tin_kupp
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Upgrade hard drive on Dell XPS M140 Laptop with MediaDirect
Once again I find myself attempting the impossible: Upgrading a hard drive in a Dell laptop with Media Direct (MD). Why this is so difficult I'm not sure, but having tried a few times unsuccessfully, I've decided to return to EE for advice.
My situation: I've got a Dell XPS M140 running Win XP. The old hard drive works, but is running out of room. It is a Fujitsu MHV2100AH (100 GB ATA-100). I'm attempting to replace it with a Western Digital Scorpio WD1600BEVE 160GB HD.
I've borrowed a Media Direct Installation disk for Version 3, which is newer than the MD version that came with my system. After reading a similar question, I'm not sure MD3 will work on my M140.
To transfer the image of my old drive over, I'm using the Apricorn EZ Upgrade external enclosure (USB-2). About 5 months ago I tried this same thing, without having any idea how hard it would be to use the EZ upgrade with the Dell. In doing so I made the new HD the same size as the old one. I know there are software tools available to change the size back to 160, but I've forgotten how.
Can anyone offer me a step-by-step process I can use to:
1. return my WD drive to 160 GB
2. Copy my current HD
3. Install MD3 on the new drive
4. put the old image on my new HD
Those are the steps I'm looking for, but it has been a long time since I've tried this and I'd like some assistance in getting the specifics in place before I start. I would appreciate some good direction from someone who has experience in this if possible. Thank you in advance for your help!
My situation: I've got a Dell XPS M140 running Win XP. The old hard drive works, but is running out of room. It is a Fujitsu MHV2100AH (100 GB ATA-100). I'm attempting to replace it with a Western Digital Scorpio WD1600BEVE 160GB HD.
I've borrowed a Media Direct Installation disk for Version 3, which is newer than the MD version that came with my system. After reading a similar question, I'm not sure MD3 will work on my M140.
To transfer the image of my old drive over, I'm using the Apricorn EZ Upgrade external enclosure (USB-2). About 5 months ago I tried this same thing, without having any idea how hard it would be to use the EZ upgrade with the Dell. In doing so I made the new HD the same size as the old one. I know there are software tools available to change the size back to 160, but I've forgotten how.
Can anyone offer me a step-by-step process I can use to:
1. return my WD drive to 160 GB
2. Copy my current HD
3. Install MD3 on the new drive
4. put the old image on my new HD
Those are the steps I'm looking for, but it has been a long time since I've tried this and I'd like some assistance in getting the specifics in place before I start. I would appreciate some good direction from someone who has experience in this if possible. Thank you in advance for your help!
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ASKER
garycase,
Thanks much for your long post. I'm going to take a day or two and test this out. I'll do as you asked with DBAN, and I'll let you know. As for cloning the 1st and 2nd partitions, putting them on the new drive, and THEN installing MD3, it sounds a little backwards from what I've read, but I'll trust in your understanding of the new MD3 and I'll test it out on my older M140. Wish me luck and I'll be back in the near future with the results.
Steve
Thanks much for your long post. I'm going to take a day or two and test this out. I'll do as you asked with DBAN, and I'll let you know. As for cloning the 1st and 2nd partitions, putting them on the new drive, and THEN installing MD3, it sounds a little backwards from what I've read, but I'll trust in your understanding of the new MD3 and I'll test it out on my older M140. Wish me luck and I'll be back in the near future with the results.
Steve
You do have to be sure and leave enough unallocated space on the drive for Media Direct. I'm not sure exactly what the requirements are ... I'd expect perhaps 2GB is plenty.
ASKER
Gary,
First of all, thanks again for your long post and for reminding me to keep enough unallocated space on the new drive for Media Direct.
Unfortunately, I confess to being retarded.
I can't get my WD 160GB to go back to 160GB. I have the laptop HDD in an enclosure from apricorn, with a USB2 connector. However, I can't find any software to restore the drive to its original 160 GB. I've tried HDD Capacity Restore, however, it is only looking at drives connected to the desktop computer via the Primary and Secondary bus - not looking at the HDD attached to the compuer by USB. Do you know of a piece of software that can help me restore from USB? Otherwise I'll have to go online and by one of those cheap Hardware connectors to make the laptop HDD fit into the Desktop so the computer recognizes it upon boot. Not a step I really want to do if there is software out there that will do the same to an external drive.
I think this is enough of a problem in itself to create a new question out of it, what do you think?
First of all, thanks again for your long post and for reminding me to keep enough unallocated space on the new drive for Media Direct.
Unfortunately, I confess to being retarded.
I can't get my WD 160GB to go back to 160GB. I have the laptop HDD in an enclosure from apricorn, with a USB2 connector. However, I can't find any software to restore the drive to its original 160 GB. I've tried HDD Capacity Restore, however, it is only looking at drives connected to the desktop computer via the Primary and Secondary bus - not looking at the HDD attached to the compuer by USB. Do you know of a piece of software that can help me restore from USB? Otherwise I'll have to go online and by one of those cheap Hardware connectors to make the laptop HDD fit into the Desktop so the computer recognizes it upon boot. Not a step I really want to do if there is software out there that will do the same to an external drive.
I think this is enough of a problem in itself to create a new question out of it, what do you think?
According to the web site, the HDD Capacity Restore will work with a USB drive if you use ASPI drivers. I do NOT know if the Adaptec ASPI drivers will work for this, but they're worth a try (there are several other ASPI drivers on this same link you could also try): http://driverbyte.com/adaptec-aspi-driver_download/
... If they don't work, then I agree you'll need to connect the drive directly to an internal port, using an adapter similar to this: http://insidecomputer.stores.yahoo.net/la2tode3hadr.html
... If they don't work, then I agree you'll need to connect the drive directly to an internal port, using an adapter similar to this: http://insidecomputer.stores.yahoo.net/la2tode3hadr.html
Steve,
Did you get the capacity restored okay? I think it's clear you know WHAT the issue is (from my detailed description of the HPA); but without further feedback I don't know if you've actually resolved it. Once you get the size restored properly, it should be (or should have been if you've already done it) very straightforward to image/restore the OS -- just be sure you don't restore the HPA-protected Media Direct part.
Did you get the capacity restored okay? I think it's clear you know WHAT the issue is (from my detailed description of the HPA); but without further feedback I don't know if you've actually resolved it. Once you get the size restored properly, it should be (or should have been if you've already done it) very straightforward to image/restore the OS -- just be sure you don't restore the HPA-protected Media Direct part.
http://www.apricorn.com/pdf_product_manuals/New_EZ_Up_Manual.pdf