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    ...Hard drive help...

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by elusiveflip, Mar 27, 2009.

  1. elusiveflip

    elusiveflip Notebook Consultant

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    Okay, so I have a Gateway P-7811 FX with the original stock Seagate Momentus 7200.2 ST9200420AS and I'm interested in upgrading to the Western Digital WD5000BEVT. I have a few questions though:

    1) How would I go about transferring all the files from the stock HD to the new HD, as well as make the new HD the basis for where everything runs, like the OS/drivers and such?

    2) After transferring the files over, I'd like to wipe the old stock HD and just use it for just file storage and not back-up purposes. What would be the best way to do that?

    3) Would I need to run in some sort of RAID to be able to get the maximum file size available from both HDs to still be usable? Do I leave both in or make the stock HD an external with an eSATA enclosure?

    Sorry for all the questions, just want to get the info right so I know what to do soon.

    Any help is greatly appreciated,
    Thanks.
     
    elusiveflip, Mar 27, 2009
    #1
  2. mullenbooger

    mullenbooger Former New York Giant

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    1) Download an imaging program such as acronis and clone your old drive to the new drive.
    2) Format it and the drag whatever you want to it.
    3) RAID has nothing to do with file size (and I don't know if the gateway has a raid controller). If you have 2 hard drive slots you can keep them both in, or use the storage drive in an external usb or esata enclosure.
     
    mullenbooger, Mar 28, 2009
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  3. elusiveflip

    elusiveflip Notebook Consultant

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    My P-7811FX laptop has two hard drive slots, so can I clone the stock drive with both drives in the two slots, or do I have to make one an external temporatily? I'd rather have both in the hard drive slots rather than buying an external enclosure and cable, heh. After cloning onto the new hard drive, I can test if my OS and system will run properly from the new hard drive by just removing the original stock one temporarily right?
     
    elusiveflip, Mar 29, 2009
    #3
  4. surfasb

    surfasb Titles Shmm-itles

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    You can clone the drives without enclosures. After you've cloned the drives, unplug the old drive and boot up the CPU.
     
    surfasb, Mar 29, 2009
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  5. elusiveflip

    elusiveflip Notebook Consultant

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    Okay, that helps alot, thanks to both of you.
     
    elusiveflip, Mar 29, 2009
    #5