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    Whats the easiest way to upgrade the Hard Drive?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by biada, Mar 30, 2008.

  1. biada

    biada Notebook Consultant

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    I have an old 80gb hard drive. Would the best way to upgrade to a 250gb hard drive be...

    1) create a dvd backup
    2) remove old hard drive
    3) install new hard drive
    4) turn on laptop and insert backup dvd?

    Is it that easy?
     
    biada, Mar 30, 2008
    #1
  2. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    Well firstly have you found a compatible 250gb HD? Make sure you get the same type (IDE or SATA)

    You can clone your exact Hard drive using Acronis True image, you will need a USB external enclosure to do this though. There are also other ways but this is one way to do it
     
    flipfire, Mar 30, 2008
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  3. biada

    biada Notebook Consultant

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    I can find out by opening the hard drive cover, but aren't all laptop hard drive SATA?

    From my order history, this is what I see. "80 GB 5400 RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive"

    Also, would I need to upgrade my BIOS? If all this is too much trouble, I will probably just buy a new laptop.
     
    biada, Mar 30, 2008
    #3
  4. redrazor11

    redrazor11 Formerly waterwizard11

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    I wouldn't think you'd need a bios update. If you have the windows os disk, it is very simple. Find all the stuff you want to keep. Put it on a dvd (just copying everything to the dvd wont work, because you can't copy an OS, it needs to be an iso...aaaand, the dvd probably wont hold all of your data + the OS) and save the stuff you need (stuff you won't be able to find otherwise). Once you have all your data saved, take out your old hard drive. Put in your new one. Reformat it and install the OS (using your OS disk) and then when everything is done, you can put in your dvd, and get all your info back. Then start getting all of your drivers and such.

    If you don't have a windows OS disk, then its a little trickyer, cause you have to get an external encloser (like stated above), so you can MIRROR the drive, and then they will be exactly alike, and you can just replace them.

    This inclosure will work perfectly for what you need : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817145137
     
    redrazor11, Mar 30, 2008
    #4
  5. nobscot6

    nobscot6 Wise One

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    do like flipfire suggested

    copy your os/partition to a backup usb HHD w acronis and make a acronis boot disk

    remove the old hard drive, install the new one

    boot w/ the acronis disk, copy the os/partition onto the new drive

    that way you already have all the drivers you need............ plus all your data and programs
     
    nobscot6, Mar 30, 2008
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  6. Steggy

    Steggy Notebook Consultant

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    wait, so lets say you get something like apricorn (its on newegg)

    you have your old harddrive and you have the new harddrive hooked up to the apricorn enclosure type dealie. do you do the cloning to that external hdd, then simply remove the enclosure from the hdd and pop it in the comp?
     
    Steggy, Mar 30, 2008
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  7. biada

    biada Notebook Consultant

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    And just to be clear, "Serial ATA Hard Drive" = SATA right? I was abou to purchase a ATA-6...
     
    biada, Mar 30, 2008
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  8. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    You are correct.
     
    ZaZ, Mar 31, 2008
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  9. biada

    biada Notebook Consultant

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    ok, how do I copy the partition to make it the same as my old hard drive? Meaning 2 paritions..

    1) 1st partition containing the backup
    2) 2nd partition containing the OS and my files

    edit;; nevermind, I don't know how to read... The software posted above can do it..
     
    biada, Apr 1, 2008
    #9