HDD Swap: Seagate 500GB 7200 RPM

Hey whats up folks? I just saw that Newegg got these 500GB 7200 RPM Seagate Monentus drives in. They have great reviews so far. I am going to get this HDD and install it in the next cpl weeks.

Just like any geek, we upgrade, something new arrives then we upgrade again. We are never satisfied. :mrgreen: :ugeek:

I Upgraded/Added/Installed:

* RAM to 1.5GB
* Garmin GPS
* Bluetooth
* Slingbox Software
* XM Radio online
* Hulu.com (free tv) it's awesome
* Installed all my software on my 160GB and have 4GB left (loaded down HDD with games, and movies!)
* AAO protection sleeve: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JBBCRO/ref ... nkCode=asn
* All games
* 50 Movies

Future plans:
* touchscreen kit
* 6-cell and internal BT
* 30GB SDHC left slot
* 30GB SDHC Right slot

Then maybe call it done. :mrgreen:

The question I have is this: I dont want to reinstall everything. What is the best way to copy the old drive to the new drive? Sometimes you can get luck and copy/paste, but do you think I should try that first, or disk image?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822148374

You cant beat it for $140.00

Now I'm figuring how to get a usb tv tuner stick into the empty bay on the bottom (in case my phone dies nd I cant use i t to connect to the AAO for an internet connection to watch my Slingbox or Hulu.com)

 

always use imaging software to move an installation of an OS to another drive. Use whatever you feel comfortable with. Some like Acronis. I still use GHOST from bootable USB key, and clone through USB to the other instlalled drive.

 

Ok, walk me through this. I have a 2.5" hdd external case. So I take out the hdd in my AAO, put it in the ext. case, plug it into another computer that has acronis or ghost on it. I have a maxtor 1tb ext hdd hooked up to my main laptop. Ghost or acronis will 'ghost' mu aao drive, then put it on the ext drive. take out my aao drive of the ext case put the new 500gb in then Ghost or Acronis "copies" it over to the new drive, then just reinstall the new drive back int the aao then boot up and wallah?

I've done alot of geeky crap: building pc's, upgrading laptops, pc's, software t/s, but never ghosted a drive. Kinda like making a .ISO eh? takes a "snapshot" of the way the drive looks?

Thanks 4 your time :mrgreen:

 

No, you can go directly from the drive that used to be in the AAO (now in the external ccase) to the new 500GB 7200.4 drive. I boot to a Windows PE environment using a usb key and load up Ghost 11.

If you do it using an image, then yes, it's a complete snapshot of the drive as it was when you created the image, all inclusive.

 

Thanks for the reply so quick. So if I understand, put my current 160GB in the ext case, plug it in the usb port. Then put the new 500GB hdd in a ext case by its self then plug it in (usb) then load up the software?

And is this acronis program installed on a thumb drive and booted directly from that?

Can I do this with the free trial version on thhe website? or is it limited to size or by how many days you can use it?

 

No, no need to put the 500 in an external case. here are the steps needed.

1. remove the internal 160 and place into an external usb case
2. install new 500 into the aao
3. plug the 160(which is external now) into usb
3. plug into usb an imaging solution such as acronis, ghost, whatever.....
4. boot machine and boot into the imaging app
5. image the 160 (which is in the external usb case) onto the 500 (which is now installed inside the aao)
6. after imaging is done, exit app and shut down aao
7. remove the usb imaging app and the 160 from the usb ports
8. turn on machine now, noting that only the 500 inside the aao is the only hard drive in play here.
8. the machine should now boot using the 500 that is now installed internally with the "imaged" os/apps that were on the 160.
9. enjoy.

 

Man your awesome I got it - minus one thing.

When you say "boot the machine into the app", if i install the app (acronis/ghost) on my 160 b4 i take it out... when you run the program does it give you some special option to 'install' it to a usb drive so it can run from the usb drive when the computer starts for drive cloning lke a dos app or something?

I guess I'm asking is how do you install it to the drive? From the initial starting of the software and most appz ask what drive you want to install the program to (drive letter etc) or is this something while the program is already running on your computer?

Other than this, its so simple I will order that drive soon.

Cheers

 

I always prefer to not connect the new drive to the OS that will eventually get imaged onto it. I've had times where it won't boot properly again without doing a repair as Windows has previously assigned a drive letter to it and it won't be C:\ even after the process.

I would create the USB boot environment, and use that environment to do the copy over.

 

This is probably a stupid question, but,

Would it be possible to use Acronis True Image (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/pr ... trueimage/) to backup the Acer HDD onto an external HDD, take out the 120GB, install the 500GB and then just restore using Acronis?

1) Use Acronis True Image to backup my 160GB Acer HDD (it has about 40GB of space used) onto an external Maxtor one touch HDD

2) Take apart the Acer, remove the 160GB, replace with a new Seagate 500GB

3) Use the Maxtor to boot the Acer and just use the backup image on the new 500GB?

Anything I'm missing? I have never done anything like this before so thanks for the help.

Thx

 

This drive is "deactivated" already? According to NewEgg this means it's either out of stock and they're looking for a new supplier or it's discontinued.

 

Check out:

http://www.compusa.com/applications/Sea ... CatId=2682

$129

Mine is enroute.

 

haha DANG IT
"THIS ITEM IS CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE"

 

I know this is a slight dig, and possibly to late... but....


if you access to a desktop with sata. as long as you have the 500 out, and you have to remove the 160gig. you just pop both of those drives into your desktop and ghost them from 1 drive to the other using the faster sata of the desktop.

it would you save about 10+ hours of your time waiting for the clone/ghost to run over USB

Otherwise the simplest would be to put the 160 into the external casee. install your new 250 in the netbook, boot to thumb drive with ghost on it, start the clone and go find some other way to entertain yourself for a few hours.

it took me 1hour 35 min to ghost almost 10 gigs from my aspire to a 16gig thumbdrive. 45 min to an external 3.5" USB 2.0 external and 10 min in a pc. 2.5" sata to 2.5 sata.

all the same data. the 10 gig factory image of a brand new 10.2 aspire one (both partitions). with compression at fast with ghost 11.

I ghosted mine before I ever turned it on.