New hard drive question

I just got a WD 500gb drive to replace my 160 gb on my W500. Last night I did a backup to a large USB drive using Thinkadvantage and did all three partitions. Tonight I plan to install the new drive and use the original restore disks and to start then use the backup to restore everything.
Questions for the group.
1) Does the above sound like it will work
2) I don't mind loosing a few GB to the other partitions but are they needed in any way? I want C: as large as possible.
3) If the answer to #2 is no need for them, do I need to do a backup of only C before proceeding

Thanks for comments

 

Sounds good to me.

To install Windows as you please you'll need a OEM or retail Windows disc.

 

Congratulations on your big new drive! To answer your questions:

1. It will work.
2. The other partitions are not necessary. They are just a duplicate of your factory Rescue and Recovery disks allowing recovery without using disks. Since using recovery is a rare event for me, I deleted the partitions and plan to use the disks if ever necessary.
3. You will be fine with a backup of just C (I am assuming that is the drive that contains your personal files) provided you burned a personal copy of the factory Rescue and Recovery disks.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

 

On the contrary, the service partition IS needed. If you look at the partitions in a partition manager (GParted, for example), you'll see that the service partition is the only bootable one. It's quite small, though, so you'll lose a negligible amount of space. The Lenovo partition (the nonservice one) just contains the recovery information, and can be wiped if you already burned a set of recovery disks.

 

Thanks for the support. I'm in the middle of formating the drive now (68% in 2 hours). I did just slide the new drive in but the Rescue disks didn't work... I found the drive wasn't formated so hopefully it will work after that. I'll up date later.

PS I would do a clean install if I had a vista disk. I don't want to pay for one, I don't know anyone with one (everyone has OEM installed only) and I don't want to obtain one by other means. I think I will wait for Windows 7 to get a disk, go to 64 bit etc.

 

It can be written over.

 

I'm stuck. I have the new drive formatted and installed.
My External drive is attached. I boot with the Startup CD to a Lenove rescue and recovery screen. It asks for OS recovery disks.... I don't have any, just two product recovery disks (1 and 2). None of the three disks work here. I cancel after tries and Inset product recovery disk 1 and get "this is not the correct disk. Please remove the disk and press OK" I again try all three disk. and get no where. I have tried variations of this but still the same.

Any suggestions? Do I have bad recovery disks? Can new ones be made? I though you only had one chance.

Thanks
Dan

 

Call support and tell them your recovery discs aren't working.

 

Thanks. I'm on call tonight and can not tie up the phone line tonight and then leaving town for the weekend . I will continue this wrestling match with my W500 later and will post their response. The old drive is going back in for now.

 

I gave it one last try....after cleaning the finger print off the disk...it is working now.

 

Dan, know this is bit offtopic, but could you tell use if your new WD Scorpio Blue drive is quiet, I mean idling the drive make any noticeable noise, what if you put your ear close to the palmrest where it rests below. I'm trying to figure out if this model is quiet to be a replacement drive for my T61. thanxs

 

The recovery disks did work and got to a "new computer" look. I then went to the Thinkadvantage backup restore and after it ran all night I have a BSD with error messages about pathways and wireless problems. A reboot did the same. I will erase the drive and start again Sunday I think. I will use the old drive this weekend so I will need to do a new backup.
I'll post what works and if the drive is as quiet as reviews say.

Dan

 

Actually, this is normal R&R asks you to insert disk1 of the OS recovery, but you have to Press CANCEL, then it prompts you to insert the disk1 of Applications which you insert the Disk1, then disk2 and then you're done, the supplemental disk popup you press cancel too. It works

 

I'm up and running but not without multiple attempts. I now have my previous C: image up and running on the only partition on my new WD 500gb. Every bit devoted to my C: drive.

1) The Lenovo backup is useless if you want to just upgrade the HD without reinstall any of your programs etc. The recovery disks will recreate the original drive and enlarge all partitions and the computer will run like new. But any attempt to reinstall from your backup will make the drive unusable. I believe there is some "off set" built into the boot partition leading to it point to the wrong place when it is replaced be reinstalling from the backup. You might be able to repair this with the Vista recovery disk in discuss below.

2) The clean install is the way to go if you have the vista disk. I could have easily done this in the time I wasted. When I go to 7, it is a clean install for me. I'm in the middle of several projects and didn't want to loose anything or any setting right now.

3) Briefly what worked

a) Format the hard drive and leave with only one partition without a letter. If you had previously had partitions then delete all of them and create only one partition. I place the drive in an external enclosure for this. I'm not sure you need this step but probably a good idea.​

b) Download a copy of trial copy of Acronis True Image Home 2009. Install on your current hard drive and create a back up of the complete C: drive. Do not include the other partitions. I just used my usb backup drive from my desktop that had space. Also create a Acronis bootable rescue CD. ​

c) Download a "Vista recovery CD". This is a free tool that will install the needed boot files. You may also use a Vista OS disk if you have one. You may Google one or use this link. http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=622​

d) Remove your old drive and install the new drive.
e) Boot with the Acronis boot disk and restore C: to the new drive.
f) Reboot with the Vista recovery disk and pick repair not install. It took two reboots but now works perfect.​

4) Aconis help files will tell you to not do the boot sector on a w500 but won't tell you it won't boot that way. They have some options that imply that they will make it bootable but it didn't work for me.

5) To t30power The drive seems very quite but I'm an insensitive guy. I can feel a minimal vibration on the palm rest but I can hear nothing unless my ear is touching the palm rest.

 

Glad you're using the drive now.

Thanks for the input on noise levels. I've become quite sensitive with the quietness issue.