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Installing and Configuring Your
New Hard
Drive
In
our last
article, I talked about hard drive (HD) upgrading strategies. Now that
you've decided to take the big step, here's a do-it-yourself guide that will
help you install and configure a new drive. Of course, if you're really
technologically inept (as in "I have trouble resetting the clock in my car when
it's time to switch to or from daylight-savings time."), perhaps you'd better
get some help.
Unless your computer is relatively new (less than a
year old), it probably does not support the fast ATA-66 data transfer
specification, which means if you want to take advantage of your new drive's
high-speed data transfer capability, you'll also need an ATA-66 controller
card. You can purchase one of these on-line at
http://www.beyond.com for just
$27.00. If you just want the bigger drive and don't care about the additional
speed capability, you won't need the card. My recommendation is to get the card
because it's not only inexpensive, but will definitely improve your computer's
performance.
Now you must decide if you're going to replace your
existing drive with the new one or keep it as a supplementary or back-up drive.
Regardless of which of the above you decide upon, you must now make a
second decision:
- I want my computer to operate just as it did before. If you're
happy (and your computer is also) with the way everything is working at
present, then go with this option.
- I want to install a new operating system (or reinstall the
existing one). This option will require that you not only install an operating
system, but also reinstall all of your existing software programs. If you have
data files on your old drive (including your email addresses, browser
bookmarks, etc.) which you want to move to your new drive, you'll need to
transfer them to another media such as a tape, zip-disk, CD-R, etc. (or keep
your old drive at least temporarily connected as mentioned below). This is
obviously the more complicated and lengthy choice, but now is the time to make
it if you want or need to do so.
If you have nothing on your old
drive you want to transfer to your new one, and you're not keeping the old one
for a backup, remove the old drive or just leave it and disconnect the data and
power cables. If you will be keeping your old drive or you want to transfer the
entire contents of it or any portion thereof to your new one, keep your old
drive connected to the computer (at least until you have transferred the system
or files you want or need).
Remember, you cannot move a software
application from one drive (or partition) to another by simply transferring the
folder containing it. When you install software, certain files are also created
in various areas of your Window folder. You can transfer software between
drives or drive partitions, however, by using a utility such as Powerquest's
Partition Magic or Drive Copy, or with Norton's Cleansweep.
Clean the
inside of your computer first. Unless you have a vacuum cleaner that allows you
to plug the hose into outlet port, have a can of compressed air handy because
the inside of your computer is probably full of dust and cobwebs (no
kidding...I've found spiders inside!).
To avoid risk of electronically
damaging anything inside, always make sure you first touch the metal frame of
the case before you touch anything inside. By doing this, if your body does
have any static electricity to discharge, it will be done to the case and not
to one of the sensitive chips in the computer. If you want a true ground
connection between your body and the computer, purchase what is called a
"grounding strap" which attaches around your wrist with Velcro and to the frame
of the case with an alligator clip.
Remove the cover(s) from your
computer, take it outside and blow it out thoroughly. Make sure you direct
airflow into the power-supply box from both the fan-side (the 3"-4" round hole
generally right next to where you plug in the power cord) and the louvers on
the opposite side, also. Direct airflow over and inside all components,
particularly against the processor's heatsink and cooling fan.
Next,
install your new HD by carefully following the instructions that came with it.
If you are installing an ATA-66 controller card, it's particularly important
that you follow these instructions, as you will be connecting the data cables
that were previously connected to the busses on the mainboard, to the busses on
the new card. If, by chance, your computer's mainboard already supports ATA-66
and you don't need the controller card, just remember that in order to take
advantage of this transfer rate that you'll need to use the 40-pin/80-wire
cable that came with the new HD.
In all instances, pay attention to
the red edge stripe on the data cable. It MUST be plugged into the pin 1 on
both the drive (always the side of the buss nearest to where you plug in the
12V power connector) and the mainboard or controller card. If you get
everything connected and boot up your computer and it doesn't boot or won't
recognize a drive or CD, the first thing to check are the data cables. You
probably have one or more of them reversed.
Also, if you're keeping
your old drive as a supplementary or back-up drive, make sure you connect it as
a master drive on the secondary channel, along with your CD-ROM as the slave.
So, for example, connect your new HD (configured as a master or stand alone)
using the ATA-66 40-pin/80-wire cable to the IDE1 (primary) buss and your old
drive (master) and CD-ROM (slave) using the existing 40-pin/40-wire cable to
the IDE2 (secondary) buss. This example applies regardless of whether you're
connecting the drives directly to your ATA-66 mainboard or the ATA-66
controller card.
Perhaps you have more than one CD device as I do in
one of my computers. Since this machine does not have an ATA-66 mainboard, I
installed the controller card and connected the new HD to it using the
40-pin/80-wire cable. Then I configured my CD-ROM as the master and my CD-RW
(read/write) as the slave and connected them to the primary buss on the
mainboard (IDE1). Finally I connected my DVD drive to the secondary buss on the
mainboard (IDE2).
When everything is connected (including the 12V
power cables to the HD's and CD's), boot your computer (Press the ON switch!).
Since you have made changes to your computer, the BIOS (Basic Input/Output
System) should detect them automatically (unless you have an older computer).
It may stop and ask you to accept the changes by pressing a particular key on
your keyboard or it may put you into the BIOS setup program because it detected
a change in the devices connected to your mainboard. Follow the on-screen
instructions or refer to your mainboard manual for assistance.
It is
not practical for me to attempt to present all of the various scenarios you may
encounter as a result of making changes to your computer, but if you need
assistance, please email me and I'll get
on the phone with you and we'll go through it together.
Once your BIOS
is properly set, the next thing you'll need to do is partition and format your
new HD. Follow the instructions that came with your drive. Use the floppy disk
included with the drive to accomplish this task in relatively quick fashion
(you'll also need your Windows Start-up disk which contains the necessary
system files).
Next you'll want to install Windows on your new HD or
transfer everything from your old drive to your new one, depending upon what
you've decided to do.
If you've decided to reinstall your existing
Windows or a newer version, you'll need your Windows setup disk and the Windows
CD-ROM. Simply insert the floppy into your floppy disk drive and reboot your
computer. When the on-screen menu appears, choose the option START COMPUTER
WITH CD-ROM SUPPORT and press enter.
When completed, your computer
will tell you which drive letter is your CD-ROM drive. Put your Windows CD into
the CD-ROM drive and log on to that drive by typing the drive letter followed
by a colon and then pressing the ENTER key on your keyboard. So, for example,
if your CD drive is drive D, type 'd:' (without the quote marks) and press
ENTER. To install Windows, type the word SETUP, press ENTER and you're off to
the races.
In the next issue of Everything Office, I'll explain how to
transfer everything (or any portion thereof) from your old drive to your new
one.
We, at Office Helper, appreciate the opportunity to bring you
Everything Office. Don't forget to
check out this week's
great tip on our website .
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