Changing HDD in External Case

[Jim Cladingboel]

My Seagate 160 GB external HDD is almost full. Is replacing it with a
larger HDD any more difficult than installing a HDD in my PC?
I'm not keen to open that case without some good advice.
The unit is ST3160203U2-RK.
Thanks,

Jim.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

My Seagate 160 GB external HDD is almost full. Is replacing it with a
larger HDD any more difficult than installing a HDD in my PC?
I'm not keen to open that case without some good advice.
The unit is ST3160203U2-RK.
Thanks,

Jim.

Decent drive cases start around $30, 500-gig hard disks cost around $90,
and it will take you about ten minutes to assemble the two components. You
only need a small phillips screwdriver. Then, you just plug it in, let
Windows initialise the disk, you format it, and it's ready to go.

Just be sure to get a case that matches the connector type of the hard disk
you buy, i.e. IDE and IDE or SATA and SATA.

If you were to replace the disk in your current case, how will you retrieve
the data from that disk?

HTH
-pk

 

[Leonard Grey]

Sounds like you have a question for Seagate technical support. (This
newsgroup is for Windows XP.)Here's their address:

http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/crm/selfservice/news.jsp
---
Leonard Grey
Errare Humanum Est

Security Tips for Everyone, from PC Magazine
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2334856,00.asp

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

My Seagate 160 GB external HDD is almost full. Is replacing it with a
larger HDD any more difficult than installing a HDD in my PC?
I'm not keen to open that case without some good advice.
The unit is ST3160203U2-RK.

Are you talking about replacing a hard drive in an external case? No,
it's not more difficult than installing an internal drive. In fact
it's considerably easier.

Even if you're all thumbs, it should take under five minutes.

 

[Jim Cladingboel]

Are you talking about replacing a hard drive in an external case? No,
it's not more difficult than installing an internal drive. In fact
it's considerably easier.

Even if you're all thumbs, it should take under five minutes.

Leonard, many thanks. I have bookmarked both of those URLs.

Jim

 

[Jim Cladingboel]

Are you talking about replacing a hard drive in an external case? No,
it's not more difficult than installing an internal drive. In fact
it's considerably easier.

Even if you're all thumbs, it should take under five minutes.

Thanks, Ken. I now feel quite confident about tackling this job.
But on a related point, is there any way to avoid losing about
12% of space on the new disk as "Reserved system Space"?

Jim.

 

[Richard in AZ]

| On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:15:42 +1000, "Jim Cladingboel"
|
| > My Seagate 160 GB external HDD is almost full. Is replacing it with a
| > larger HDD any more difficult than installing a HDD in my PC?
| > I'm not keen to open that case without some good advice.
| > The unit is ST3160203U2-RK.
|
|
| Are you talking about replacing a hard drive in an external case? No,
| it's not more difficult than installing an internal drive. In fact
| it's considerably easier.
|
| Even if you're all thumbs, it should take under five minutes.
|
| --
| Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
| Please Reply to the Newsgroup

The cost of a new HD, already in a case, wont be much more than the HD itself.
Then you will still have access to the files you backed up on your current external drive too.

 

[Jim Cladingboel]

Decent drive cases start around $30, 500-gig hard disks cost around $90,
and it will take you about ten minutes to assemble the two components.
You only need a small phillips screwdriver. Then, you just plug it in,
let Windows initialise the disk, you format it, and it's ready to go.

Just be sure to get a case that matches the connector type of the hard
disk you buy, i.e. IDE and IDE or SATA and SATA.

If you were to replace the disk in your current case, how will you
retrieve the data from that disk?

HTH
-pk

Thanks Patrick. I'm proposing to put the original disk into my PC and
transfer all data to the new HDD.
I will then leave it in the PC as a slave and format it.

Jim.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Thanks Patrick. I'm proposing to put the original disk into my PC and
transfer all data to the new HDD.
I will then leave it in the PC as a slave and format it.

Jim.

There's a utility I use for this purpose, which is much faster than COPY or
XCOPY. You might also try Robocopy, but I use FileSync. Get it here:

http://www.fileware.com/download.htm'

But I would leave that drive where it is, get a new case with the new drive,
then format the old one. The cost is not that high.

HTH
-pk

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Thanks, Ken. I now feel quite confident about tackling this job.
But on a related point, is there any way to avoid losing about
12% of space on the new disk as "Reserved system Space"?

Jim.

No, that's for NTFS use, mostly for the Master File Tables. You do need
this, or more specifically, the drive does.

HTH
-pk

 

[Jim Cladingboel]

There's a utility I use for this purpose, which is much faster than COPY
or XCOPY. You might also try Robocopy, but I use FileSync. Get it
here:

http://www.fileware.com/download.htm'

But I would leave that drive where it is, get a new case with the new
drive, then format the old one. The cost is not that high.

HTH
-pk

Thanks to all for so much good advice and information. What a great NG !
I will get a new HDD and new case, probably SATA which my new mobo
supports.
I have downloaded FileSync in readiness for the data transfer.

Jim.

 

[Bill in Co.]

No, that's for NTFS use, mostly for the Master File Tables. You do need
this, or more specifically, the drive does.

HTH
-pk

I think that "reserved system space" can release space, as the drive fills
up (IIRC). IOW, that 12% of a drive is not really lost to just the system
files.

 

[Anna]

(Jim later adds...)

Thanks to all for so much good advice and information. What a great NG !
I will get a new HDD and new case, probably SATA which my new mobo
supports.
I have downloaded FileSync in readiness for the data transfer.
Jim.

Jim:
Assuming you're working with a desktop PC, let me just add another possible
approach for your consideration...

Why not just retain your present USBEHD, purchase a large-capacity SATA HDD
of your choosing and install same as a secondary HDD in your system?

You can then use the new SATA HDD as your primary backup and continue to use
the USBEHD in some auxiliary role such as a recipient for "on-the-fly"
duplicate backups of critical files or for some other desirable purpose.

Should you go that route you might want to consider employing a disk-to-disk
type of "cloning" program in order to establish & maintain a comprehensive
backup of your system - using, of course, the internal secondary SATA HDD as
the recipient of the "clone". Thus you could backup your system on a routine
basis, in effect creating a precise copy of your day-to-day working HDD
including the operating system, all programs & applications, and of course
your personal data - in short *everything* that's on your primary HDD. And
you could routinely accomplish this rather simply & quickly especially
through the use of SATA HDDs. What better backup system can one imagine?

So if & when the time ever comes when your day-to-day HDD goes to "HDD
heaven" (hell?) or the system becomes unbootable and/or otherwise
dysfunctional because of operating system files corruption, malware
infestation, or any other cause, you would have a bootable functional HDD
(the secondary SATA HDD) at hand and your system could be immediately
restored to its previous bootable functional state. Again, it's hard to
imagine a better comprehensive backup system.

Anyway, I thought the above would be another approach you might want to
consider.
Anna

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

| On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:15:42 +1000, "Jim Cladingboel"
|
| > My Seagate 160 GB external HDD is almost full. Is replacing it with a
| > larger HDD any more difficult than installing a HDD in my PC?
| > I'm not keen to open that case without some good advice.
| > The unit is ST3160203U2-RK.
|
|
| Are you talking about replacing a hard drive in an external case? No,
| it's not more difficult than installing an internal drive. In fact
| it's considerably easier.
|
| Even if you're all thumbs, it should take under five minutes.
|
| --
| Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
| Please Reply to the Newsgroup

The cost of a new HD, already in a case, wont be much more than the HD itself.
Then you will still have access to the files you backed up on your current external drive too.

I'm not so sure I agree with you about the price, because I find that
prices vary a lot from time to time, depending on what's on sale. But
even if he has two drives and only one external case, he still would
access to what's on both drives (only slightly more trouble), since
changing drives in the case is so easy.

 

[Jim Cladingboel]

(Jim later adds...)


Jim:
Assuming you're working with a desktop PC, let me just add another
possible approach for your consideration...

Why not just retain your present USBEHD, purchase a large-capacity SATA
HDD of your choosing and install same as a secondary HDD in your system?

You can then use the new SATA HDD as your primary backup and continue to
use the USBEHD in some auxiliary role such as a recipient for "on-the-fly"
duplicate backups of critical files or for some other desirable purpose.

Should you go that route you might want to consider employing a
disk-to-disk type of "cloning" program in order to establish & maintain a
comprehensive backup of your system - using, of course, the internal
secondary SATA HDD as the recipient of the "clone". Thus you could backup
your system on a routine basis, in effect creating a precise copy of your
day-to-day working HDD including the operating system, all programs &
applications, and of course your personal data - in short *everything*
that's on your primary HDD. And you could routinely accomplish this rather
simply & quickly especially through the use of SATA HDDs. What better
backup system can one imagine?

So if & when the time ever comes when your day-to-day HDD goes to "HDD
heaven" (hell?) or the system becomes unbootable and/or otherwise
dysfunctional because of operating system files corruption, malware
infestation, or any other cause, you would have a bootable functional HDD
(the secondary SATA HDD) at hand and your system could be immediately
restored to its previous bootable functional state. Again, it's hard to
imagine a better comprehensive backup system.

Anyway, I thought the above would be another approach you might want to
consider.
Anna

That's definitely food for thought. I'am now compressing files on my
existing
USBEHD, so I can leave a final decision until the January sales and see
what becomes available then. Many thanks,

Jim..

 

[Swifty]

Thanks to all for so much good advice and information. What a great NG !
I will get a new HDD and new case, probably SATA which my new mobo
supports.

Hey! If your mobo supports SATA then you may have an ESATA connector on
the back, which will give you considerably better performance than a USB
enclosure.

Even if you don't have an ESATA connector, you can get devices that
*look* like IDE cards, but all they do is take a spare internal SATA
socket and make it available externally.

Of course, if you have a spare internal SATA socket, and physical space,
and a spare power connector internally, then going inside is the best
bet, is quieter (and also a lot cheaper). Most drives these days come
with exquisitely detailed instructions on how to install them properly
(writing instructions once, correctly, is cheaper than manning a helpdesk).

It's worth reading your PC's hardware manual before going inside, so you
have a rough idea what to expect. In my experience, the hardest part is
figuring out how to get the case open.

 

[Jim Cladingboel]

Hey! If your mobo supports SATA then you may have an ESATA connector on
the back, which will give you considerably better performance than a USB
enclosure.

Even if you don't have an ESATA connector, you can get devices that *look*
like IDE cards, but all they do is take a spare internal SATA socket and
make it available externally.

Of course, if you have a spare internal SATA socket, and physical space,
and a spare power connector internally, then going inside is the best bet,
is quieter (and also a lot cheaper). Most drives these days come with
exquisitely detailed instructions on how to install them properly (writing
instructions once, correctly, is cheaper than manning a helpdesk).

It's worth reading your PC's hardware manual before going inside, so you
have a rough idea what to expect. In my experience, the hardest part is
figuring out how to get the case open.

Thanks Steve. The mobo manual states that it came (?) with an
"eSATA Port adapter bracket". Can't remember seeing it, but my guru
probably still has it..
An internal backup as you describe has attractions and would be quite
feasible but the portability of the external backup means it can be left
with a friend if ever the house is empty for a few weeks. Eggs and basket.

Jim.

 

[Anna]

Thanks Steve. The mobo manual states that it came (?) with an
"eSATA Port adapter bracket". Can't remember seeing it, but my guru
probably still has it..
An internal backup as you describe has attractions and would be quite
feasible but the portability of the external backup means it can be left
with a friend if ever the house is empty for a few weeks. Eggs and basket.
Jim.

Jim:
It's interesting that your motherboard came equipped with a eSATA port
adapter bracket. I had previously heard of some motherboards coming with
that accessory but hadn't come across any. Virtually all motherboards that
are equipped with an eSATA port are designed so that the port is an
integrated component within the motherboard (similar to a USB port for
example). BTW, could you let us know the make/model of your motherboard?

The eSATA brackets are generally third-party accessories that a user can
affix to the backplane of his/her desktop computer - the general area where
the various monitor, USB, keyboard, mouse, etc. ports are located. It's a
very handy device since it allows the user to connect an external SATA HDD
to the system. This accomplishes two important things...
1. The user achieves better performance of his/her system in that the SATA
HDD (using a SATA-to-SATA connection) achieves a significantly higher data
transfer rate than does a USB device, and,
2. Should the external SATA HDD be used as a backup device (as we've
previously discussed) and the contents of one's day-to-day working booting
HDD be "cloned" to the external SATA drive, the latter will be bootable as
well. In other words the system will treat the *external* HDD as if it were
an *internal* HDD. This can be an important consideration especially since
the "bootability" aspect is missing from a USB external HDD.

Since the use of an internally-connected SATA HDD (acting as a secondary
HDD) is apparently not practical for you based on your latest final comment,
Steve's approach re using the eSATA device is a good one all things
considered.

Just make sure that if & when you purchase an external enclosure for the new
SATA HDD you purchase one that comes equipped with a eSATA port so that a
direct SATA-to-SATA connection can be made between the enclosure and your
installed eSATA bracket. Most of these enclosures come with the necessary
eSATA data cable.
Anna

 

[Jim Cladingboel]

Jim:
It's interesting that your motherboard came equipped with a eSATA port
adapter bracket. I had previously heard of some motherboards coming with
that accessory but hadn't come across any. Virtually all motherboards that
are equipped with an eSATA port are designed so that the port is an
integrated component within the motherboard (similar to a USB port for
example). BTW, could you let us know the make/model of your motherboard?

The eSATA brackets are generally third-party accessories that a user can
affix to the backplane of his/her desktop computer - the general area
where the various monitor, USB, keyboard, mouse, etc. ports are located.
It's a very handy device since it allows the user to connect an external
SATA HDD to the system. This accomplishes two important things...
1. The user achieves better performance of his/her system in that the SATA
HDD (using a SATA-to-SATA connection) achieves a significantly higher data
transfer rate than does a USB device, and,
2. Should the external SATA HDD be used as a backup device (as we've
previously discussed) and the contents of one's day-to-day working booting
HDD be "cloned" to the external SATA drive, the latter will be bootable as
well. In other words the system will treat the *external* HDD as if it
were an *internal* HDD. This can be an important consideration especially
since the "bootability" aspect is missing from a USB external HDD.

Since the use of an internally-connected SATA HDD (acting as a secondary
HDD) is apparently not practical for you based on your latest final
comment, Steve's approach re using the eSATA device is a good one all
things considered.

Just make sure that if & when you purchase an external enclosure for the
new SATA HDD you purchase one that comes equipped with a eSATA port so
that a direct SATA-to-SATA connection can be made between the enclosure
and your installed eSATA bracket. Most of these enclosures come with the
necessary eSATA data cable.
Anna

Anna, Thank you again. The mobo is an Intel DP35DP. You clearly
indicate that the eSATA bracket is an internal fitting, not an external
device which, in my ignorance of most things SATA, I had assumed.
Looking at the Manual's small picture of the rear connections I can't
identify any SATA port. However, at the extreme front of the mobo,
item FF is described as an eSATA connector.
On the front of the box alongside two USB ports is a small port marked
with a symbol which resembles a 'Y' with two = signs and a black
rectangle at each extremity. Is that it? If so, the idea of a bootable,
fully backed-up EHDD is very attractive indeed.

Jim.

 

[Swifty]

Anna, Thank you again. The mobo is an Intel DP35DP. You clearly
indicate that the eSATA bracket is an internal fitting, not an external
device which, in my ignorance of most things SATA, I had assumed.

Jim, you previously said: "The mobo manual states that it came (?) with
an "eSATA Port adapter bracket". Can't remember seeing it, but my guru
probably still has it.."

If you can trace that bracket, you will achieve two useful things:
1. You can use it, if it turns out to be necessary.
2. It will show you *exactly* what sort of external socket you are
looking for.

You can get an idea of where the bracket fits at
http://www.serialata.org/esata.asp - and it also gives you a good idea
what the sockets look like.