Western Digital AC23200 3.2GB 3.5in IDE ATA Hard Disk Drive WD HDD 278866-002

Western Digital AC23200 3.2GB 3.5in IDE ATA Hard Disk Drive WD HDD 278866-002

The Western Digital AC23200 is a 3.2GB 3.5-inch internal hard disk drive using the IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) / ATA parallel interface — the standard internal storage interface for desktop PCs throughout the mid-to-late 1990s. This drive connects via a standard 40-pin IDE ribbon cable and is configured via the onboard jumper block for Master, Slave, or Cable Select operation.

Specifications & What's Included

• Make: Western Digital
• Model: AC23200
• Part Number: 278866-002
• Capacity: 3.2 GB
• Interface: IDE / ATA (PATA) — 40-pin parallel
• Form Factor: 3.5-inch internal
• Jumper Settings: Single, Master, Slave, and Cable Select — chart printed on drive label
• Drive only — no cables or mounting hardware included

Applications

The IDE/ATA hard drive was the dominant storage interface for desktop personal computers from the late 1980s through the mid-2000s, when it was gradually replaced by SATA. A 3.2GB drive like the AC23200 dates from the mid-to-late 1990s, when this capacity was typical for mainstream desktop systems running Windows 95, Windows 98, or early Windows NT/2000. Today these drives are used primarily for restoring, upgrading, or maintaining period-correct vintage PCs, retro gaming builds, and legacy industrial or embedded systems that require an IDE/ATA drive and cannot use modern SATA storage. They are also collected by vintage computing enthusiasts.