Got a new HD

fastwunz · 2 Jul 2007 at 12:22

Right - just ordered this - Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB 2500KS SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM - should be a good block and will run nicely.

However, im going to leave my current 200GB HD in there which will run the OS and export all my games to this new HD. Now, my current HD is IDE and this new one is SATAII - presumably this wont be a problem?

Obvioulsy ill need to adjust the BIOS to boot from the orignal HD - will windows automatcally asign the new HD with a name such as E: or F: or something? rather than C: which is the current one.

Any help appreciated - ta.

stickroad · 2 Jul 2007 at 12:26

Hey fastwunz, when you plug your new SATA Hard Disk in, just make sure your IDE Hard Drive is still the primary hard disk, heck in the BIOS.

Then when you get into windows you will have to first format your new Hard Drive before you can use it, you can assign any drive letter you like.

Just right click on My Computer - Manage - Disk Management. You should see your new Hard Drive, Disk 1 (Unallocated) then right click and select new partion then just follow the on screen instructions.

fastwunz · 2 Jul 2007 at 12:28

you sir are a legend.

Thats very helpful - cheers.

Couldnt lend my 500 smackers so that i can upgrade the rest of my system could ya?

YoungBlood · 2 Jul 2007 at 12:29

Yes should'nt be a problem, will get a drive letter when you go into windows. I assume you have a power cable for the sata drive ready as they dont use the normal molex connector.
When funds allow I would then get a 2nd drive and raid them up and install your os and games on that, and just use the IDE to throw files onto for backup.

BAMBI · 2 Jul 2007 at 12:31

Can you move all your game files onto the new hdd without reinstaling them Anyway you might see a slight performance increase from the new HDD

fastwunz · 2 Jul 2007 at 12:36

BAMBI said:
Can you move all your game files onto the new hdd without reinstaling them Anyway you might see a slight performance increase from the new HDD

good point!!! ill basically be left with an OS on one and games on the other - SCHWEET lol

and yeh, ive got the power cables for it.

InvaderGIR · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:33

You'll have to reinstall programs/games as the registry will have all them as being on the older drive, not on the new one...and you aren't going to be editing that anytime soon just for some programs.

As for RAID as someone mentioned earlier...pointless unless you have 10 drives, doesn't increase speeds much, or safety of data very well unless you have 10, 9 being RAIDed drives, and 10 being the spare if one falls over so it puts what should be on the dead one onto 10, so you can replace the dead one. - I had a huge argument with a lecturer about this...he proved me wrong (I said 2 is fine for RAID).

InvG