New HDD - greater performance?

[Marc Nutty]

Hi,

The desktop I'm running Vista on only has a 40GB (3-4 year old) HDD in it.
I've already improved the RAM and Graphics Card and seens HDDs aren't all
that pricey now-a-days I'm thinking of buying a bigger one, like 160gb. I
will then be able to install both XP and Vista (Partitioned).

However, would a new hard drive quieten down my system it sounds like the
fan but I was wondering if the HDD can cause the processor to work more and
therefore work louder? lol.

Also, about the partitioning, is a 3rd party program the best? or can
windows do it for me? OR, when I install Vista,. can I choose to partition
the HDD then?

cheers,

 

[Beck]

Hi,

The desktop I'm running Vista on only has a 40GB (3-4 year old) HDD in it.
I've already improved the RAM and Graphics Card and seens HDDs aren't all
that pricey now-a-days I'm thinking of buying a bigger one, like 160gb. I
will then be able to install both XP and Vista (Partitioned).

However, would a new hard drive quieten down my system it sounds like the
fan but I was wondering if the HDD can cause the processor to work more
and therefore work louder? lol.

Also, about the partitioning, is a 3rd party program the best? or can
windows do it for me? OR, when I install Vista,. can I choose to partition
the HDD then?

I can answer the partitioning question for you.
You want to install XP first and get all the updates for that sorted before
Vista.
When you run the XP install you get to a setup screen where you are asked to
agree to the terms. It then asks where you wish to install and you should
have a blank space called "unpartitioned space". You will have the option
to create partitions. I think you press L to create. So press L to create
(or whatever button it is) and it will ask the size you wish to use for that
first partition. It will probably have entered all the space of the drive.
If you wish to use only half, delete those figures and put only half the
drive in - something like 80000 if you have a 160Gb drive.
So you create that partition and you also want another one. Do the process
again, create another partition and accept the remaining space. When back at
the page with both new drives listed, highlight the C drive (shoudl should
have [new/raw] beside them, highlight C and choose to install XP on that
partition. In formatting, select NTFS format. (dont worry about the D for
now). Proceed to install XP.
Once installed, ensure you have all the updates and service packs and
drivers available to you. Once that is all done, check "my computer" and
you should see also a D drive. At this moment it will be unformatted, so
right click the D drive and select format. This is just preparing it for
Vista and makes Vistas job easier. Once formatted it is ready.
When you are ready to install Vista, bung in the DVD in XP desktop. Click
on install and follow the prompts. Choose Custom Install and select the D
drive to install.
That is about it really. I hope all that made sense. I am not always ay
good at descriptions.

 

[John Barnes]

However, would a new hard drive quieten down my system it sounds like the
fan but I was wondering if the HDD can cause the processor to work more
and therefore work louder? lol.

Sorry, will not make your system quieter, unless you have a noisy HDD now
and buy one that is quiet.

Also, about the partitioning, is a 3rd party program the best? or can
windows do it for me? OR, when I install Vista,. can I choose to partition
the HDD then?

When you install XP first, set up the partition to the size you want for
that installation, don't let it default to the whole drive. Then use disk
management in XP to do any other partitioning you want with the free space.
Do not bother formatting the Vista partition, do that when you install Vista

 

[Mario Rosario]

I want to get one of those 750GB hard drive. Gawd help me if I ever loose
that drive.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

I assume you are looking at the Barracuda 7200.10. The perpendicular
writing means the capacity will quickly go above a TB or 2. The disc real
estate used is probably only about as much as 100GB on the 7200.9.

 

[Mario Rosario]

No, I mean the Seagate seven hundred and fifty gigabyte disk drive. Haven't
you heard?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Uh...Seagate makes the Barracuda line, Mario. The drive you are talking
about is a Seagate Barracuda 7200.10. It uses the new perpendicular
recording technology.

 

[Mario Rosario]

Yep that's the one. I got confused, sorry.

Uh...Seagate makes the Barracuda line, Mario. The drive you are talking
about is a Seagate Barracuda 7200.10. It uses the new perpendicular
recording technology.