Is it possible to install a PATA backup hard drive into an ASUS M2A-VM motherboard?”
It is possible to connect a PATA drive to an Asus M2A-VM motherboard. The IDE connector for this motherboard is located on the lower left hand corner, beside the SATA connectors, and is light blue. A diagram is available at the following address: http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/6117/1568lho5.jpg If by backup you mean a place to save and copy your files to, then there is no problem. You will have a drive letter to accomplish this very thing. However, if you are wanting to clone a hard drive that is booting Windows so you’ll have a spare in case your main drive goes out, you’re proposed drive configuration will not work for that purpose. The problem lies in the hardware for each hard drive type. SATA hard drives and PATA hard drives each have their own different hardware (or “controller”) on a motherboard. Each hardware takes a different driver to use the attached drives. When Windows is installed on a drive – SATA in this instance – it also installs the software (or driver) to be abl
