Thanks for that Robert.  I hadn't thought to look at the Gig site for info about USB 2.0.  However, I've just been there and discovered that my mobo is rev.1.1, which doesn't have USB 2.0 on the back panel, only 1.1. 

It's only the rev.2 version of the board that has that setup.

But I also discovered that I HAVE a USB 2.0 kit, containing a 4xsocket back plate which is cabled to 2 orange plugs, which match the sockets on the mobo.  It must have come with the board when I bought it, but I'd stashed it away for future reference.

So I'm all set to build and run my external USB 2.0 IDE drive enclosure.  I intend to throw my existing Maxtor 40Gb UATA133 drive into the enclosure, and run my system from a new 20Gb drive, only accessing the old 40Gb drive for storage.

I had thought of putting in a removeable HDD rack like Orf, but I think the system needs to be shut down and restarted to access such a drive, plus I would expect to see the drive letters reshuffled on startup, according to which drives had been booted.

Neither of which should happen with my USB 2.0 drive enclosure.  At least, that's the case with the USB 1.1 enclosure I use with an old 2Gb drive for file transfers between customer's pc's and the workshop machines.

Thanks to everyone else who commented on this.

Ian Porter
Computer Guys Inc.
Arrowtown
New Zealand
[log in to unmask]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Lendrim" Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] USB 1 and 2


> Gigabyte's site says the two on your rear panel are USB 2.0
> and there are connectors on the MB for both 1.1 and 2.0.
> http://tw.giga-byte.com/english-web/products/7vrxp.htm

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