How Do I Change Hard Drive For Blank Identical Type ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mike
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M

Mike

Hello,
I've got an old Compaq machine with a Seagate 4.3GB hard disk which is
whining.

I like the machine and want to swap the disk with a blank identical model
from Ebay.

How would I get the computer to load an image (stored on CD Rom)from the
old disk without CD Rom drivers ?I'm hoping to avoid BIOS messages.

Any websites that could offer info ?
Thanks.

Mike.
 
Mike said:
Hello,
I've got an old Compaq machine with a Seagate 4.3GB hard disk which is
whining.

I like the machine and want to swap the disk with a blank identical model
from Ebay.
Click to expand...

Why would you want to use an identical drive? Why not just get a new drive?
It's quieter, faster and will hold more data.
How would I get the computer to load an image (stored on CD Rom)from the
old disk without CD Rom drivers ?I'm hoping to avoid BIOS messages.
Click to expand...

A disk imaging program would do the job. You install the new drive as a
second drive, image the old drive to the new drive, remove the old drive and
configure the new drive as the primary. You shouldn't see any difference
except that the machine may run a bit faster.
 
Hello,
I've got an old Compaq machine with a Seagate 4.3GB hard disk which is
whining.

I like the machine and want to swap the disk with a blank identical model
from Ebay.
Click to expand...

Well you shouldn't want to, there is no benefit to choose
exact same drive, it is slow and old and (due to age) going
to be less reliable. Buy the biggest drive your system's
bios can natively support after a motherboard bios update,
or add a PCI IDE controller card and enjoy a fast modern
drive... it is well worth the expense of the controller card
to be able to run a fast modern drive... could be the best
way to speed up an old system.
How would I get the computer to load an image (stored on CD Rom)from the
old disk without CD Rom drivers ?I'm hoping to avoid BIOS messages.
Click to expand...

Boot to DOS floppy with CDROM driver on it. Your system
might've come with such a floppy or a generic windows
startup disk should work, or perhaps your system can boot
straight to the CD, which should be supported, the Compaq
Quickrestore CDs from that era were bootable, IIRC. That is
the preferred method to restore the original system image.
 
Mike said:
Hello,
I've got an old Compaq machine with a Seagate 4.3GB hard disk which is
whining.

I like the machine and want to swap the disk with a blank identical model
from Ebay.

How would I get the computer to load an image (stored on CD Rom)from the
old disk without CD Rom drivers ?I'm hoping to avoid BIOS messages.

Any websites that could offer info ?
Thanks.

Mike.
Click to expand...

Get Disc Wizard from www.seagate.com and it will do it all for you - FOR
FREE!

I recently swapped a 6GB maxtor out a Compaq Deskpro 6450 and replaced it
with a 20GB Seagate 5400rpm drive.
Just had to install Disc Wizard and run it.
Tell Disc Wizard that a new boot drive is to be installed and whether or not
the current boot drive is to be reused.
It gives you starndard or idiot level instructions on how to shutdown the pc
and replace the current boot drive with the new drive to be installed.
Boot up with the new drive installed and it works perfectly.

I don't now whether Disc Wizard works with drives from other manufacturers -
but the other manufacturers all have their own utilities and diagnostic
software too.

Martin.
 
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