Need Help for Adding New HDD

[bigmck]

I currently have one 160 GB C:\ drive that both my Win 7, Programs and Docs are on. I want to add a 500 GB drive, make 50 GB of it my C:\ for the OS -- 225 GB of it my D:\ for Programs -- 225 GB my E:\ for Docs. I would then make the 160 GB drive a 30 GB F:\ for OS backup and 130 GB G:\ for Doc backup. Since the backups are compressed, I assume the numbers would work for the foreseeable future. == I have a few questions on this. == First, do the partition numbers sound right? -- Second, What do I have to do to change the drive letters to make the new 500 GB my C:, D: and E:? I am not backing up my Program files, because if there were a problem in the future, they would have to be reinstalled anyway, is that correct?
== One final question. This is the HD I have my eye on. WD Caviar Blue SE16 3.5in 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive WD5000AAKS Western Digital Hard Disk Drive HDD HD 7200 RPM 16MB Cache-Best Computer Online Store Houston Buy Discount Prices Texas-Directron.com I am not sure what SATA means except that it has a different type wire than IDE. This would fit OK with my motherboard, correct? Thanks for all of your help.

 

[brianzion]

I currently have one 160 GB C:\ drive that both my Win 7, Programs and Docs are on. I want to add a 500 GB drive, make 50 GB of it my C:\ for the OS -- 225 GB of it my D:\ for Programs -- 225 GB my E:\ for Docs. I would then make the 160 GB drive a 30 GB F:\ for OS backup and 130 GB G:\ for Doc backup. Since the backups are compressed, I assume the numbers would work for the foreseeable future. == I have a few questions on this. == First, do the partition numbers sound right? -- Second, What do I have to do to change the drive letters to make the new 500 GB my C:, D: and E:? I am not backing up my Program files, because if there were a problem in the future, they would have to be reinstalled anyway, is that correct?
== One final question. This is the HD I have my eye on. WD Caviar Blue SE16 3.5in 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive WD5000AAKS Western Digital Hard Disk Drive HDD HD 7200 RPM 16MB Cache-Best Computer Online Store Houston Buy Discount Prices Texas-Directron.com I am not sure what SATA means except that it has a different type wire than IDE. This would fit OK with my motherboard, correct? Thanks for all of your help.

What is SATA or Serial ATA?

 

[wilywombat]

Don't forget, you are going to lose some space for things such as the system reserved space for the boot files(100mb)

 

[Hopalong X]

Here is your mother board.
Yes it has two SATA-2 3.0Gbs ports on the mother board for the hard drive you listed in post #1 to plug into.

You will need a power cable and a data cable like Brianzion posted.
They are not included with the hard drive.
ECS Web Site

Data cable.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

bigmck,
Go with at least 32mb cache.
Western Digital WD5001AALS Caviar Black Hard Drive - 500GB, 7200 rpm, 32MB, SATA-3G at TigerDirect
and if your upgrading how about score a 1tb drive?
Western Digital WD1002FAEX Caviar Black Hard Drive - 1TB, 7200RPM, 64MB, SATA 6Gbs at TigerDirect
Now my personal preference.
Hitachi OS00163 Deskstar IDK7K Internal Hard Drive - 1TB, 7200RPM, 32MB, SATA-3G 0S00163 at TigerDirect
Good luck !

 

[brianzion]

sata power cable

 

[Solarstarshines]

I myself personaly have 6 sata ports which im thinking of taking use of i mean why not ?

i have three open ports left why not make them all hard drives that would be very insane and i have the slots for atleast 2 more hard drives possibly add a third drive like a blueray but from what i seen before windows only reconizes 2 rom drives the hard drives might be different can someone give me a answer cause i tested it out through ide and it didnt work i have three roms installed right now 2 lg dvd burners and a nec dvd player and cd burner 1 rom sata the other two ide also the second ide rom is unplugged just to let you know

it won't let the system boot when it is plugged

 

[bassfisher6522]

Personally I would go with a SSD for the OS only and then use your old drive for backups. Then get a 500 GB drive for storage (programs, document, etc. etc.).

 

[linnemeyerhere]

I second the SSD but it is a much bigger purchase price. From a performance standpoint no contest but do go Sata III and used a PCIe sata III adapter such as !
ASUS U3S6 PCI Express Expansion Card - 2x USB 3.0, 2x SATA-6G at TigerDirect.com
You get two Sata III internal and two USB 3 external, works great !

 

[mjf]

If your heart's set on 500GB ok.
But why not just get 1TB (eg. Caviar Black or Seagate Barracuda). What are they US$100 or less.

"...I am not backing up my Program files, because if there were a problem in the future, they would have to be reinstalled anyway, is that correct? "

NO! Unless I'm missing something. Keep a couple of system images. When disaster strikes restore and everything's back OS, your programs - the works within say 20 minutes. (a little longer if you need to stick in a new HDD).

 

[bigmck]

I currently have one 160 GB C:\ drive that both my Win 7, Programs and Docs are on. I want to add a 500 GB drive, make 50 GB of it my C:\ for the OS -- 225 GB of it my D:\ for Programs -- 225 GB my E:\ for Docs. I would then make the 160 GB drive a 30 GB F:\ for OS backup and 130 GB G:\ for Doc backup. Since the backups are compressed, I assume the numbers would work for the foreseeable future. == I have a few questions on this. == First, do the partition numbers sound right? -- Second, What do I have to do to change the drive letters to make the new 500 GB my C:, D: and E:? I am not backing up my Program files, because if there were a problem in the future, they would have to be reinstalled anyway, is that correct?
== One final question. This is the HD I have my eye on. WD Caviar Blue SE16 3.5in 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive WD5000AAKS Western Digital Hard Disk Drive HDD HD 7200 RPM 16MB Cache-Best Computer Online Store Houston Buy Discount Prices Texas-Directron.com I am not sure what SATA means except that it has a different type wire than IDE. This would fit OK with my motherboard, correct? Thanks for all of your help.

I appreciate your input on the final question, but I mainly need the answers to the ones at the top of my post. Any help?

 

[mjf]

answered your program backup question

 

[bigmck]

If your heart's set on 500GB ok.
But why not just get 1TB (eg. Caviar Black or Seagate Barracuda). What are they US$100 or less.

"...I am not backing up my Program files, because if there were a problem in the future, they would have to be reinstalled anyway, is that correct? "

NO! Unless I'm missing something. Keep a couple of system images. When disaster strikes restore and everything's back OS, your programs - the works within say 20 minutes. (a little longer if you need to stick in a new HDD).

Should I put my Programs and OS on the same partition and back them up on the same partition of a different drive? Then when disater strikes, I would just restore from the system image and be set to go?

 

[mjf]

If your heart's set on 500GB ok.
But why not just get 1TB (eg. Caviar Black or Seagate Barracuda). What are they US$100 or less.

"...I am not backing up my Program files, because if there were a problem in the future, they would have to be reinstalled anyway, is that correct? "

NO! Unless I'm missing something. Keep a couple of system images. When disaster strikes restore and everything's back OS, your programs - the works within say 20 minutes. (a little longer if you need to stick in a new HDD).

Should I put my Programs and OS on the same partition and back them up on the same partition of a different drive? Then when disaster strikes, I would just restore from the system image and be set to go?

Yes.

An image is a snapshot of the whole partition (one snapshot made, one snapshot stored, one snapshot put back when needed).