A question about USB cables

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I have some USB "extension cord" kind of cables -- A to B, I think -- that I use in order to have easy access to USB ports on the back of my machine, and now I have a 2.5" drive with an USB adapter for external storage ... but that adapter has only a short cable and I do not know what kind of USB extension cable I need. The extension cables I already have do not work with that adapter and drive, and I do not know why.

Any help here?!

Correction: A male to A female

Check this out: http://tekgems.com/Products/tg-usb-sata-ide-25-35.htm
If you have a hard drive removed from a pc or enclosure ("naked"), this should help. Also handy as a back-up tool.

Ah yes, I will soon need one like that for a SATA I will be pulling in a few days! I thank you.

In the meantime, however, I think I need to get a 3.0 A-to-A extension cable for the short-cabled adapter I already have for a 2.5" PATA (with power for the drive needing to come in through the USB cable).

I'm not sure what you're saying. It sounds like the USB plug on the drive is one of those (mini-USB) holes and the adapter is mini on one end and standard on the other. I'd think it would work fine with any USB "extension cord."

If not, perhaps there is a problem with one of the wires?

I have some 3" USB wires that won't transfer data (only intended to charge devices). I suppose a missing wire could pose an issue, but I'd expect all "extension cords" to be fully wired.

I actually had a variety of problems come to light in all of this, but I think my "extension cord" problem had to do with my using an inexpensive 2.0 cable while activating and learning to use the AT&T mobile device I got for a friend's laptop. The mobile device ran at around dial-up speed while connected to my desktop with its own short cable, but then it took five minutes to load a web page after I began using one of my own 2.0 cables to get the mobile device higher up (and hanging more safely) here inside the house. Overall, however, I do think there is something wrong with that refurbished mobile device from AT&T, and so now I should be receiving a new (and hopefully better) one in the mail, possibly today.

Along with all of that, I soon-after had some trouble with the USB PATA adapter I have for external storage, and that led to my discovery of one of the USB ports in the front of my desktop being flaky. So, I have since just disconnected both of those and added some USB ports on the back and then connected them to the motherboard where the USB ports in the front used to be connected ... and now all is well there! But, part of my trouble with the AT&T mobile device certainly could have been coming from that bad USB port I have just mentioned.

I have located a 3.0 A (male) to A (female) "extension cord" I plan to purchase, and I think that will solve my initial cable problem.