I'd like to get some opinions on a docking station. My old XP computer motherboard died, but the hard drive is still good, sooo... I want to get all my goodies off of the old hard drive. (yes, I know, hanging head, I should have had it all backed up somewhere else, but I didn't, so lets move along, lol)

I now have a new Windows 7 Pro 64 bit, can I get some suggestions of brands and their reliability?

 Thanks in advance.

Docking station?  External hard drive??  I have two comps, both have two external HD..

I use WEstern Digital..

Stop with the hang-dog look!    Just get an external enclosure.  They are pretty generic, but I've used ones from Rosewill and Sabrent and they work well.

Do you have an ATA or a SATA drive?

Thanks for the input. 

WandW, I have an ATA, or at least I'm pretty sure that's what it is, I did find  a logo with

serial ATA, and no where on it does it say SATA.

500GB Western Digital.

Guess I'll go ahead and get an enclosure, but if I do that, can I plug it into a USB port?

Can you tell I have no clue what I'm doing? lol

"Serial ATA" is SATA...   I meant to type 'IDE' not 'ATA' in my previous post; brain cramp...

Just to verify, Does the drive have two small ribbon cables (SATA), or a big ribbon cable and a plug with wires (IDE)? 

I bought this one a few years ago for my SATA drive and it works well.  It plugs into the USB port.:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182156

Yes just go with a box that'll make your harddisk into an external one.

Even better IMO is if there's room inside the new computer to plug the harddisk in as a secoindary one. That way it is cooled by the proper fans and it shuts off along with the rest of the computer (I ALWAYS forget to turn off my external harddisks, and in the rare case where I actually remember to turn them off, I forget to turn them ON before starting the computer again >_<)

I have two harddisks inside the computer and three external hardisks at the moment :)

@WandW, actually, it doesn't have any type of cable, it's in an electro static bag. I had the computer guy remove it from the old computer case when he told me it was still in pretty good shape.

@TrekkieGrrrl, I already have two hard drives in my new computer, not sure if there is room for a third, lol. I NEVER turn off my external hard drives, unless there is a power outage, should I?

I think I'll  take the hard drive & head to the computer guy and let him put it in a case with a USB connector, lol.

Thanks for all the advice and help, this time I'll back up or at least ask more questions when they take the hard drive out of my dead computer ;)

Have a look at this image, it'll tell you what drive you have then buy an enclosure to match, they are dirt cheap and dead easy to put together AND much cheaper than paying your guy (I'm guessing :o)........Steve

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.laptopparts101.com%2Fhard-drive%2F&h=0&w=0&sz=1&tbnid=FK3-86p8oc_g7M&tbnh=194&tbnw=259&zoom=1&docid=_WEQpTsmIof1ZM&ei=2jbLUYmJH8iw0AXykoDIDw&ved=0CAEQsCU

The simplicity is everything fits together with ease.  A do-it-yourselfer.

Thanks for the link steveshanks!   Yep, an SATA drive.

And thanks to you and hborre for the vote of confidence, I'll look into doing it myself :)

I have one of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/winstars-communicator-docking-station-Reader/dp/B0044TO6KS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372312826&sr=8-1&keywords=communicator+c1

very easy to use and I can swop a drive in less then a min

although I dont have it on all the time!!! if you want yours on all the time get an enclosure WITH a fan

Thanks  heddheld! That looks like what I was thinking of in the beginning. I wouldn't leave this one on all the time. But I do leave my desk book external on all the time. Guess I shouldn't from the sounds of it. lol

But I will probably end up with an enclosure with a fan. Safer for the drive, since it holds it steady and keeps cat and dog hair out a little better ;)

If you leave it conected all of the time, definately get one with a fan.  I only use mine intermittenlty for backup and such...