Upgrading disk space

evilkillermouseevilkillermouse
edited June 2005 in Hardware
Recently, I've been finding that whenever I want to install a new program or game on my laptop, I have to delete something. I've decided to upgrade my hard drive, and I have some questions.

1) How much will it cost me to get around 40 or 45 gigs?

2) Is there any easy way to back up all my files so I don't have to re-install everything

3) Is it easy to install?

-Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited May 2005
    1. Only 40gb? That would be slightly hard to find and have a much higher dollar per GB ratio. The smallest drive worth getting probably would be 80, but you could go all the way up to about 250 relatively cheap. I would expect a retail packed drive to be from $30-$100 depending on the store, ad, capacity, etc. If you check your ads you will find atleast something, it may not be sata though, but it could be. Lately in the last month I have seen 80 gb drives for 30 bucks, 160 gb drives for 40 & 60 bucks, and a 250gb drive for $99.99 with no mail in rebate.

    2. I think you can just plug your new drive in and copy everything over manually, or use something like Norton Ghost and make a backup. I'm not certain if it would be bootable though.

    3. YES, it is easy to install. Just slide it into the computer, plug it in to the appropriate plug and power plug and windows xp should recognize on next boot up. Just note that the jumper may have to be changed on 1 or both your drives. New drives usually have Cable Select as the pre configured setting, your current drive might be on master 1 drive only setting or something that may interfere. It is usually best to put the jumpers on CS just incase you tinker with things and mess yourself up.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    1) 80GB for under $150, 60GB for under $100, 40GB for under $75

    2) This kinda goes with question 3, installing the drive should be fairly simple, but moing your files over may be tougher for beginners. Usually there is a bootable disk you can make from the manufacturers site(download) and you can go through it's built in function of moving over the files and OS to the new drive. I've done it once, didn't know what I was doing back then, but it wasn't too hard to figure out.

    3) Dunno, wish I had a laptop to tell you. Though usually it's just a screw on the bottom of the laptop/notebook, and you slide it out. I think there is a small ribbon cable to disconnect, but overall not to difficult.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    D00D wrote:
    1. Only 40gb? That would be slightly hard to find and have a much higher dollar per GB ratio. The smallest drive worth getting probably would be 80, but you could go all the way up to about 250 relatively cheap. I would expect a retail packed drive to be from $30-$100 depending on the store, ad, capacity, etc. If you check your ads you will find atleast something, it may not be sata though, but it could be. Lately in the last month I have seen 80 gb drives for 30 bucks, 160 gb drives for 40 & 60 bucks, and a 250gb drive for $99.99 with no mail in rebate.

    2. I think you can just plug your new drive in and copy everything over manually, or use something like Norton Ghost and make a backup. I'm not certain if it would be bootable though.

    3. YES, it is easy to install. Just slide it into the computer, plug it in to the appropriate plug and power plug and windows xp should recognize on next boot up. Just note that the jumper may have to be changed on 1 or both your drives. New drives usually have Cable Select as the pre configured setting, your current drive might be on master 1 drive only setting or something that may interfere. It is usually best to put the jumpers on CS just incase you tinker with things and mess yourself up.

    Highest capacity lappy drive I've seen is 100GB, and those are about $180ish. Not too bad if you ask me, especially for a laptop.
  • evilkillermouseevilkillermouse
    edited May 2005
    Wow! That cheap! I expected it to be way more expensive!

    The boot disk thing seems kinda complicated for me (I'm only 14), so I guess I'll just reinstall everything.

    Thanks everyone :D

    By the way, is there any specific brand I should get?
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited May 2005
    Oh sorry! I somehow misplaced the word "laptop." I completely was basing my answers off of a desktop. Ignore my post above please. I have no idea about laptops, never had one.
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    If you have a lot of media files (mp3s / video files) that are taking up a lot of space, you may want to look @ an external drive for them. This will be a much cheaper and easier solution.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    External Drives are far from being cheaper... well not too far, but far enough for me to build my own next week using an older 40GB drive I have and want to clear the PATA controller for possibly a DVDRW.
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    External drives are WAY cheaper than laptop drives...

    160GB drive - $75
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822152011

    External USB2 enclosure < $30

    About the same price as an internal 60GB laptop drive.
  • evilkillermouseevilkillermouse
    edited May 2005
    Thanks! What, exactly, is an external drive?

    Like I said earlier, I'm a computer newbie :(
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited May 2005
    Its one in a seperate case that sits outside your computer or laptop. It has its own seperate power cable and attachs to the laptop/computer via usb or firewire port.

    To answer your orginal question... I just bought a brand new 40gb laptop drive two weeks for 45 bucks.

    Tex
  • SoLoSoLo DirtySouth, USA
    edited May 2005
    lol..I have had and still do have several laptops, and in the years of owning them i have upgraded HD's once!on my sony vaio frv...what i found out is that if you dont have the knolage to install a hd in a laptop,it can sometimes cost more for labor..lol

    but,always good to upgrade!! :thumbsup:
  • evilkillermouseevilkillermouse
    edited May 2005
    So do you guys suggest I upgrade my hard drive or get an external drive?
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    evilkillermouse wrote:
    So do you guys suggest I upgrade my hard drive or get an external drive?

    For files yes, I'm not sure if you can really install programs or run them very well on an external drive. But I may be wrong.
  • SoLoSoLo DirtySouth, USA
    edited May 2005
    well the whole point of a laptop is portability, if you get exturnal you will have to lug it around, i suggest and internal upgrade, but something over 40 gigs b/c small upgredes are a little harder to find and more money..!
  • evilkillermouseevilkillermouse
    edited May 2005
    Ok, thanks. Where would I buy another internal drive?
  • SoLoSoLo DirtySouth, USA
    edited May 2005
    umm, maybe newegg.com. i have bought a couple of thing from newegg and found GREAT prices..!! Hope they have what you need..!!
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    Mr. Mouse, if you pursue the external hard drive route, determine first if your laptop has a USB 2.0 port. I assume you know what USB is - but just make sure it's 2.0 and not regular USB. Why? File transfers, reading, and writing through USB 1.0 is very slow.

    If you upgrade your laptop's hard drive:

    - Purchase a quality, major brand such as Hitachi, Western Digital, or Maxtor.
    - Look both online and at CompUSA. CompUSA has a pretty good variety of laptop/notebook hard drives. I purchased one from them. The box had it named some off-brand/generic name. Opening the box, I found that the drive was Samsung. So far, it has worked flawlessy under very demanding conditions.
    - Do an internet search for your specific model of laptop. You should be able to find an online owners manual that should show how to remove the hard drive. I've used many different brands of laptops and notebooks. Not one of them had a hard drive that wasn't simple to remove safely.

    If portability is very important, you probably would be better served to upgrade the laptop's internal hard drive rather than using an external hard drive.
  • evilkillermouseevilkillermouse
    edited May 2005
    Ok, thanks. And I figure that I have a U.S.B. 2.0, because my iPod works fine with it. :D
  • evilkillermouseevilkillermouse
    edited May 2005
    Ok, I've decided to buy a new internal drive. Any suggestions on where to find one?
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited May 2005
    eBay. But first find out how big a drive your laptop even supports. This isnt like getting a drive for a desktop. Older laptops will not properly see a bigger new laptop drive often.

    Get the biggest one YOUR LAPTOP came with.

    Tex
  • SoLoSoLo DirtySouth, USA
    edited May 2005
    Newegg has great products with good prices..If buying online,try HERE good luck..!! :thumbsup:

    Tex,is youre SIG gone or am i just not seeing it? :scratch:
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    Tex' signature is there.
  • SoLoSoLo DirtySouth, USA
    edited May 2005
    Well,Dunno why im not seeing it...thx
  • evilkillermouseevilkillermouse
    edited May 2005
    How would I find out what kind of hard drive will fit in my laptop?
  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited May 2005
    What was the biggest one that was aveable when you bought your notebook for your notebook.
  • evilkillermouseevilkillermouse
    edited May 2005
    I'm not quite sure, it was about a year ago, and it was a bar-mitzvah gift. How would I find out?


    [EDIT]Wait, according to this, the maximum capacity is 40 gig. Right now, I have 25 gigs (2 avalible).
    Would this work?
  • evilkillermouseevilkillermouse
    edited June 2005
    I'm bumping this thread since it's been weeks since last I posted. Could someone please help me?
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited June 2005
    probably. It would be sagest to match the brand that they sold it with but that should work. Hard for us to tell for sure. email tech support for the brand you own now and ask what brand hard drive they came with.

    Tex
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