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Well, my hard drive seems to be irevocably f**ked up, not only my defragmentation showed a lotsa damaged areas, but I see that it started spinning really slow, sometimes hardly moving at all.
If I get an external hard drive and load an Operation System in it, would I be able to run a comp on it?
Tnx.
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Getting an external solution would not be the best choice. I'm sure you could get an external hd and install windows on it, and run it off of that, but not without some major customizing.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt that "boot other devices" supports a USB/Firewire external hard drive bootup natively. I imagine something like having to have a custom boot disk to detect the usb hard drive, and do other crap just to have the comp recognize the OS is actually on the USB drive and not some internal hard drive. I've never done this before but it sounds like it would be more trouble than it's worth.
Just go ahead and get an internal one for a LOT less than an external drive and save yourself a lot of trouble.
-1998.5 Contour SE V6 ATX.
PM me to tell me of a welder that can craft me a modified Y pipe in the Los Angeles area! OR I may be willing to buy a 3 flange modified Y.
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Tnx. However... with internal HD I'll have to disassemble the entire thing and to install the new HD again, I guess it's just a coupla of connectors but I am not sure... Anyone?
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Originally posted by RGSOUNDF:
Tnx. However... with internal HD I'll have to disassemble the entire thing and to install the new HD again, I guess it's just a coupla of connectors but I am not sure... Anyone?
It could be done in no more than 10 minutes.
1) Open up the left side of the case (panel) by removing the 2 screws/etc.
2) Locate the hard drive and pull the 2 connectors [the power supply connector (pull from the plastic base so you don't pull out the wires)] and the IDE cable (the long plastic connector with the long thin cable)
You should now just have it sitting there...
3) Unscrew the 2 - 4 screws that are connected to the frame and pull it out
note: you may have to remove the RAM to get it out if your case is designed poorly.
After you have it out, take note of the jumper pins on the drive.. it would be labeled as either "master", "slave" or "cable select". It sounds like you have one hard drive so it would be the master..
After buying the new drive make sure to set the jumper correctly to master. The jumper layout label is on the hard drive itself because it differs from model to model.
Oh, and of course.. be gentle!
Lemme know if I've confused you or you need a better explanation.
-1998.5 Contour SE V6 ATX.
PM me to tell me of a welder that can craft me a modified Y pipe in the Los Angeles area! OR I may be willing to buy a 3 flange modified Y.
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Oh , and if you buy a non OEM brand hard drive, don't install their software.. it's useless.
-1998.5 Contour SE V6 ATX.
PM me to tell me of a welder that can craft me a modified Y pipe in the Los Angeles area! OR I may be willing to buy a 3 flange modified Y.
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If you go with the new internal(cheaper route) you also might be able to recover some of your files from your old drive. Load the new drive with the operating system and configure the old drive as a slave after the OS is loaded. This works sometimes because it's alot less stressful for the damaged drive if it doesn't have to start the computer and run the OS and all the other background junk. It's easier than it sounds so give it a shot!
99 Contour Sport SE MTX
KKM filter, B&M shifter
No res, BAT kit
Green car silver hood (because silver is faster)
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Thanks.
I got 2 HDs, C is 34.53 GB and D, which is called for system_sav is 2.72 GB. Can I just configure D as "master" and C as a "slave"?
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Originally posted by RGSOUNDF:
Thanks.
I got 2 HDs, C is 34.53 GB and D, which is called for system_sav is 2.72 GB. Can I just configure D as "master" and C as a "slave"?
No you don't. You have two partitions on the old HD - makes the OS think there are really two drives present. Likely set up that way by HP/Compaq/other HP reseller that the PC was purchased from OEM. Gf's PC is like that. It is done so they don't have to send full CDs of software, just their little BS restore disk. The stuff on the D: partition is the full backup data.
Are you sure you will be able to install your OS on the new disk with a setup such as that? I hear it is a real PIA (or not possible, but I forget). What do you have as far as software disks for installing everything anew on the replacement HD.
When you put the new one in, just format it like one big drive and you'll never see drive D again.
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Phoenix has a feature in their bios to boot from usb devices and such. Problem is it's terribly slow, and you have to manually choose to boot from it every time. Originally posted by RGSOUNDF:
Well, my hard drive seems to be irevocably f**ked up, not only my defragmentation showed a lotsa damaged areas, but I see that it started spinning really slow, sometimes hardly moving at all.
If I get an external hard drive and load an Operation System in it, would I be able to run a comp on it?
Tnx.
1999 Silver Frost SVT
#609 of 2760
Quaife, lightened SVT Flywheel, SPEC stage II clutch, removed resonator, k&n drop in - various other goodies too.
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Originally posted by PA 3L SVT:
Originally posted by RGSOUNDF:
Thanks.
I got 2 HDs, C is 34.53 GB and D, which is called for system_sav is 2.72 GB. Can I just configure D as "master" and C as a "slave"?
No you don't. You have two partitions on the old HD - makes the OS think there are really two drives present. Likely set up that way by HP/Compaq/other HP reseller that the PC was purchased from OEM. Gf's PC is like that. It is done so they don't have to send full CDs of software, just their little BS restore disk. The stuff on the D: partition is the full backup data.
Are you sure you will be able to install your OS on the new disk with a setup such as that? I hear it is a real PIA (or not possible, but I forget). What do you have as far as software disks for installing everything anew on the replacement HD.
When you put the new one in, just format it like one big drive and you'll never see drive D again.
Yup, it's Compaq. As far as the OS software goes I can't recall/find anything from 'em right now, but proly it's still around.
So, Comp Wizzard CEGers  - put in humane language - should I just buy a new internal HD, install it and be sure that there's a proper OS software available?
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