Hitachi Travelstar 5k320 + External HDD Case

I have purchased a Hitachi Travelstar 5k230edit 5k320) which should arrive in a couple days. I am planning on replacing my Travelstar 5k120.

I am a bit lost with installation. I currently have a dell XP recovery disk. This is how I believe installtion should go but would like confirmation:

1) remove old hd

2) boot without HD into bios and change SATA > AHCI

3) Toss new HD into slot

4) Boot with XP disk

Is that correct. As you can see I would like to switch SATA to AHCI mode with XP.

The next issue I have is, is there a way to get data off my old hard drive onto the new or will I have to back everything that is small enough onto dvd?

Also how would I prep the old HD to become a back up drive.

The last issue is an external case for my old drive. I am in japan making it harder to find a decent cheap case.

Currently I am looking at Cooler Master X Craft 250 (not sure which specific one). I am looking for USB/eSata/power button and it seems to accomidate all but for 50 000 yen (45$). Is it worth the extra cash or should I buy a cheap plain USB only?

It will be running more or less on a daily basis

 

You mean the 5K320, right..??

Not sure how it goes with a recovery disk, but if the recovery disk has the SATA drivers in it, you can switch to AHCI. (Get an unlicensed XP disc, slipstream SATA drivers, and you could have a proper, clean install.)
And you can boot with the new HDD installed, and then toggle to AHCI, in the BIOS. (no problem)
You can get a USB 2.0 to SATA/IDE cable, connect the old HDD via USB, and copy all the data you need.

To make the old HDD a backup drive, get any Aluminium SATA HDD 2.5" enclosure, with a USB Y-cable, it'll be fine. If you will just use it as a dump drive, then go for USB....

 

See this post about cloning your old hard disk onto the new one.

Casper is an alternative to Acronis which I have found to be more robust. There's is a trial version but I don't know if it is short of any features (I paid for the full software).

Note that cloning may / may not pick up any hidden partitions. It depends on whether the cloning software recognises them.

John

 

Thank you both of you!

EDIT: May I ask how to blank the old hard drive in order to use it as a back up if it still has windows installed?

Hmm I would like to be able to have Dell media direct (I had issues without) but it is on a hidden partition, would it be easier to just install windows with discs?

Also Andy you said any aluminum case is good enough, will it not over heat after constant runtime of 4-6 hours?

 

bump bump

 

When you install the new HDD in your notebook. Plugin the old HDD, go into Disk Management, and format the old HDD. You can also do it in Explorer. Or run a single 3-pass DoD erase using Eraser to bury the data.

I believe Aluminium has a better heat dissipation as compared to plastic, hence the need for a fan or external cooling is minimal. I've never found my old IDE externals to go excessively hot. (Don't know if enclosures are made using any other materials, alloys etc )

Don't know about Dell Media Direct, and which disc ? recovery or the OS disc ?

 

Thanks. Del media direct is basically a bootable stripped down xp with just media purposes.

The disc only says "re-install CD" for the OS