Locked vs. unlocked microdrives

I have an idea but I can't test it. I don't have a type II pcmcia-cf adapter.

Unless it specifically says so most 4gb microdrives are locked in IDE mode. They won't work in a CF slot. In Canada they charge 3x more for an unlocked MD.

Does anyone have a locked 4gb microdrive and a type II pcmcia-cf adapter?

Could you try your 4gb microdrive in the adapter in a hpc and let us know?

If it works it means any size microdrive will be suitable for hpc use.

why would it work, the adapter doesn't do any active conversion...

The locked ones work on WIndows 2000/XP - theres a slim chance that they might work on a HPC as well.

In 95 the adapter shows up as a standard ide / esdi hdd interface so locked MDs may work since they think they're an IDE drive.

Maybe it just needs a different driver than the built-in storage drivers (for flash memory cards).

On this thread someone got a PCMCIA external drive that works in Linux but not in CE.
http://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=4127
I wonder if the drive would work in CE too with the appropriate 3rd party driver. And perhaps same thing for "locked" microdrives.

*edit* wally, does that mean you have a locked MD? From the Hyundai USB drive? You can buy a PCMCIA to CF type II adapter for a few dollars on eBay, so why not try it yourself?

Edited by takwu 2006-03-26 2:17 PM

It's a time thing. By the time the type II adapter arrived I'd be committed to keeping the 4gb hyundai.

You should've thought of that before buying the drive huh? Well... do they charge 15% restocking like they do here? If they don't I would return it right away. It's not like these deals will never be again.

Fry's and another eBay seller are selling a 4GB Seagate MD for $75 USD. It's not those OEM drives, so it's pretty safe to say they work in PDAs (I think the eBay listing says so too). It's just a bit more than the USB drive you got, plus shipping. (Taxes are the same I suppose?)

Huh, restocking fee? Not here in Ontario, yet. But yes, since the Hyundai has a seal it would be obvious if I cracked it open.

I'm working on getting a 4gb Seagate from the US without getting hosed at the border.

I have a 5GB Seagate Microdrive that's locked in IDE mode (taken out of a Creative Labs Zen Micro). It won't work with a PCMCIA adapter unfortunately.