DVD-RW Enclosure

[s_kinton]

Can I put a spare DVD-RW in an old USB LaCie HDD enclosure? Both are IDE.

[watercooled]

No, desktop HDDs are 3.5inch and laptop drives are 2.5inch. Desktop optical drives are 5.25inch so it would not fit.

[mehmeh]

You actually might be able too, it would depend on the size of the enclosure. if it is a 5 1/2in with a cage fitted to mount the current HDD then your laughing. Will be pretty obvious when you crack it open. Years gone by it wasnt uncommon to get external HDD's in big enclosures identical to what you'd recieve your external optical drive in, less likely these days looking at modern stuff. Even if it wont physically fit in your enclosure, nothing at all to stop you modding something up, as you rightly assume, IDE is IDE.

[Funkstar]

Can I put a spare DVD-RW in an old USB LaCie HDD enclosure? Both are IDE.

Assuming it whill physically fit, then yes it will work.

[watercooled]

Yeah, it should work if it physically fits, but I guess you would have to mod the enclosure so you can open the tray.