E1705 HD upgrade question

Looking for some info here:

1. What's the maximum internal (2.5") hard-drive size will the E1705 handle? I'm looking to expand from my current 80gb to 160gb.

2. What do I need to do after I get my HD? What's the fastest way to copy/transfer the relevant data/programs/settings from my current drive to the new drive? Do I need to format my new drive?

3. What else do I have to look out for? Compatibility etc..

This is what I'm thinking of getting:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822146200

TIA

 

Any comments/suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

 

I think 160GB is the biggest if you want 5400RPM. There is a 200GB 4200RPM. There supposed to be coming with some bigger drives later in the year if you can wait.

 

1) The amount of storage space should not be a problem and that drive should work with your laptop. FYI, I've read that some of the new 200GB 2.5" HD's are thicker than 9.5mm which can cause problems with some laptops (ie. they don't fit). However, as DELL offer a 200GB drive as an option then I imagine it can handle these slightly thicker drives.

2) Image you current 80 GB drive with an app like Terabyte's BootIt NG or Image for Windows ( http://terabyteunlimited.com/). Fit your new 160GB drive, format it (eg. with BootIt NG) just to make sure the drive is OK, and then restore the image using the Image for DOS boot CD. While the Terabyte products are my personal favourite, you may prefer Acronis True Image and Disk Director suite for imaging and partition management ( www.acronis.com)

3) Your current hard drive may have an adaptor on the connector. If it has, take it off and fit it to your new HD before installing it in your laptop. Other than that you shouldn't have any problems. On older laptops, the BIOS could not always see larger drives, but this is not a problem with the BIOS in newer laptops.

Hitachi currently make the best laptop hard drives. You may be interested in this press release from Hitachi who are releasing a 200GB 7200 rpm drive and 250GB 5400 rpm drive in H1 and H2. Other manufacturer's are also releasing 200GB and bigger 2.5" drives this year.

HTH

 

That 160gb looks nice ( should work fine since DELL offer that one as an upgrade) , but you can get an external harddrive 300-320 for the same price.
If you get that 160gb internal one, then all you need is a 2.5'' enclosure for the 80 gb ( that you'll take out of the system ), install the 160gb one, install windows on it, then what I usually do is just copy & paste files.
Are you going to sell that 80gb one? if you're thinking bout using it as an external hdd, then why not leave it inside the system and get a 3.5" 320GB for the same price you're going to spend on external 2.5" enclosure + 160GB hard drive?

I grabbed this one last week ( used $75 GC ) well worth the money
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&sku=A0649833

Few other ones
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822154093
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822136023
My friend has this one, very good
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822165033
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822101029
I'm sure if you shop around you'll find better deals.
GL

 

I am pretty sure that some ppl feel like this. What is annoying about having 3.5" external HD is that you need bring a AC adapter with you with all times. 2.5" is mostly powered by USB.

I go for 2.5"...money doesnt matter for me. I think its well worth it the money to have less wires.

JC