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Use an internal hard drive as a USB device

Clumssy Posted messages 7 Status Member -  
Clumssy Posted messages 7 Status Member -
Hello young tech heads, I recently encountered a rather complicated problem that is close to my heart. Despite spending a lot of time searching for an answer online, I haven't found anything conclusive.
So here's my problem, read carefully what I'm going to say, because some may not understand it correctly: I have a hard drive connected internally in my tower (so in SATA), and I would like, somehow, to have a USB cable coming out (it doesn’t matter the port, I’ve tried double USB for now, without success) and that once this cable is connected to something else (another PC, console, etc...), it is recognized as a storage device (so an external hard drive). To summarize: I need a USB cable that goes from my tower and when I plug it into my Xbox for example, it is recognized as a storage device, and that this storage device is my internal hard drive connected via SATA to my motherboard. Let me be clear, I do NOT want to take out my internal hard drive to make it an external hard drive using an enclosure. The idea is to easily manage all my data from my computer while serving as a "hard drive" for my Xbox.
Thank you in advance for your help :D

3 answers

  1.
    phil2k Posted messages 10841 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   2 339
     
    Hello

    what you want to do, as you described, is not possible.

    Use a network drive, which will be accessible by all the devices you want.

    Or an external USB drive on your PC, which you will unplug and plug into the device you want.

    --
    "To fix something that doesn’t work or makes too much noise, you just need to hit it with something that works better or makes more noise" The Shadoks
    2
  2. Pierrecastor Posted messages 10830 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   4 215
     
    Hello

    The only way I see is to go through the local network to share the data.

    Doing what you describe (internal drive connected via SATA also acting as a USB drive) seems impossible to me.

    Or a USB rack system. Like taking the drive out of the desktop and it directly serving as an external USB enclosure.

    Light a fire for someone and they will be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life.
    -Terry Pratchett-
    1
    1. Clumssy Posted messages 7 Status Member
       
      Hi

      Thank you for your response, I can see that you understood my problem at least. Unfortunately, I cannot use a local network (although I used the Xbox as an example, my real goal is indeed to connect my PC to the Xbox, so sharing is impossible for what I want to do) and I specified that I didn't want to go through the rack system. In fact, I would like to manage the data on the internal hard drive from my computer (which is completely normal) but also be able to access it from my Xbox (so via USB output), all without having to take the hard drive out of my tower every time I need to access it.
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    2. Pierrecastor Posted messages 10830 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   4 215
       
      That's why the rack is useful, as it allows you to remove the disk in 2 seconds.

      Other than that, I don't think you'll find any other solutions.

      Mainly because I don't believe a disk can be managed simultaneously by two machines.
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    3. Clumssy Posted messages 7 Status Member
       
      Indeed, if a hard drive cannot be managed simultaneously by two machines, that solves the problem. So in that case, I suppose the simplest solution remains the rack. Thank you for your help!
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    4. Pierrecastor Posted messages 10830 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   4 215
       
      Note that I am not aware of all the possibilities in computing. My opinion is based only on what I know now and is therefore not necessarily correct.
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    5. Clumssy Posted messages 7 Status Member
       
      Yes, of course, but I haven't found anything about it on the net, and it's true that I am quite skeptical about being able to manage a hard drive on 2 machines at the same time.
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  3. MxL_72 Posted messages 439 Status Member 77
     
    Hello,

    I translate more clearly:

    He wants to convert his internal hard drive into an external USB storage drive that is recognized as such.
    There, it's more understandable like that...
    I invite you to check out these little posts like these:
    https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-26164624-transformer-disque-dur-interne-en-externe
    http://www.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-26884345-probleme-lors-du-passage-disque-dur-interne-externehttp://www.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-23384978-transformer-un-disque-dur-interne-en-externe
    https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-2258609-rendre-un-disque-dur-interne-en-externe

    There you go, for any other questions, I remain at your disposal.

    Best regards,
    MxL

    --
    Contact me: Skype -> marcopolo1510
    Facebook - Marc Detrait
    -1
    1. antipolis a Posted messages 17152 Status Member 2 917
       
      Hello.

      No, no.
      “Clumssy” doesn’t want to turn his internal drive into a USB external drive.

      He wants to be able to connect his Xbox gaming console to his PC to manage whatever it is.
      Since games are not really my thing, I wouldn’t dare give any advice in that area.

      However, in my opinion, he should request to move his topic to the Video Games forum.
      The gaming enthusiasts are there.

      Have a good Sunday.
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    2. MxL_72 Posted messages 439 Status Member 77
       
      But it's the same thing, right...
      He wants to be able to turn it into an external storage hard drive.
      It will be recognized as such but by changing its current state.
      For example, for USB drives, you have to format them in FAT32 and others...
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    3. antipolis a Posted messages 17152 Status Member 2 917
       
      Clumssy - July 27, 2014 at 04:09
      Let me be clear, I do NOT want to take out my internal hard drive to make it an external one using a case.
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    4. MxL_72 Posted messages 439 Status Member 77
       
      Yes, I understand, but when I say external = Compatible with another machine than PC
      I’m not talking about the external hard drive.
      But I believe that you need a special program for your hard drive to be recognized by your Xbox.
      But after that, regarding the USB cable, I don’t see...
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    5. Clumssy Posted messages 7 Status Member
       
      Thank you for your responses, but MxL_72, you are off track ^^', I'm sorry, I can't make it clearer than in my post (and yet I know it’s not super clear, but it’s a bit of a delicate issue, if I may say so). Then, Antipolis, you more or less understood what I wanted to do, but you focused on the fact that I wanted to connect it to my Xbox when that’s just a detail, an example. If you prefer, then take another PC as an example; it doesn't change the problem. I want one of my internal hard drives to be recognized as a storage device when I connect my tower (via a male double USB cable, for example) to another PC (basically, the two PCs are connected by a male double USB cable, and the second PC recognizes the connection as an external hard drive, and the data in it comes from one of my internal drives from the first PC), okay you have to hang in there to understand but I really can't make it clearer. Thank you again for your responses.
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