CZSteve

Sorry, bit of a novice here.

I'm getting a new laptop as the motherboard in my old decided to fry itself.
I plan on getting a 2.5 IDE enclosure for the old hard drive to retrieve info such as:
http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-2-5-IDE-HDD-...3%3A1|294%3A50
or
http://www.bixnet.com/usbporenfor2.html

Questions:

1. Is the cheaper ebay enclosure sufficient? Is enough power from a USB port usually a concern to power a 60gig IDE HD?

2. I had purchased programs such as MS Office & Norton IS - can these by copied over to the new laptop? If so, is it a right click & copy or do I need a copying/image software program?

Thanks,
Steve

lawson_jl

To answear your first question I don't like the cheap anything cases, the average is about $30. The cheap ones are nothing but problems. Most 2.5 inch drives should run off USB without extra power, but some will require an AC adapter, which the case should come with. As far as your installed program you will need to reinstall the programs from the disc or download. Most programs can't just be copied over.

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Any answears I give are free and without warrently. I answear questions from the point of view of a working computer tech because that what I am.