So i tried to fix a friend's laptop and it turned out the cpu was dead, which pretty much meant that its life was over, but not everything was broken. He didn't want it back so i salvaged the ram, HDD and power supply. The laptop was pretty bad so there wasn't anything amazing in it, but the HDD could be a great photo hard drive (only 160gb). My desktop didn't have a 2.5" cage so that meant that i would have to spend around 14$ to get an adapter or make it myself. Didn't care much about it, and didn't really want to go get one, so i decided to make it myself. After a few tries, this is what i ended up with. (the rubber sides were there before and they didn't block anything, so might as well keep it there for extra vibration dampening)

Since this isn't anything too complicated the materials are really simple too. You are in no way obliged to use the same as me, it was just what i found around the house. Materials:

-Two wooden blocks measuring approximately 1.5x11x1.5cm (the only part that actually matters is the width, so anything else is up to you)(PS: you can basically use any material that is strong enough to hold it in place, i just used wood because it's easy to work with and it fell on my head)

-Two more wooden blocks of about 10cm or galvanized strapping (what i used)

-A few screws, I used 4 to attach the straps to the wood and 7 to attach the hdd to it plus the case.

-Paint if you don't like the look of the materials

Tools (this can be done with quite a few different ones, but this is what i used):

-A saw or any type of cutting device

-Drill

-Clamps

-A hammer

-A screwdriver

-A small level

-Marker
-Ruler or measuring tape

Step 1: Making the Sides

In order for the hdd to fit in nice and snug, we need something that will extend the sides of it and make it 4 1/8" wide (it's called 3.5", but after measuring, i discovered that ,at least in my case, it had to be 4 1/8", could be different in yours so measure before building).

This is pretty straight-forward, just make the blocks 1.5cm wide and whatever height/length you wish (i used 1.5 tall and 11cm long)

Step 2: Bending the Straps

In order to secure the hdd in place, i used galvanized strapping on the bottom, wood could be just as good.

To do this, you must first measure the width of your HDD and leave almost no space. I used a small clamp and a hammer to make 90 degree angles and make sure that it sticks well to the hard drive. Mine were actually a bit too tight, which made it quite hard to put the hdd in.

1) Measure the width of your hdd

2) Mark it down on the straps using a marker

3) Close the clamp exactly on the line

4) Beat it with a hammer until you get that nice 90 degree angle

5) Make sure the hdd fits in nice and tight

6) If it doesn't, get a new strap or bend it back to 180 degrees and try again.

Step 3: Attaching the Blocks to the Straps

This is pretty easy, just place the straps on the hdd in the right place for the bottom holes to align (you may need to adjust the strap holes) and mark the blocks for drilling. Make sure that the distance is right for the hdd to be comfortably attached to the straps.

Drill the holes, and attach the straps to the blocks with 4 small screws

Step 4: Screw in the Hdd

Make sure the hdd fits in nicely by screwing it in.

Step 5: Paint

Make it look professional by painting it black or whatever color goes best with your rig.

Step 6: Installation

Since it is almost impossible for your adapter to be perfectly straight and that it can greatly increase a hard drive's life, use the level to place it perfectly straight and then mark the side holes for drilling. These holes will be used to attach everything to the drive cage so make sure they are lined up properly, and that the hdd is perfectly level.

Drill and install

Congratulations, you have made your own 2.5" to 3.5" adapter.