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Choosing/installing extra hard disk

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by Lugwalker, 2004/07/15.

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  1. 2004/07/15
    Lugwalker Lifetime Subscription

    Lugwalker Forever Autumn Thread Starter

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    I'd like to add another hard disk to my computer (specifications in my signature below). First of all I'd like to know how difficult/easy that task is, so can anyone give me a link to a site which might explain the procedure? Secondly, apart from size, are there different types of hard disk and what might be suitable for my machine? I was just about to buy one on EBay when I said to myself: Hold on. Better find out what's involved here! Many thanks for your assistance. :confused:
     
    Lugwalker,
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  2. 2004/07/15
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Hi again, Lugwalker!

    First of all, I wouldn't buy a HDD on eBay - it's too much of a risk. I've heard too often about people planning on flogging a dodgy HDD on eBay ...... :eek: ...... !

    Second, concidering warranty periods, it is possibly a good investment to get a larger HDD with 8 MB cache to get three years warranty rather than a smaller HDD with one year warranty only.
    I didn't really need much space but Hitachi offered three years from the 120 GB / 8 MB cache model and up so I choose that one. It was some 30% more expensive than the 80 GB / 2 MB cache model but the three years warranty feels good and is what I payed for.

    Installing the HDD on WinXP is fairly simple. I myself run XP-pro and am not 100% sure it is the same on XP-home but to find out:

    Right-click the "My computer" icon on the desktop > Manage > Disk management
    You should see the current drives in Your system and a new drive will show up as unpartitioned and unformated for You to work with.

    I would recommend to install the new HDD, partition/format and copy Your data to it.
    Next, I would repartition the old drive with a small system partition, easy to image using Ghost. How small is up to You but some 8-12 GB would be sufficient in most cases.

    Have a read in RADIFIED Guide to Norton Ghost in preparation to setting up Your HDDs.
    Over at RADIFIED there is also a guide on how to install WinXP and there are quite a few of them if You go Google on it.

    Christer
     
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  4. 2004/07/15
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Seeing that Your system is an OEM (Dell Dimension 2400) raises a few questions:

    Do You have an ordinary WinXP-home CD or Restore CD(s) or both?

    I know nothing about Dell and their systems but if You only have Restore CD(s), then I would recommend checking with Dell support if it is possible to partition the HDD and restore to a smaller system partition.

    If You have an ordinary WinXP-home CD, then it should work with partitioning the HDD and installing from square one.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  5. 2004/07/15
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I had a look at the Dell homepage and found information on the 2400 tech specs.

    Click on STORAGE and LEARN MORE next to Harddrives to find out if Your specific model can accomodate a second HDD.

    The type of HDD which probably suites Your PC is an IDE, either PATA (Parallel ATA) or SATA (Serial ATA) but I would think it's the former. Read up on the manual and find out.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  6. 2004/07/15
    Lugwalker Lifetime Subscription

    Lugwalker Forever Autumn Thread Starter

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    .....and 'Hello' again to you, Christer, as you patrol the halls of WindowsBBS!

    Thank you for the excellent directions given in your reply, and for the time taken to research the matter for me. I'll follow your advice and, hopefully, find myself with the required HDD before too long.

    :)
     
    Lugwalker,
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  7. 2004/07/15
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    PeteC,
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  8. 2004/07/15
    dobhar Lifetime Subscription

    dobhar Inactive

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    I voted for Western Digital.

    After getting numerous Quantum, Fujitsu, and Maxtor (mostly Quantum though) HD failures the only HD that I reccommend when asked is WD. I have found that Maxtor comes a close 2nd.

    IMHO... :D
     
    dobhar,
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  9. 2004/07/15
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Lugwalker,
    You're welcome ...... :) ...... !

    For what it's worth, in my opinion the reliability figures on HDDs are history lessons. When enough drives have been sold and the figures are gathered, then the successor is already on the market.

    I bought a Hitachi 7K250 and I haven't regretted it for a second ...... ;) ...... especially not since the time I compared* it's performance to a Seagate 7200.7+ belonging to a friend.

    Christer

    *) no fancy benchmarks but real use as I personally use it.
     
    Christer,
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  10. 2004/07/15
    RayH

    RayH Inactive

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    As you are in the UK, I don't know what is or is not a good price. Typically in the US, we can purchase an 80 GB/8mb cache 7200 RPM IDE hard drive for about 35-38 GBP (Great Britain Pounds).

    Stay below 120 MB. There may be size limits that you don't want to find out. Maxtor has bought Quantum. I've not had any problems with any of the other brands. Sometimes IBM gives problems, made by Hitachi.
     
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  11. 2004/07/15
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Is a Dell Dimension 2400 anywhere near the age where this is a problem?

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  12. 2004/07/15
    charlesvar

    charlesvar Inactive Alumni

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    Dell ships a full OS CD.



    The 2400 is a fairly new system, but I don't know what the HD size limit if any. I would stay below 120 anyway for othr reasons - any defrag or diagnostic function takes a little longer with those sizes.

    EDIT: just looked at Dell's 2400 drive options. The limit seems to be 160GB ATA - no SATA.

    To see if the 2400 is 2 HD capable - the manual should say and opening the case, see how many IDE cables there are.

    Regards - Charles
     
    Last edited: 2004/07/15
    charlesvar,
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  13. 2004/07/15
    Lugwalker Lifetime Subscription

    Lugwalker Forever Autumn Thread Starter

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    From Dell's site, re: Dimension 2400:

    "Storage: Ultra ATA EIDE Hard drives up to 120 GB to meet your storage needs. "

    Also, comes with 'Reinstallation' cd, no 'Restore' cd.
     
    Lugwalker,
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  14. 2004/07/15
    charlesvar

    charlesvar Inactive Alumni

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    I get Dell's "magazine" because I have a Dell system - the drive size there is 160 GB, so I don't know why the desparity.

    The "reinstallation" cd is the full OS.

    Regards - Charles
     
    charlesvar,
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  15. 2004/07/16
    Lugwalker Lifetime Subscription

    Lugwalker Forever Autumn Thread Starter

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    Apparently, as I've just found out from the Dell Dimension Forum, the Dimension 2400 is the one machine in the series that is NOT designed to accommodate a second drive. There is, however, a bracket and cables available from http://www.rickmktg.com/hard_drive_bracket1.htm which will enable a 2400 owner to overcome that design restriction. Looks good, and the user-comments are impressive.
     
    Lugwalker,
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  16. 2004/07/18
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Looks like a solution to Your problem. Let us know how it ends!

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  17. 2004/07/18
    Lugwalker Lifetime Subscription

    Lugwalker Forever Autumn Thread Starter

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    Will do that, Christer.

    By the way, for the first time this year (at least) I had to fill in my username and password when I clicked on the link to this post in the email from WindowsBBS. Usually I found myself already signed in when the link opened.
    Interesting. :)
     
    Lugwalker,
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