replace hard drive in laptop with Vista

Hello,
I have a laptop running Vista Home Premium. It has a WD hard drive in it which is apparently faulty and needs to be replaced. I started the pc one day and got the message to run the startup repair program and when it was done there was result stating Bugcheck e3. Parameters = 0x929a0d48, 0x89ac9b08, 0x0, 0x2. After some research and such it was suggested by the microsoft answers site to test the hard drive.

I tested the hard drive with WD Lifeguard Diagnostics and it failed the first test. I did contact WD and they are the ones that stated it is faulty and needs to be replaced. It has a WD 250 GB 5400 RPM SATA hard drive Model Number: WDC WD2500BEVS-22UST0 which resulted in information on the WD Blue Scorpio Hard Drives (http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?level1=7&lang=en)

The laptop is just over 2 1/2 years old but it out of warranty and WD will not cover it under their 3 year warranty since it is an OEM drive and I did check with (the system maker) Gateway about replacing the drive under its warranty as they take over the responsibilty under their OEM license from WD. But I got nowhere with them.

Anyway, can anyone suggest a good hard drive to replace the one that is in the laptop now? It is a 250 GB hard drive but I still have 174GB of free space on partition 1 (174GB free of 220GB) and 5.76GB of free space on the recovery partition. So I really don't need to get a larger hard drive to replace this one.

I did create a clone of the hard drive using TODO - cloned to an external hard drive that was connected to the laptop via USB and the size of that hard drive was 120GB. I also created the EASUS WinPE Builder and WinPE Emergency Disk through the TODO software as well as the TODO Backup Bootable Vista Disk.

Also, once I get the new hard drive have I done everything that is required so that I can replace the failing drive with the new one and then copy the clone onto the new hard drive and my Vista Home Premium OS will be up and running?

Thanks so Very Much

 

I agree with you that another 250GB drive would meet your needs, based on what you've said about your old hard drive. Of course, many other sizes are available and may not vary much in price from a 250GB. You could choose one of many of the SATA 3.0Gb/s drives listed at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...007605 600003459&IsNodeId=1&name=SATA 3.0Gb/s. Since hard drive replacement is a definite need, not a choice due to your circumstances, you might consider this an opportunity to upgrade to a 7200rpm drive for a performance boost.

 

I should have mentioned I bought this one to replace the 80GB hard drive in my Compaq laptop: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...007605 600003459&IsNodeId=1&name=SATA 3.0Gb/s

 

Thanks for the suggestions. It is very much appreciated.

I have done some looking and have seen some with the same RPM listed but others with a higher RPM and I am not sure about the cache either. Just when looking at those at WD the information for the Scorpio Blue drives state Interface – SATA 3Gb/s ; SATA 1.5Gb/s and PATA 100MB/s. I just mention the WD Scorpio Blue since I had already been at the WD site to find out the problem with the hard drive that it installed in the laptop now. Is there anything specifically that I need to be sure to get or avoid when getting the replacement hard drive for this laptop? I do realize that it has to be a SATA Hard Drive and I am fairly certain that it has to be the 2.5” as well but as far as the RPM’s ; Cache or Interface (I’m guessing that Cache and Interface are the same thing).

So from what you are saying going with one with the higher RPM will not hurt or cause any problems. But what about the Cache / Interface? Should I stay with the 3Gb/s or would it be better to go higher with that as well?

In regards to checking with a local computer repair shop in the area for a used one - there really aren't any that I am aware of. We live in the middle of (well pretty much nowhere) farmland and there is nothing really nearby so that isn't an option. But thanks for the suggestion.

One other question (if you don't mind) I did create a clone of the hard drive using TODO - cloned to an external hard drive that was connected to the laptop via USB and the size of that hard drive was 120GB. I also created the EASUS WinPE Builder and WinPE Emergency Disk through the TODO software as well as the TODO Backup Bootable Vista Disk.

Also, once I get the new hard drive have I done everything that is required so that I can simply replace the failing drive with the new one and then copy the clone (copied onto an external hard drive via usb port) onto the new hard drive and my Vista Home Premium OS will be up and running?

I ask since when doing some research about doing this I came across posts from folks who had problems with getting Vista up and running again and I just want to make sure I have covered all bases before hand.

Again Thanks for the help.

 

I see I apparently posted the wrong link in my last post. I intended to post http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136279; I thought I had posted that URL; perhaps newegg.com is redirecting my post.

Yes, your hard drive must be SATA and all laptops use a 2.5" hard drive.

No, Interface means IDE or SATA. Again, you need a SATA drive, and a drive rated at 3.0Gb/s is the right choice for your computer; I don't believe your computer can take advantage of the newer 6.0GB drives.

Cache is memory that's part of the hard drive as opposed to the RAM in your computer. The trend in modern hard drives, for years now, has been moving toward higher amounts of cache on the hard drive. Your computer could use a hard drive with 8MB, 16MB, or more cache. More cache can improve performance. The drive I have (the one I posted here) has 16MB.

Well, the higher RPM drives might be just slightly more prone to defects in new drives, although I have not statistics on this. When I bought my new hard drive (my old drive was 5400 rpm), it had a noticeable vibration - I could feel it just by touching the laptop above or near the location of the hard drive - and was noisy compared to the old one. I returned it to newegg.com and got a replacement, which has worked fine. Regardless of what drive you buy, pay close attention to it during the first few weeks. If you notice any abnormal noise or vibration that seems abnormal, return it. The return process with Newegg.com generally keeps their customers satisfied.

IF you did this while the old drive was still functioning well enough to clone it, then you should have no problem restoring your OS to the new drive. You seem to have successfully completed the steps you needed to take to restore your drive image to a new drive. So, yes, Vista Home Premium OS should be up and running once you do this. If, for some reason, you are not able to restore your system from the drive image you created, you can probably get a recovery disc from the manufacturer for a small fee.

If you've never changed a hard drive in a laptop before, I suggest you search for some videos or written references on the Internet and post back here if you have questions. Caution should be taken to avoid static electricity discharge.

 

Actually the first link that you gave me does take me to the hard drives that will work in this laptop. The difference is that the first link take me to a list of hard drives sorted by best rating but thanks for the 2nd link with the specific hard drive - It is Greatly Appreciated.

The information on the different types of cache as well as the RPM information will be of great help too. Great to know about the possibility of the higher RPM causing some vibrations and to watch out for it as well as the Newegg.com return policy. I was starting to look at the ones with the higher RPM and will keep that information in mind.

I did do the cloning of the hard drive the day after WD got back to me and said that the drive will need to be replaced. Actually, the computer is still working just fine --- other than when I go to open up a folder it is taking a little longer than it use to. So it looks like I am already to go once I get the new hard drive. I will also do some searching for some videos and written reference about replacing the hard drive before hand.

I have been inside of a desktop and am aware of the static electricity discharge problem - but that is one thing that it can't hurt to be reminded of.

I did notice that most of the hard drives state "Bare Drive" so I am guessing - from what I have come across so far that means that it does not include the hard drive caddy / tray / case and I thinking that it may not include cables but I shouldn't need the cables and I can just reuse the tray / caddy that the current hard drive is screwed into. And the ones that state retail include those items. I'm guessing that the bare will not include the software either - but couldn't I get that directly from the manufacturers website. Am I correct about all of this?

Again,

Thank You So Very Much for the Assistance (and putting up with my stupid questions)

 

Yes, you are correct about all of that. As far as software is concerned, you shouldn't need any from the manufacturer since you've used EASEUS ToDo to clone your drive and create the rescue disks.

When I installed my new drive, I downloaded Acronis TrueImage WD Free edition from WD's website and installed it on my old hard drive. I put the new hard drive in a USB external enclosure, cloned the old drive to the new one, shutdown the computer, removed the old drive, removed the new drive from the external enclosure, installed the new drive in the computer, and was up and running.

 

I do have acronis true image home 2009 on the laptop - that is what I use for my backups. Should I have used that to clone the hard drive instead of TODO?

You mentioned that you you installed your new drive, you downloaded Acronis TrueImage WD Free edition from WD's website and installed it on my old hard drive. I put the new hard drive in a USB external enclosure, cloned the old drive to the new one, shutdown the computer, removed the old drive, removed the new drive from the external enclosure, installed the new drive in the computer, and was up and running.

Should I be getting an external enclosure as well and then put the the new one into that as well, then clone the failing hard drive to the new one, shut down the computer, remove the failing drive and install the new drive into the computer instead of what I was going to do? or would that only be if I am just replacing the hard drive with a larger one?

With what I done so far I am guessing that once I have installed the new hard drive I would connect the external with the cloned copy of the drive (via the usb port) and copy it onto the new hard drive. I also made the TODO backup bootable vista disk and the WinPE Builder disk as well.


I do have one other question regarding the speed of the hard drive. I know that in an automobile the higher the RPM the hotter it (car/engine) will run. Does that also apply with the internal hard drives and is that something to be concerned about?
I just want to make sure about that since I often read that you need to make sure to keep the area open / unblocked so that it will not block the fan from keeping the laptop fan working properly.

Again, Thanks for all your help and patience with me.

 

Yes, I believe that will work just fine for you. So, you won't need the Acronis software from WD.

Regarding your temperature question, temperature is another reason, in addition to abnormal vibration and noise, to observe a new drive closely for awhile. But, a 7200 rpm drive may run slightly hotter but should not run substantially hotter than a 5400 rpm drive. You might install software such as http://majorgeeks.com/HWMonitor_d5842.html which will give you some helpful temperature readings.

Quite true, regardless of the hard drive speed.

 

Again, Thank You So Very Much for ALL your help.

I do make sure to keep the air vents cleared and clean on the laptop and to never block them. I also keep the laptop on a little laptop stand that allows the air to flow freely underneath it and I also have one with a couple of little fans on it too to help with ventilation. I have never laid it on my lap to use it and very shortly after getting it I purchased the little feet to keep more air flowing underneath it instead of having it just sitting on a desk, table or whatever.

After the new hard drive is installed I will definitely download and install that software to keep an eye on the temperature. I will also observe the drive closely for any abnormal vibrations or noises too! Do you happen to know where I can find information on what temperature the pc should be running at so that I will know if there is a problem?

I was looking at the hard drive you suggested and I think that I will be going with that one or the same thing except in the 320GB size (I really don't need the extra space but for just $10 more I would be getting 120GB more of space) Out of curiosity; what is meant by Average Seek Time? I noticed that the 250GB drive does not have any information on that but the 320GB drive states an Average Seek Time of 12ms.

initially I wasn't going to install another WD hard drive into the laptop since this one didn't even last 3 years (and I am extremely careful with it) and the desktop which is 10 years old has a Seagate HD which is the original HD for that pc and so far it has been working just fine. But WD is highly recommended and no matter what brand you get there will always be a problem here or there.

 

Just an update --- I placed an order this morning for the 250 GB that you had given me the link to and as of about 1PM this afternoon (Easter) it was on its way to me! And it is being shipped from Edison NJ which isn't too far from where I am located so it may even be here by Saturday!

Again, Thank you so Very Very Much!!!!

 

replaced hard drive in laptop (now need to install) Vista

Hello Again!

I received the new hard drive just a couple of hours ago and have replaced the faulty drive with the new WD hard drive. I followed the instructions for replacing the hard drive which were in the hardware reference guide on the pc (copied them to a flash and then followed them on an old desktop).

After the new hard drive is installed it states to turn on the pc, open the dvd drive and insert the Windows DVD, close the drive and restart the pc. The only Windows DVD I received with the laptop is one titled Windows Vista Home Premium 32-Bit with SP1 Operating System Disk. I also received a set of Gateway Applications, Drivers and Operating System Restore DVD's and I did make the Drivers and Applications Recovery Disc shortly after getting the laptop about 2 1/2 years ago. (this disc is something that the instructions in the Hardware Reference Guide also said to make to sure have when replacing a hard drive).

Anyway, I put the Windows Vista Home Premium 32-Bit with SP! operating system disc into the drive, closed it and restarted the pc. I now have a window with the following options:
Windows Vista - install now
What to know before installing windows
Repair your computer.

Am I supposed to be selecting the install now option or should I be using the cloned copy that I made of the faulty drive (it is on and external 100GB hard drive which I would connect via usb port)?

I don't want to do the wrong thing so any assistance would be Greatly Appreciated.

 

Re: replaced hard drive in laptop (now need to install) Vista

Also - just a reminder the original hard drive had a partition labeled recovery and the rest of the hard drive was listed as the C drive and I did make the clone of the original hard drive using the TODO program. I did look at the user guide but didn't see any specific information about how to use the clone of the hard drive that I made (but I could very easily be missing it).