Handy and easy to use

The external hard drive enclosure is probably one of the most helpful computer peripherals available.

I purchased mine because I recently purchased a new computer and had a horrific time moving data from the old machine to the new. That of course includes details better suited to another topic. Unfortunately well after the fact I decided to purchase this hard drive enclosure primarily to protect and access any data I may have overlooked. The end result is that I wish I had gotten it sooner. It was easy to install and I could have used it to more conveniently move my data over without the added step of burning CDs, transferring to travel drives etc.

For the uninitiated an external hard drive enclosure allows you to take virtually any old (or new drive) you have and easily attach it to your computer via USB. Provided it is formatted, your computer will recognize the drive as an additional external drive not much different from the popular travel drives or flash drives you might already be familiar with. Depending on the condition of the old drive any other limitations it may have, once attached you can access previously stored data as well as add and access new data.

There are three good reasons I have experienced that may have you consider getting an external hard drive enclosure. The first I have mentioned. That is to preserve legacy data from a previous computer. The second is to easily add an additional HDD to your computer for the purpose of routinely storing or backing up data. Many people suggest today that you routinely keep or back up your “My Document” and similar data on a separate drive, that way if your computer gets attacked by a virus or your primary HDD crashes your data is safely stored on the external drive. It is also useful for people who download extraordinary amounts of data files such as movies, music files and or graphics. You also have the added advantage of moving this now external media drive temporarily to another computer if desired. The third is to help clean, diagnose or recover files from an attacked computer. Both my mom and my brother-in-law were attacked by nasty viruses. They were both primarily concerned with retrieving data that might get lost if the drive had to be reformatted (this is yet another story *%#$). Anyway by popping their drives into an External HDD Enclosure I was able to copy their data to a DVD and do some cleanup on their drives from my computer.

As for this particular enclosure, the CompUSA (070538) Drive Case, the case itself is silver plastic. I is sleek with rounded corners and rounded front with an almost Art Deco design reminiscent of the Zephyr Train of the 1930’s. There is a small green power light and a small red light that flashes on the front when the drive is in use. The back has the A/C power port, the USB plug port and an on/off switch. There is also a plastic stand that the unit snaps into which provides substantial stability and a few curves to the rather plain profile.

This was the first HDD enclosure I purchased. It works fine and was easy to setup. First note of caution, this case is plastic. Be sure you study how it opens before becoming frustrated and breaking it. There is a large button on each corner of either side of the case. This is evident when you look at it. Press the buttons on opposite sides to open the spring latches. The inside is very minimal. You will see a power plug and a data plug for your HDD. It is impossible to plug them in the wrong way so be not afraid. After they are plugged in and you have carefully closed the case. Find a suitable place near your computer and plug in the power cord and USB cord in order according to the directions. If you have managed these simple steps go to My Computer (if using windows) and look for the new drive. If you are using XP likely a helper window will have popped up asking what programs you want to use to access the info on the drive. The choices include Media Center, Open Files, Look at Pictures and whatever. Make the appropriate choice and have fun.

Since I have recently purchased another HDD enclosure (PowerSpec from MicroCenter) I have a basis for comparison. I have realized that a drawback to the CompUSA version is the plastic case which does not help draw the heat off the drive as efficiently as the PowerSpec which has a metal side vented design. Also the plastic case may not be rugged enough for those who frequently move their drives from place to place.

In conclusion HDD drives in general are great to have and easy to use. Metal might be better than plastic for heat dissipation and durability. However if your External HDD is just parked on your desk the plastic is probably ok. Prices are all around $20 bucks or so.