Is SpinRite compatible with USB and Firewire devices?
The best answer to this is a firm “maybe”. DOS device drivers are available for most USB and Firewire controllers. If such drivers are added to a DOS boot diskette so that your USB or Firewire drive is “seen” by DOS, SpinRite will also be able to “see” and operate with it. However, the performance of the drive through the DOS drivers and the serial (USB/Firewire) cable will likely be far lower than if the external drive were connected directly to a PC’s motherboard controller. If you have the ability to temporarily relocate the IDE drive inside of the external enclosure to a PC plugging it directly into the motherboard’s controller SpinRite will be able to operate at the drive’s highest possible performance.
