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    Hard Drive Filling Up

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by kodac, May 25, 2006.

  1. kodac

    kodac Notebook Guru

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    I'm kind of surprised that my Z60m's 40GB 5400rpm HD is filling up. I only have about 17% free.

    What is the best thing to do about it?

    Thanks
     
  2. dmc

    dmc Notebook Geek

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    get an external and/or upgrade your hd. 40 is rather small these days
     
  3. Mark

    Mark Desktop Debugger

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    I agree, either way is a good option, although you can get larger storage for cheaper if you build your own external hard drive.
     
  4. kodac

    kodac Notebook Guru

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    ....seems that an external would reduce mobility. I would hate to lose the data off my 40. Can I have two?
     
  5. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    I would buy another larger drive for your notebook, then stick your old one in a 2.5" external case for extra storage or backups. I use this myself.
     
  6. kodac

    kodac Notebook Guru

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    Thanks. How do you get XP and the ThinkVantage stuff on the new hard drive?
     
  7. Jmmmmm

    Jmmmmm Notebook Consultant

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    Well, you have a couple options. You can reinstall windows on the new harddrive and start from scratch. I think you can make install CDs from the hidden partition on your current harddrive. If not, you can order some from lenovo.

    Or, you can just make a clone of your current drive onto the new drive. To do this, you would attach the new harddrive using a USB adapter like Zaz mentioned, and then use a program like norton ghost or acronis true image to copy your old drive onto the new drive. Afterward, you just pop in the new drive and you're done. I would use the old drive for backups and/or extra storage at home.

    I think you get a 15-day trial with acronis that gives you full usability, so as long as you install it within 15 days of using it, it shouldn't be a problem.

    Also, note that if you install a drive larger than 80gb, you will get a little ('2010') error message when you start up your computer. There are no ill effects, but for some reason that happens, and IBM/lenovo have yet to fix it.
    edit: the 2010 error happens with t43's, I dont know if it happens with other models.
     
  8. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    I would recommend you burn off the recovery discs anyway if you have not already. You never know when something is gonna happen. You can of course buy a drive from IBM, but you'll pay much more.
     
  9. kodac

    kodac Notebook Guru

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    does this mean that I can have two internal drives?

    Hard drive features

    Standard 40GB, 60GB, 80GB, or 100GB hard drive sizes

    Supports one additional hard drive which can be used concurrently to offer expanded storage in the Ultrabay Slim

    5400 rpm hard drive speed

    Although you can upgrade the hard drive, it is not designed to be removed and reinserted on a regular basis. Repeated and frequent removal, for purposes other than to upgradefor greater capacity, can cause damage to the system. The Ultrabay Slim hard drive adapter is designed to provide this flexibility with a second hard drive in the Ultrabay Slim.

    The Hard Drive Active Protection system protects your hard drive when the shock sensor inside your ThinkPad computer detects a situation that could potentially damage the hard drive.
     
  10. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    You can use the modular drive which plugs in where the optical drive is. You need to buy the adapter from IBM.
     
  11. Smith2688

    Smith2688 Notebook Evangelist

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    And doing that would mean you lose your optical drive.
     
  12. Karl Gruber

    Karl Gruber Notebook Consultant

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    Best advice. Buy a larger drive and destroy the old drive with plastic explosives. Sulfuric acid will not do the job. Only explosives will protect your secret information.

    Use the recovery discs to reinstall the new drive.
     
  13. pbdavey

    pbdavey Notebook Consultant

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    Plastic explosives...lol...or you could use a true eraser program to scrub your disk.

    Alternatively to buying a new harddrive, if you are surprised 40GB is filling up perhaps you should determine why it is filling up. Look at what programs are installed and how much space they use. I know at one point I had Steam loaded with both HL:2 and Counterstrike, together they took almost 7GB of disk space. Lots of multimedia files, particularily video can eat disk space like crazy. Do you not empty your recycle bin very often? Perhaps you have GBs eaten up by things that are not really deleted yet. So rather than spending money, you could just clean up your current harddrive.