External Hard Drive Storage

[wilfredo]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I just bought a EZ Bus Desktop Storage and Backup Solution in order to back up everything on my hard drive to install a new upgraded internal hard drive in my computer. Now it seems I need a second external hard drive to store the back up software and files.

 

Question, if I go out and buy a second external hard drive (it needs to be empty and the one I have already has loads of photo files) how will I get the files and software back in the new internal hard drive once that is installed? Assuming all goes well?

 

Should I just break down and go buy a MAC????

 

Thanks,

Wilfredo

[Shootist]

Wilfredo take a look at Acronis True Image software.

I have been using it for about 3 or 4 year now to IMAGE all my hard drives on all my PC's.

If I have a hard drive failure or I replace a hard drive with a bigger one I use this program to load the image of my system on the new drive.

 

It has saved me many hours, if not days, when installing new drives.

 

I make a image of my main system about once every 2-3 weeks so I'm always fairly up to date if I have a HDD failure.

 

I also store a copy of all my important files, whether they arer photo images or quicken files (whatever), on at least one other computer, and usually 2 other computers. So my files are safe. What I use True Image for the most is to restore my system with OS and all my programs.

 

It has never failed me. I also use it when working on someone else's PC

[wilfredo]

Thanks Ed,

 

I believe I have cloned my internal hard drive to the external drive, it took about an hourt, but now what?

How do I proceed? I'm not a computer whiz. I'm afraid to remove the internal hard drive from the computer because I don't know how to transfer what I just cloned to the new external hard drive to the new internal hard drive I'm supposed to use to replace the old internal hard drive. Any help will be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Wilfredo

Benitez-Rivera Photography

[S. Wong]

normally, you would open the case, disconnect the old HD, connected the new HD, boot the computer, and...

 

1. if the new disk came with a hard drive copy utility, you can boot onto that, and use that to copy the data from the external to the internal

 

2. use the included software from the EZ Bus Desktop Storage and Backup Solution (I've never used it/heard of it)

 

3. set the computer to boot off of the external hard drive (in the bios, I don't know if Dell will let you do this), and use the copy software again, in reverse

 

If none of these options are avalible, you can try going to your hard drive manufacturer's website and download the proper utility

 

Seagate: Seagate Technology - DiscWizard

Western Digital:

Downloads

[lesh]

I just bought a EZ Bus Desktop Storage and Backup Solution in order to back up everything on my hard drive to install a new upgraded internal hard drive in my computer. Now it seems I need a second external hard drive to store the back up software and files.

 

Question, if I go out and buy a second external hard drive (it needs to be empty and the one I have already has loads of photo files) how will I get the files and software back in the new internal hard drive once that is installed? Assuming all goes well?

 

Should I just break down and go buy a MAC????

 

Thanks,

Wilfredo

 

Wilfredo,

 

Can't help you with a reliable answer to your problems in the PC world - but fwiw, let me mention what solutions you might have in the Mac world.

I have a program called Carbon Copy cloner which as the name implies simply clones hard drive contents onto a new hard drive. To automatically keep updating my LaCie back-up drive, I use Silverkeeper which came with the drive.

No doubt there are similar solutions in the PC world, but of course I think you should 'just break down and make the switch' to make your life easier.

(You are of course aware that like Leica owners, Mac users are unabashed evangelists for almost all things Apple.) Goos luck, hope you get a proper answer soon.

 

Les

 

 

 

 

.

[wilfredo]

Thanks Les and Steven.

 

Steven what you say makes sense. I'll give it a shot.

 

Eventually I will probably purchase a MAC.

 

Cheers,

Wilfredo

Benitez-Rivera Photography

[pat308]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Thanks Les and Steven.

Eventually I will probably purchase a MAC.

Benitez-Rivera Photography

 

Sounds like you have little experience of doing this kind of upgrade on your own. Take a look around and find somebody to help you with it. Even if you have to go to Fry's or Best Buy and use one their geek services, at least you will come out of it with a machine that works and all - well most - of your data in tact. You will be poorer but still.

 

I agree you should buy a mac. But it will not help you with the problem you have today. So buy it once you have you have upgraded your hard-drive and run your current machine and the mac in parallel, moving your "stuff" to the mac as you find the time. One day.. you will find you no longer use your other machine.

[wilfredo]

I wouldn't even know how to move stuff from the PC to the MAC but I guess that can be figured out later. I did open the computer but was not able to install the new hard drive. Looks like the new HD plugs don't match what's in the computer. I'm in over my head. I may have to call the GEEK squad on this one or probably just take it over to Fry's.

 

Wilfredo

[bernd_muc]

Looks like the new HD plugs don't match what's in the computer.

Sounds as if you bought a S(erial)ATA disk but your computer (probably) only has parallel ATA. Return the disk you haveand get the ATA version. Then, the plugs should fit. Parallel ATA has a 50 pin plug (2 rows à 25 pins) and a four pin power plug next to it. SATA disks have a flat connector (but still might have the 4 pin power plug - that depends on the manufacturer).

 

Bernd

 

P.S.: You'll get the data from your P'C to a Mac using a network cable - but that's another story

[wparsonsgisnet]

... You'll get the data from your P'C to a Mac using a network cable - but that's another story

 

Wilfredo, I don't want to spend your money, but if you are returning the drive to the store because you need ATA instead of SATA, you might still consider the external drive.

 

The external is more expensive but has several advantages:

1. If the computer dies, the disk can be plugged into the replacement computer and all the files are there.

2. If you go to a mac (or vice versa), the new computer can see the external disk immediately.

3. Nice for backup purposes, and helpful for offsite storage.

[Shootist]

Thanks Les and Steven.

 

Steven what you say makes sense. I'll give it a shot.

 

Eventually I will probably purchase a MAC.

 

Cheers,

Wilfredo

Benitez-Rivera Photography

 

MAC - Smac. Doesn't matter what OS/Brand/type (Mac or WinPC) you buy you'll always have to do this when changing out, or adding a new, system drive.

 

Or just install the new drive and then load the OS along with all your programs and your files.

 

You'd still have to do that on a Mac when changing out a drive.

 

Contact me off the board, through email. I have something for you.

[wilfredo]

I took the computer over to a tech who said it was the wrong Hard Drive (Thanks Dell) no wonder I couldn't install it. Before I purchased this piece I tried installing CS3 with the external hard drive connected to the computer but nothing happened, it seemed to only want to instrall on the internal drive.

 

WIlfredo

[gepetto]

Wilfredo it is not as complicated as it may seem. Dell made it more complicated if they sent you the wrong interface HD. Plus Dell must have charged you an arm and a leg for something you could have gotten at Best Buy or similar store for much less.

 

The simple route you can take is don't worry about moving the system software and applications to the new drive. The main problem you have been experiencing is the lack of disk space. Installing a second drive internally will alleviate this problem quickly. When you install the new drive (even the external one) XP either will recognize it straight away or you might have to format it which XP mostly likely would just ask do you want me to format this drive. Once installed or plugged in (USB2.0) the new drive will simply show up as an E drive or D drive etc. Once you can see this new drive it is as simple as copying over the data from the old to the new. You should do this in increments rather than all at once. After you have copied all your image files to the new drive which it sounds like you will have an extra copy on the external drive as well you can safely delete the files from the old drive to free up the space on the system disk. You can then do routine maintenance on the system drive to get it running better like defragmenting it etc. You should be able to install PSCS3 without any problems after that.

[wilfredo]

Thanks Gepetto, the hard drive is going back to Dell.

 

Cheers,

Wilfredo

[gepetto]

Your most welcome Wilfredo

 

I hope it is getting a little clearer for you. A good idea is to not put any data onto your system disk. Then you will not have to worry about your data getting corrupted by the system software if you are hit by a virus or such. With the external drive you have you should be able to get up and running better now by removing what is backed up onto it from the system disk. If you can back up to DVD or CD for save measure too.

 

What was the speed of the CPU that came with your 8200? Is it a Pentium 4? If it is a Celeron CPU you could replace it with a P4 which will essentially give you a new computer. The cost of the CPU would be around $80. A far cry than a new machine. My friend just did this. He was really surprised how much faster it made his machine.