NEWBIE HELP !! External HD as Internal?

[berggrenfan]

hi Im a Newbie with a problem
I have a Dell Dimension 3000 desktop PC
Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.80GHz 2.79GHz
1GB Ram
80 GB Hard Drive
Windows Vista home premium

and

I have a Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
250GB Hard Drive External
ST3250820A
that was an external drive..
but i want it as an internal one..
is it possible?
and is there Instructions on how to do so?

i am completely new at this computer stuff
pleas help me

thanks

Anne

 

[mello_newf]

most external hard drives are just regular drives in a casing you should be able to remove the casing and find a normal drive inside then you can just pop it into your computer.

You don't really need instructions just unscrew all the screws (some may be hidden under stickers.)

 

[Namslas90]

hi Im a Newbie with a problem
I have a Dell Dimension 3000 desktop PC
Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.80GHz 2.79GHz
1GB Ram
80 GB Hard Drive
Windows Vista home premium

and

I have a Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
250GB Hard Drive External
ST3250820A
that was an external drive..
but i want it as an internal one..
is it possible?
and is there Instructions on how to do so?

i am completely new at this computer stuff
pleas help me

thanks

Anne

For starters can you get the drive out of the external enclosure? If so than just mount it inside, connect power, and data cable, check jumpers on back for proper selection.
See link here for more information;

http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...7f53d010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD&locale=en-US

click support tab for instructions on how to connect.

 

[berggrenfan]

yes it is now out of the case..... do i use the same ribbon like connector and other connector to hook up to the pc or do i need to buy new ones? and do i need screws? and what size?

and what are jumpers on the back ?

 

[mello_newf]

use the same cable. If you don't have mounting brackets for your hard drives you need screws just look at the ones holding your other drive in place.

 

[suraswami]

Open up ur pc. Tell us what type of cable is connected to the existing hard drive in the machine. Is it the thin one or the flat and wide one?

Or just download crystal mark software from here
http://crystalmark.info/download/index-e.html#CrystalMark2004R2

Unzip and run the crystalmark09.exe. Go to the Disk tab. It will tell you what kind of drive u have.

Or you can get the same information from the system information. Don't know where it is in Vista.

 

[Namslas90]

and what are jumpers on the back ?

Go here;

http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...e=en-US&reqPage=Support&supportReqTab=Install

 

[berggrenfan]

ok but im gonna keep the other drive in too... so would the new drive be a slave?

 

[suraswami]

yes

 

[berggrenfan]

ok here it is

Model WDC WD800BB-75JHC0
Interface IDE Revision 06.01C06
ATA/AtAPI-6
Current Mode Ultra DMA/100
Max Mode Ultra DMA/100

 

[Mediocre]

Set the jumpers on both drives to CS (cable select). That will get rid of any issues now, and in the future. CS setting lets the hard drive decide if its master/slave depending on where it is connected to the cable.

OR you can take the EXISTING hard drive, remove it, make sure its jumped for master, then take your 'new' drive and jump for slave. Problem is, you could just set them both for CS and changing out drives in the future is a no brainer.

Good Luck

 

[berggrenfan]

ok thanks.. do i need any software to install it?? or just boot up when im done

 

[suraswami]

just boot up.

 

[berggrenfan]

the yellow, black and red cable in the white plug look different... can i just take out my old hd and use the existing cables?? how do i unhook the cables

 

[berggrenfan]

ok i gothe the ribon conector hooked up.. but th other one i cant get off of the old drive... does it just pull out?

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

ok i gothe the ribon conector hooked up.. but th other one i cant get off of the old drive... does it just pull out?

Yes, both pull straight out.

The wire with the yellow cable, will be the power cord. you will need one plugged into both hard drives for power.

 

[berggrenfan]

ok... i just replaced the hard drive.. since it is the only HD now.. should it be master?

 

[zCexVe]

yep.Just shake and pull.It will loosen up and come out.And its called a Molex power connector.There should be 2 or 3 free conn. in your PC .Use one.Chk whether the other end of that ribbon cable(IDE cable) is connected to another optical/HD drive.If connected their is a small jumper on that drive.Note where it is.Master(MA)/slave(SLA) or cable select(CS).If its ur primary HD , set it to MA in primary HD and SLA in your external HD which is now goin to be an internal.If that Drive hav SLA set your HD to MA.If its CS pls set itto SLA or MA and viceversa for your pluging HD.

 

[zCexVe]

ok... i just replaced the hard drive.. since it is the only HD now.. should it be master?

yep.

 

[berggrenfan]

ok... since windows was installed on my other hard drive which i took out.. i will have to fresh install it on the new hd... is there a way to do that without erasing the data that is on it? and since there is no operating system on it how can i tell if the drive is working properly?

 

[zCexVe]

Yes,but u need enough space ona partition in that drive to install any OS.for example I f you gonna install XP u need a partition with about 2.1GB to install.But u need some more space to put the softwares.

 

[berggrenfan]

ok after i turn it on how do i know if the drive is working properly?

 

[berggrenfan]

ok it says hard disk not installed! now what do i do

 

[mello_newf]

I would just keep the old drive with xp on it and use the other one for data storage and set it as the slave. Is it saying no drive installed when you try and install xp?

 

[berggrenfan]

yes.. i took the other drive out.. i only have the new one in there.. i says its not installed