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How to Build a Multi-Drive USB Enclosure

The term universal serial bus (USB) refers to an interface certain peripheral devices use to connect to a computer. Devices connect externally to ports located on the front or back of a desktop computer, and on the left or right side of a notebook. Hard disk drive (HDD) enclosures contain an internal circuit board that converts a serial ATA (SATA) HDD to USB. A multi-drive USB enclosure allows a user to attach multiple hard drives to a computer externally.

Things You'll Need

  • Two SATA HDDs
  • USB enclosure
  • Crosshead screwdriver
  • Antistatic wrist strap
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the screws from the back panel. Pull the caddy out of the multi-drive USB enclosure.

    • 2

      Slide a 3.5-inch SATA hard drive into the bottom slot on the caddy. Push the interface on the rear of the drive into the connectors on caddy's circuit board.

    • 3

      Insert screws on either side of the drive. Tighten the screws to secure the hard drive to the caddy.

    • 4

      Insert the second 3.5-inch SATA hard drive into the top slot. Secure the drive to the interface.

    • 5

      Screw the hard drive to the caddy. Slide the caddy back into the multi-drive USB enclosure.

    • 6

      Replace the screws on the back of the enclosure to secure the caddy in place. Connect the power adapter to the outlet.

    • 7

      Insert the USB connection into the USB interface on the rear of the drive. Flip the switch on the rear of the drive into "On" position to enable the hard drive.

    • 8

      Connect the other end of the USB cable to a computer.

    • 9

      Log into Windows. Insert the CD included with the multi-drive USB enclosure into the disc drive to boot the installation software. Follow the on-screen directions to install the software to your computer.

Tips & Warnings

  • To configure the hard drives to run in RAID, set the DIP switches on the circuit board to the appropriate configuration. Consult the manual included with the enclosure to determine which switch to flip.

  • Put on an antistatic wrist strap before handling the hard drives. Static electricity can permanently damage the drives.

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