Maximum HD Size for 700XL?

Don Cohen proclaimed:

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the reply.


You might want to get an external hard disk that connects via a USB port.
These are also fairly cheap. You can off load some of you current hard
drive files. You van also use it as a back up.


I already use 2 120GB External HD's (Firewire in my case) for back-up - one
I keep at home, the other at a different physical location. So this
unfortunately won't solve my problem.

Best,

Not that familiar with your model, but does it have any spare drive bay
slots where you could just add an extra drive? It can be a royal pita
to safely back up, remove the old drive, add the new one, discover the
support website lies, remove the new one, put back the old one, or just
have to install all of your apps on the new one.

Hi Lon,

Not that familiar with your model, but does it have any spare drive bay
slots where you could just add an extra drive? It can be a royal pita to
safely back up, remove the old drive, add the new one, discover the
support website lies, remove the new one, put back the old one, or just
have to install all of your apps on the new one.

There are 2 bays for internal HD's. I have a 120GB in the first slot, and a
40GB HD (from my prior computer) in the second. The 120 is partitioned into
2 logical drives - one for the OS, the rest for data. I have the OS
partition "Imaged" using Partition Magic 8.0, and stored on the 40GB HD,
which at least theoretically should enable me to quickly get the new drive
in service if I decide to make it the Primary HD.

But I may just take the easier route, and leave the 120GB HD as the Primary,
with the OS, and add the new 300GB HD for just data, as the secondary HD.

Thanks for the reply.

--
Don
Nature, Wildlife & Landscape Photography
http://www.dlcphoto.com

Don Cohen proclaimed:

Hi Lon,


Not that familiar with your model, but does it have any spare drive bay
slots where you could just add an extra drive? It can be a royal pita to
safely back up, remove the old drive, add the new one, discover the
support website lies, remove the new one, put back the old one, or just
have to install all of your apps on the new one.


There are 2 bays for internal HD's. I have a 120GB in the first slot, and a
40GB HD (from my prior computer) in the second. The 120 is partitioned into
2 logical drives - one for the OS, the rest for data. I have the OS
partition "Imaged" using Partition Magic 8.0, and stored on the 40GB HD,
which at least theoretically should enable me to quickly get the new drive
in service if I decide to make it the Primary HD.

But I may just take the easier route, and leave the 120GB HD as the Primary,
with the OS, and add the new 300GB HD for just data, as the secondary HD.

Thanks for the reply.

I tried looking up your model on the gateway accessory web site and kept
getting annoyed more than enlightened. If you use your serial number
it may tell you if you need a bios update or anything to handle a bigger
drive. I doubt it, but ya never know. Pretty good prices on 250gig
drives these days and the 500's aren't that bad.

Lon,

I tried looking up your model on the gateway accessory web site and kept
getting annoyed more than enlightened. If you use your serial number it
may tell you if you need a bios update or anything to handle a bigger
drive. I doubt it, but ya never know. Pretty good prices on 250gig
drives these days and the 500's aren't that bad.

Thanks for looking. I'll head to Gateway's site and check the system/serial
number. I've done this before, and I believe I have the most current BIOS
for that system, but I'll double-check.

I've got my eye on the WD 320GB EIDE (or SATA) drive.

Best,
--
Don
Nature, Wildlife & Landscape Photography
http://www.dlcphoto.com

"Lon" wrote in message

I tried looking up your model on the gateway accessory web site and
kept getting annoyed more than enlightened. If you use your serial
number it may tell you if you need a bios update or anything to
handle a bigger drive. I doubt it, but ya never know. Pretty good
prices on 250gig drives these days and the 500's aren't that bad.

I take it this is a desktop model and not a laptop? I did find a Gateway
laptop FAQ at:

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/.../5386fql.shtml

And the largest hard drive FAQ is it:

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/...00728su4.shtml

Although supposedly that either Windows 2000 (SP 3&4) or Windows XP SP2
doesn't care about BIOS limitations over hard drive sizes. And I believe
this is true because I cloned a 80GB HD on a 2002 era machine (it
originally came with 80GB) to a 320GB HD and Windows popped up a message
stating it had to install a driver and then it told me to reboot the
computer so it could see the whole HD. And I did and it worked.

--
Bill

Hi Bill,

I take it this is a desktop model and not a laptop? I did find a Gateway
laptop FAQ at:

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/.../5386fql.shtml

And the largest hard drive FAQ is it:

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/...00728su4.shtml

Although supposedly that either Windows 2000 (SP 3&4) or Windows XP SP2
doesn't care about BIOS limitations over hard drive sizes. And I believe
this is true because I cloned a 80GB HD on a 2002 era machine (it
originally came with 80GB) to a 320GB HD and Windows popped up a message
stating it had to install a driver and then it told me to reboot the
computer so it could see the whole HD. And I did and it worked.

Thanks for taking the time. It is a desktop.

I did some further checking as well - there is BIOS update for my MB
apparently, but checking the README.TXT, found no reference at all to HD
size or related issues.

I'm reasonably confident that I can go ahead and get a 320GB HD and have it
work fine for me, based on your post, a few others, and my own research. I
downloaded the BIOS Update file just in case, but usually prefer to leave
well enough alone unless there is a specific problem I need to fix.

I'll probably go ahead and partition this to separate 20GB and 300GB logical
drives, put the OS onto the 20, and leave the rest for data. I'll then
"unpartition" my original 120GB HD, and keep it internally as a separate
backup for my photographic and other important files.

Best,

--
Don
Nature, Wildlife & Landscape Photography
http://www.dlcphoto.com


--
Bill

I did not read all the replies its late im sorry if this has been
suggested. But why not just add a secound drive? I rather have 2 160
GB drives than one 320 GB drives. Thats just me the reason for that
is for backup like backing up to a ghost image. If one drives fails i
have a backup. More than likely both drives want die unless the whole
system gets fried.

Well in effect, that's what I'll be doing. I currently have 2 HD's in
there - the primary is a 120GB (partitioned into a 12GB OS partition, the
rest a Data partition) and the other a 40GB drive (used to store drive
images, and a variety of other lesser purposes). I have 2 external hard
drives that I use for back-up and redundancy (one kept onsite, the other
kept offsite).

So basically I want to replace the 40GB HD and given how inexpensive HD's
are, wanted to get a significantly larger one to hold me for at least
another few years. I'll likely make this my primary HD (partition to 20GB
OS and 300 Data) and unpartition the 120GB HD to function at least in part
as an internal backup (since it obviously won't hold everything the primary
HD will).

Thanks for the rely and suggestions.

--
Don
Nature, Wildlife & Landscape Photography
http://www.dlcphoto.com



"PC-Tech" wrote in message
...
I did not read all the replies its late im sorry if this has been
suggested. But why not just add a secound drive? I rather have 2 160
GB drives than one 320 GB drives. Thats just me the reason for that
is for backup like backing up to a ghost image. If one drives fails i
have a backup. More than likely both drives want die unless the whole
system gets fried.

If your in the US OfficeMax has good deals on drives. A few weeks ago
they had a 160 GB Segate for $59.00 no rebate instant saveings. The
Segates have 5 year warranty. I know warranty can't cover lost files.
thats why its good to backup.

PC-Tech explained :
If your in the US OfficeMax has good deals on drives. A few weeks ago
they had a 160 GB Segate for $59.00 no rebate instant saveings. The
Segates have 5 year warranty. I know warranty can't cover lost files.
thats why its good to backup.

Add a hundred to that and get a 500 GB Maxtor
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4551327

Or spend $75 for a 250 GB Seagate and free 3 day shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148111

Remember when hard drives cost more than an arm and a leg?

JR the postman