Switch to larger HDD

Jane B. · February 27, 2010

I have a ThinkPad R60 (9456-FCU) which has a 100GB 5400rpm disk in it currently. This has really gotten filled up since I brought the laptop in 2007. As near as I can tell from what documentation I have and searching on the net I need a 2.5in SATA drive the has a height of 9.5mm. If I am going to go to the work of changing the hardware and installing the OS, etc. I feel that I want to go with something really large — such as 500GB.

I am looking for tips for best value with the understanding that I am looking for space and reliability; increased speed is not a factor.

I also really need tips on making this upgrade and reinstallation of XP Pro go the smoothest possible. Rather than having made my own Product Recovery disks I paid for a set before Lenovo stopped selling them for out of warranty systems. But this is probably something that I can get more help with on Lenovo’s own forums and one (http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=333677) that one of the “Community Moderators” at Lenovo’s forum linked to.

Looking forward to your suggestions
Jane B.

Art Scott · February 27, 2010

I wpould recommend a Western Digital or Seagate 500gb or even a 1 tb.....however if just clean up your current Hdd it may still be all you need inside your laptop.....by clean up I am refering to the removal of all files that are not either OS or of a software you are actually running....ie photo files, all text files etc etc.....move all of that to an external drive.....unless you are really wanting to upgrade the OS for some reason......my current externals are Hitachi and seagate internal
sata drives in a hardrive dock (thernaltake BlacX dock dual hardrive $65 ) bought at Best buy for ~$50....it allows me to use internal drives as externals and keep the cost and drive storage space to a minimum.......

As a matter of fact I will be using laptop HDD's in my docks when it is time for new ones......every tech I talked to said they were every bit as reliable and well built as a 3.5" internal drive so that will also save storage space in the future.......I do store mine in their anti-static plastic bags they come in...................................

Jane B. · February 27, 2010

It seems that I always leave something out at the beginning!

This time it was that this is my only current computer (old Win 98 has only been booted a time or two since getting this one) so a different kind of use than many laptops. Also, I am in the process of transferring data files to external drive that I am not likely to want when I take the computer with me.

Who is likely to offer the best deals in laptop drives?

Jane B.

Art Scott · February 27, 2010

Jane B. wrote:

It seems that I always leave something out at the beginning!

This time it was that this is my only current computer (old Win 98 has only been booted a time or two since getting this one) so a different kind of use than many laptops. Also, I am in the process of transferring data files to external drive that I am not likely to want when I take the computer with me.

Who is likely to offer the best deals in laptop drives?

Jane B.

Just got a 500gb Western Digital for around $90 at Best Buy.........does your laptop have enuff room for 2, so one can be used only for storage and the other for working software???

Jane B. · February 27, 2010

Art Scott wrote:

Just got a 500gb Western Digital for around $90 at Best Buy.........does your laptop have enuff room for 2, so one can be used only for storage and the other for working software???

Yes BUT the compromise involved is one I would not want to make. It would mean shuffling between the CD/DVD burner in the Ultra Bay and the 2nd. disk. I am sure there would be times I would want both in addition to the hassel involved in switching to two devices and keeping track of them.

BradfordBenn · February 27, 2010

I decided to go external instead of internal. I got a LaCie external drive that has a FireWire800 connection and use that for data while the application data stays on the computer's internal hard drive. Then when I update my computer everything moves over easily. There are also times I don't want to have all my data with me, I know strange but true.

Art Scott · February 27, 2010

BradfordBenn wrote:

I decided to go external instead of internal. I got a LaCie external drive that has a FireWire800 connection and use that for data while the application data stays on the computer's internal hard drive. Then when I update my computer everything moves over easily. There are also times I don't want to have all my data with me, I know strange but true.

That is not the least bit strange that is why I went withthe laptop I did only to get taken by dell.....I have room for 2 internal but dell failed to put the carriage and adapter in the laptop..........but when I travel I want to be able to work on my files in the evenings rather than sitting around watching tv or something like that......and not to have to carry an external drive or my single dock for a internal I use in the place of the externals..........staying busy until bed time makes me sleep better...............

yes If I were to loose the laptop that would mean all of my files from a trip would be gone.........but the case it is kept in is not easy to open and heavy as hell..........Old School Audio box on wheels...weighs in at approx 75# empty.......held in place by logging chain and huuuge padlock..................the maids at hotel or motel aren't going to cousin Ernie to get loose with out a cuttin torch:D

But the 2nd internal is always cleaned when I get back to my 3 drives that actually store my work.....well 3 for this part of 2010.......

Pupator · March 1, 2010

I would take this opportunity to do two things. I'd buy a 160-250GB 7200rpm internal drive for your notebook. This will give you a bit more space and increased performance.

Then I'd buy a quality external drive 500GB or 1TB to use for bulk data storage. I highly doubt that you've got more than 160GB of data you need with you at one time.

Jane B. · March 1, 2010

Pupator wrote:

I would take this opportunity to do two things. I'd buy a 160-250GB 7200rpm internal drive for your notebook. This will give you a bit more space and increased performance.

Then I'd buy a quality external drive 500GB or 1TB to use for bulk data storage. I highly doubt that you've got more than 160GB of data you need with you at one time.

Thanks, as I said earlier in the thread there are always details missed. I already have a 500GB external and am moving things to it. I also have a 40GB external which is not full but would not be big enough for everything that I am moving. I am in the process of organizing what is on which. Truly private things have never been on the internal.

I figure if I am going to the work of putting in a new disk it might as well be as large as possible (combination of what is on the market and what budget will take as I haven’t really seriously looked at prices vs capacity yet.)

cmason · March 1, 2010

Of course, perhaps a simpler route would be to order the Ultrabay adapter, put in a SATA HD in, and either just use it as an internal expansion drive, or simply clone your existing drive to the new one. You can then swap them and now have a bigger 'main' drive:

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:item.detail?GroupID=38&Code=40Y8725&current-category-id=6D8E5191FB0B45CBB39F45EB5B2B986E&&hide_menu_area=yes

This adapter lets you use the place where your DVD drive is to add a harddrive. Of course, you don't have your DVD drive any longer, but it very simple to hot swap them.

Jane B. · March 1, 2010

cmason wrote:

Of course, perhaps a simpler route would be to order the Ultrabay adapter, put in a SATA HD in, and either just use it as an internal expansion drive, or simply clone your existing drive to the new one. You can then swap them and now have a bigger 'main' drive:

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:item.detail?GroupID=38&Code=40Y8725&current-category-id=6D8E5191FB0B45CBB39F45EB5B2B986E&&hide_menu_area=yes

This adapter lets you use the place where your DVD drive is to add a harddrive. Of course, you don't have your DVD drive any longer, but it very simple to hot swap them.

Please see my reply to Art at #5. I don't want that swapping. I just didn't mention the UltraBay by name. And it would be a cost of over $50 by the time shipping and tax was added to the $49 price. I can think of things I would rather spend the $50+ on.

So far, Art is the only one to mention a source that he was satisfied with.

Pupator · March 7, 2010

Jane B. wrote:

I figure if I am going to the work of putting in a new disk it might as well be as large as possible (combination of what is on the market and what budget will take as I haven’t really seriously look and prices vs capacity yet.)

But that's just my point: you'll pay far more (per GB) for internal notebook storage than external storage, and you'll pay more for faster RPMs compared to slower. Having a cheap, slow, 500GB notebook drive is a bad plan. Having a fast, reliable, reasonable-sized internal drive and a really large external drive is a better way to go.

Jane B. · March 8, 2010

Pupator wrote:

But that's just my point: you'll pay far more (per GB) for internal notebook storage than external storage, and you'll pay more for faster RPMs compared to slower. Having a cheap, slow, 500GB notebook drive is a bad plan. Having a fast, reliable, reasonable-sized internal drive and a really large external drive is a better way to go.

Can you explain more of the "why" of your point please.

I am strictly an amateur photographer but am filling up with RAW and converted files (of course, also miscellaneous other files from just living life with word processing etc.) Speed is thus not as big a deal to me as for a pro. My thought is to find something reliable and as large as I can afford and thus not have to make the change again before the time comes to change computers.

Jane B.

Scott_Quier · March 8, 2010

Here's what I see you are saying you want:

A new, 2.5" SATA HDD, speed not a criteria but reliability is
A larger HDD, getting as much storage as you can afford. From a bang for the buck standpoint, there's a point of diminishing returns on this - at about 500GB.
To transfer/install WinXP on the new drive with as little muss and fuss as possible

What you don't mention is the additional applications you already have installed on your laptop. Do you have Photoshop, Office, Adobe Reader, multiple browsers, system maintenance software, other applications? If so, you will need to re-install these once you've install WinXP on the new drive. This can be a pain --- DAMHIK:D

So, time for recommendations....

I trust NewEgg.com. I've had nothing but success with them, but YMMV and opinions differ.

For the HDD, I have to agree with Art .... WD, Seagate are the manufacturers I've had success with. But, again, YMMV and opinions differ. Every manufacturer has skeletons in their closet and past history is not really a good indicater of future performance. A bad batch of drives can and will happen.

Here are a couple of choices I might look at:

Depending on how old your current installtion of WinXP is (how long has it been since the last fresh-install), were this my project, I might consider:

Backup ALL the user data on the current drive. Do you have PS actions? Do you know where they are? What about e-mail files? Very easy to over-look these when doing a backup.
Using any one other many available software programs, create an image of that drive to your external drive.
Remove the current drive and install the new drive. You might need to re-create the partition table.
Restore the image created in step 2 to the new drive

There's a up-side and a down-side to restoring from an image. The up-side is that it can be quick and easy. The down-side is that doing so will copy to your new drive all the "problems" you may (or may not) have.

A fresh install will provide you with a fresh and shiny O/S with a clean and fresh registry. The fresh install will, typically, run much faster than a years old installation. Going the fresh install route is NOT quick and easy. It can take hours and hours to re-install all your applications and tools; find, download and install all the patches, fixes, upgrades, etc for your software; and to get all the software configured the way you like it.

All that having been said, the suggestion(s) to not worry about an new internal drive but to move your user data (docs, photos, RAW files, etc) to a portable external drive have much merit .... especially as you are not too concerned about data transfer speeds. Something as simple as WD 750GB My Passport portable HDD ($150) might be just the ticket.

Switch to larger HDD

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