External USB hard drives: Any recommendations?

Is there any way at all to make an internal hard drive act like a USB stick?

Like, maybe some kind of cable you could just plug into it so it basically functions as a USB drive.

The thing is, I’ve got these two ancient PATA hard drives lying around, but my PC has a modern SATA motherboard, so I’m totally stuck and can't connect them to anything.

Are those drives gonna be the only ones in that rig, or is there a separate drive running the OS?

Look, you can get cards like this: a single ATA connector actually handles two devices (you can daisy-chain up to two things on one cable)
Since it says it's bootable, you should be able to fire up the OS straight from it...

Controller

Now, if you were thinking about this as a temporary, external fix—like plugging it into different PCs just like an external hard drive—that’s a much easier way to go. It’s more practical for quick data transfers at a workbench, especially since drives aren't exactly bulletproof:

External adapter

But I'm guessing you're looking for something permanent and fixed, so the first option is probably your best bet...

I mean, it's doable./
You can get PATA to SATA adapters.
I've used them before and they work fine, I guess.
https://www.google.com/search?q=pata+...w=1584&bih=953

Michael Jackson10 said:Are those drives gonna be the only thing in that rig, or is there already a boot drive running the OS?

Look, you've got cards like this where a single ATA connector can actually handle two devices—you just daisy-chain them up to two units on one cable and call it a day.
Since it’s bootable, obviously you could technically run an entire operating system right off of it if you really wanted to...

Controller

Now, if you were just thinking about this as some temporary, external workaround—you know, like plugging it in to swap files between machines similar to how you'd use a portable hard drive for quick data transfers at a repair shop since unencrypted drives are basically an open invitation for trouble:

External adapter

I'm guessing though you're looking for something more permanent and fixed, which brings us back to that first option...

There's already a drive running the OS.

This would just be extra storage space.

So, I think I finally caught on to what you guys were saying about those adapters.

Can anyone point me toward where I can actually snag one? Like, do they stock this stuff at a Chipotle somewhere?

Here's the deal: my motherboard is SATA, but I've got these two ancient HDDs that are strictly PATA.

If you’re just installing them inside your PC to add some extra storage and aren't planning on doing any crazy stunts like constantly swapping them out—since they aren't really meant for that without an external enclosure anyway—then just grab a controller like I mentioned earlier. Honestly, skip the adapters if you've got spare PCI slots lying around. Using adapters means you'll be fishing wires out of the case just to plug them into a USB port. A controller is the most seamless, "natural" way to link your drive to your computer; adapters are really just a last resort when you're stuck...
You can probably find one at a place like Best Buy, or just search the name online to see which shops near you have it in stock...