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Subject:
From:
Mark Rode <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
PCBUILD - Personal Computer Hardware discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 2 Mar 2003 12:15:23 -0800
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text/plain
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>
>I want to Image a hard drive that is in a different computer case
>than the "destination drive".
>I would prefer to NOT have to physically remove the hard drive
>from the original computer case.
>I
>I am wondering if I can connect a hard drive data cable from
>one motherboard (on my main machine), to a hard drive
>physically mounted in another computer case.
>
>I'm assuming it would be better to also run the power over, and
>keep the imaged machine off....

I have done this on many occasions to back up a customers drive.

I would leave the customers PC unplugged from AC, then I would remove the
customers power connector and ribbon cable from the customers drive, and
then plug my bench PC's power and ribbon cable into the customers drive.
You want to keep your IDE cable length ideally at 18 inches, and never over
24 inches or you will risk data corruption.

Of course, if it is easy to do so, then it is simpler to just pull the 2nd
drive, rather then position the backup PC right next to the source PC. You
don't have to mount the source drive in the backup PC in order to image it.

As long as the customers PC is not plugged in to AC, and is not powered on,
I don't see how there could be a ground problem.  It use to be common
practice to have a second external case sitting on top of the PC case, with
its own  power supply and cooling, for a large number of SCSI drives, on a
server or workstation. The only thing shared between the cases would be the
SCSI ribbon cable.

However, I could be wrong about a ground problem, and if so, maybe one of
our resident Electrical Engineers, could enlighten me.

Rode
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