

Quote:

AND how the **** did that weight loss ad get stuck into my post. Sorry but I don't know how to delete it and will report this to the Mods.

The ads are a source of revenue for DS, and help to keep the site free to use. Just have to learn to live with them

anniebrion · 02-11-2009, 12:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhod

The ads are a source of revenue for DS, and help to keep the site free to use. Just have to learn to live with them

What Ads????

Nigel Goodwin · 02-11-2009, 12:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by anniebrion

What Ads????

Exactly, many users (myself included) now block all adverts, because of the overly intrusive ones added here.

This site tells you how to do it, it's VERY simple.

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

jeallen01 · 02-11-2009, 13:19

I have just done a full virus and spyware scan of my laptop - and there were a large number of trojans and tracking cookies, all of which have now been deleted.

I just hope that
a) these were not on my machine beforehand (otherwise I will need to replace Zonealarm security suite PDQ, but, up to today, only an extremely small number of trojans ever got through, although quite a few tracking cookies have done from time to time)

and
b) there are no sources of these in the linked ads in the top RHS of my first post.

Either way, I would strongly recommend NOT following that link!

John

jeallen01 · 02-11-2009, 13:25

[quote=rhod;36412581]Will be interesting to see if the replacement you get works OK. You may have been unlucky with a faulty unit. QUOTE]

I don't think so as I had two of the kits and neither of them worked - and I suspect that there are a lot more kits out there with the same problem.

Will not be getting direct replacements for these from the supplier, and will look elsewhere for something suitable.

John

spanglysteve · 07-11-2009, 16:03

anyone know how to not see the ads on mac?

jeallen01 · 08-11-2009, 20:18

[quote=jeallen01;36414584][quote=rhod;36412581
Will not be getting direct replacements for these from the supplier, and will look elsewhere for something suitable.

John[/QUOTE]

Got a couple of more expensive kits from a company called Nexon, via the Amazon website, and they are in a different league to the cheapies I got from the Ebay supplier. Worked first time, and the fact that the PSU worked properly allowed me to check out the cheapies in more detail.

Basic problems with the cheapies:
a) 1 of the 2 PSUs supplied with the cheapies did not work at all and the "almost good" one got very hot very quickly.

b) Of the 3 interface units (supplier sent me a 3rd to try out) 1 was complete duff, and the other two would not allow the disk to spin up if they were connected to it when the PSU (from the good supplier!) was connected first. Only if I let the disk spin up with the interface disconnected, and then plugged in the interface, would the PC then see the disk via the interface.

Have now sent all the crap stuff back to the supplier.

Moral: you get what you pay for!

02-11-2009, 10:52	#1
jeallen01 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: W.London Services: Sky+ V2 320GB, TM5500DAPCI, various cams, 4 dishes, Virgin box,Slingbox etc Posts: 603	External USB Hard disk interfaces (for Copy+ & similar) - A Warning! Hi Folks Bought two USB to PATA/SATA hard disk interface kits off Ebay (for about a tenner each) so that I could (finally, after nearly a year!) copy all my Sky+ PATA hard disk material to a new, larger disk. Result: complete waste of time with these interface kits as they were not recognised by my laptop running XP Pro SP3 - neither Windows Explorer nor Windows Disk Manager, nor Copy+ could see these disks attached to the laptop (where as all other USB hard disks and Flash drives were/are fine). After wasting an awful lot of time on Saturday in trying to trouble shoot the problem, and contacting the supplier, the only solution was to strip out two of my external USB harddisk enclosures and fit the two drives to those. Result: instant drive recognition and then success in using Copy+ to copy the material to the new drive. Am now returning the kits to the supplier - who I am not going to name because it was clear from talking to him that he was as surprised as I was (and is now supposed to be sending me a prepaid mailer to return them and then to refund my money), AND, and because there are a lot more such kits (with identical "photos") on Ebay from other suppliers, and so the problem was probably not of his making. So, I strongly recommend you don't buy these kits. ALSO, A SAFETY WARNING - some of these kits come with "13A plugs" which are not to UK BS1363 safety standards! They are much smaller body with the wrong physical body shape AND have no internal fuse - so they must not be connected directly to a 13A wall-socket => BIG bang if something goes wrong with the cable or mains adaptor! These plugs (which may carry a CE marking!!!) are illegal in the UK, and so, if you already have such plugs in your systems, I also strongly recommend that you replace them immediately, and then destroy them so that there is no chance of them being re-used for some other equipment. John AND how the **** did that weight loss ad get stuck into my post. Sorry but I don't know how to delete it and will report this to the Mods.

02-11-2009, 13:19	#5
jeallen01 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: W.London Services: Sky+ V2 320GB, TM5500DAPCI, various cams, 4 dishes, Virgin box,Slingbox etc Posts: 603	I have just done a full virus and spyware scan of my laptop - and there were a large number of trojans and tracking cookies, all of which have now been deleted. I just hope that a) these were not on my machine beforehand (otherwise I will need to replace Zonealarm security suite PDQ, but, up to today, only an extremely small number of trojans ever got through, although quite a few tracking cookies have done from time to time) and b) there are no sources of these in the linked ads in the top RHS of my first post. Either way, I would strongly recommend NOT following that link! John

02-11-2009, 13:25	#6
jeallen01 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: W.London Services: Sky+ V2 320GB, TM5500DAPCI, various cams, 4 dishes, Virgin box,Slingbox etc Posts: 603	[quote=rhod;36412581]Will be interesting to see if the replacement you get works OK. You may have been unlucky with a faulty unit. QUOTE] I don't think so as I had two of the kits and neither of them worked - and I suspect that there are a lot more kits out there with the same problem. Will not be getting direct replacements for these from the supplier, and will look elsewhere for something suitable. John

07-11-2009, 16:03	#7
spanglysteve Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Services: Sony KDL32-3000, V+, 3 for £30, XL TV, M phone, M BB Posts: 1,155	anyone know how to not see the ads on mac?

08-11-2009, 20:18	#8
jeallen01 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: W.London Services: Sky+ V2 320GB, TM5500DAPCI, various cams, 4 dishes, Virgin box,Slingbox etc Posts: 603	[quote=jeallen01;36414584][quote=rhod;36412581 Will not be getting direct replacements for these from the supplier, and will look elsewhere for something suitable. John[/QUOTE] Got a couple of more expensive kits from a company called Nexon, via the Amazon website, and they are in a different league to the cheapies I got from the Ebay supplier. Worked first time, and the fact that the PSU worked properly allowed me to check out the cheapies in more detail. Basic problems with the cheapies: a) 1 of the 2 PSUs supplied with the cheapies did not work at all and the "almost good" one got very hot very quickly. b) Of the 3 interface units (supplier sent me a 3rd to try out) 1 was complete duff, and the other two would not allow the disk to spin up if they were connected to it when the PSU (from the good supplier!) was connected first. Only if I let the disk spin up with the interface disconnected, and then plugged in the interface, would the PC then see the disk via the interface. Have now sent all the crap stuff back to the supplier. Moral: you get what you pay for!