E-SATA PCI card issues

Some cards simply have the ports and rest in a pci slot while this connects one or both types of drives(one of each) by way of the pci bus. Other eSata adapter cards will run a data cable out from a port on the board to the card where you simply plug one more in from the outside into the port on the card instead of the board there.

You can easily find a new one however by shopping around like the one seen for $13- at [ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00199EPKW/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2/184-8585222-4992644?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=06HRF5M35D9Q71GTKA83&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_i=B000G28ZVS"]Amazon.com: SYBA Combo IDE(1)/eSATA(1)/SATA(2) PCI Card SY-VIA6421-3S1P: Electronics[/ame]

If you simply need to run a sata drive but lack a drive bay for it then you would simply toss in a sata to eSata type card that simply slip down into a slot but still runs off the board's own controllers. It's kind of like having an ac plug on the outside of the house to plug a power tool in rather then stretching the cord through a doorway or open window.

You're still running off of the board while the drive is outside of the case. The other option would be picking up an external usb enclosure that simply plugs into any usb port that allows you to run either or both ide and sata but through the other bus.

It's certainly hard on you not having access to the numerous vendors that would carry the various adapter cards. If the case itself is too small and lacks an extra 3.5" drive bay a 5.25" to 3.5" reducer would allow you to mount the drive in the extra 5.25" drive bay there provided you have one or more sata ports available on the board. That would rule out the need for the go between.

In that case you would be better off with either an external casing to drop the drive into that plugs into a usb port which costs far less then buying a self contained external for usb or eSata. An external casing has it's own ac to 12v adapter while a self contained still seeing the wall adapter is far more portable and preferred by laptop users.

Which ever you end up with make sure the drive has an NTFS partition since that will be recognised right away by XP and Vista as well as 7. On each system when in use you can also assign a drive letter you can use on each separate system like S for storage, T for transfer rather then a low letter more apt to be used like F, G, ,H, etc.!