computer geeks...external hard drive?

[leftylover]

my computer just isnt cutting it. 50gb HD, right now i only have 223 mb of free space left.

If i get an external hard drive, lets say 200gb, can i install programs and games that i want, so all the files are stored in the external hard drive, and i can play it on my computer without taking up any more space on the internal hard drive? or do programs have to be on the internal hard drive to operate correctly?

[Pwozzie]

I wouldn't risk running programs off the external. Internal HD's are cheap. You can get 500 GB for like $40.

[lowe]

dont go solely on my answer, but i belive the ehd has the same capabilities as an ihd. so i think yes, but you should wait till someone else answers

[leftylover]

Originally Posted by Pwozzie

I wouldn't risk running programs off the external. Internal HD's are cheap. You can get 500 GB for like $40.

i have no clue how to replace an internal hard drive. i dig into guitars,not computers.

and the cheapest internal hard drive at best buy is 70 bucks for 160GB

[Zoshquin]

Yes you can, just don't unplug it then plug another flash disk,camera,etc then plug it if you get what I mean, because it would change the drive letter and your games or apps wont work properly. but I would rather buy an internal..

[leftylover]

Originally Posted by Zoshquin

Yes you can, just don't unplug it then plug another flash disk,camera,etc then plug it if you get what I mean, because it would change the drive letter and your games or apps wont work properly. but I would rather buy an internal..

so as long as i keep the external hard drive plugged into the same port i can run programs i need? do i just plug it into one of the "removable disk" drives, it will work? lets say the "removable disk(D"

[Paul]

yes you can, do not disconnect though unless everything is off, and don't turn anything on unless it's plugged in if you are going to use it to store program files, if you're going to use it to store music, pics and movies you can use it just like a USB , that's what I'm doing.

[Zoshquin]

Originally Posted by leftylover

so as long as i keep the external hard drive plugged into the same port i can run programs i need? do i just plug it into one of the "removable disk" drives, it will work? lets say the "removable disk(D"

yes but if it changes to Removable Disk(G or something you won't be able to run your apps/games properly, you would need to look for them inside the "Program Files" folder which is annoying..

[Ekoms]

Also, it may be slower unless your using a SATA cable. My tower has a eSATA port on the outside, but I'm thinking your external HD is going to be USB. The data transfer from the eHD isn't going to be as fast as if you had it on your internal HD due to the way its connected.

[StrangerNY]

You could run programs off the external, but you may run into transfer time problems - especially if your drive is a USB 2.0 drive and you're plugging it into a USB 1.0 port.

How old is your machine? If it's more than 2-3 years old, you may be running USB 1.0.

- D

[gravmy0]

I would strongly suggest internal over external HD for storage of programs.
Try small stores instead of the big box shops for PC hardware.

It's usually cheaper.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by gravmy0

I would strongly suggest internal over external HD for storage of programs.
Try small stores instead of the big box shops for PC hardware.

It's usually cheaper.

+1

An external is not a viable option for a permanent drive. They're slower and not as reliable thanks to the USB connection.

You just need to open up your machine and find out whether you need an IDE drive or if you have SATA If your HDD is hooked to the motherboard via a ribbon cable, it's IDE. What I would do is get a 500GB drive and just take out the old one. Do a fresh install of Windows, then hook up the old drive as a slave to copy your old data over.

Check newegg.com... we bought a 500GB drive from them a few months ago for under $100. External drives are usually a bit more expensive too.

[leftylover]

okay, so seriously guys, i have no clue what SATA or HDD or IDE is. to me they are all WTF cables. theres more than 1 kind of USB?

how much does it cost for the labor to install a new internal drive??? or is it something i can do on my own with no experience?

[alligatorbling]

installing a SATA hardrive



an SATA cable looks like this





installing a sata hardrive is easy, turn off the pc and unplug the cord from the back of the pc.... ground yourself (touch something metal) before going in

remove the side case of the pc and locate your hardrive, follow the cable going from the hardrive to the motherboard, once you find it look for an open plug in right next to it of the same shape plug, (sata plug) and plug in your new sata cable, then install the hardrive, slide it into the metal holders and fasten with screws... then you plug in the sata cable from the motherboard to the new hardrive

you should have a buttload of cables inside the pc that arent plugged into anything, find one that looks like it fits the other slot on the back of the hardrive, this is the power cable... plug that in to the back of the hardrive...

power cable



now put the case back on and plug the cord back in, power up and go to My Computer and look for an extra drive to be present

[davebag89]

Originally Posted by leftylover

okay, so seriously guys, i have no clue what SATA or HDD or IDE is. to me they are all WTF cables. theres more than 1 kind of USB?

how much does it cost for the labor to install a new internal drive??? or is it something i can do on my own with no experience?

I did it with no experience when i was 12, its easy man

[Zoshquin]

Originally Posted by leftylover

okay, so seriously guys, i have no clue what SATA or HDD or IDE is. to me they are all WTF cables. theres more than 1 kind of USB?

how much does it cost for the labor to install a new internal drive??? or is it something i can do on my own with no experience?

hmm HDD= Hard disk

IDE and Sata are cables used inside(sometimes outside) the box.

Installing an HDD is fairly easy check this it's for ide but you get the idea.. How to install a Hard Disk Drive

no Idea how much it costs cause I never did paid for an install

[Zoshquin]

Originally Posted by alligatorbling

installing a SATA hardrive



an SATA cable looks like this





installing a sata hardrive is easy, turn off the pc and unplug the cord from the back of the pc.... ground yourself (touch something metal) before going in

remove the side case of the pc and locate your hardrive, follow the cable going from the hardrive to the motherboard, once you find it look for an open plug in right next to it of the same shape plug, (sata plug) and plug in your new sata cable, then install the hardrive, slide it into the metal holders and fasten with screws... then you plug in the sata cable from the motherboard to the new hardrive

you should have a buttload of cables inside the pc that arent plugged into anything, find one that looks like it fits the other slot on the back of the hardrive, this is the power cable... plug that in to the back of the hardrive...

power cable



now put the case back on and plug the cord back in, power up and go to My Computer and look for an extra drive to be present

you won't need that sata host adapter if you're motherboard is modern. and it depends if your power supply has a power cord for sata
care to give the specs of your pc?

[alligatorbling]

Originally Posted by Zoshquin

you won't need that sata adapter if you're motherboard is modern.

edited

[Zoshquin]

Originally Posted by alligatorbling

what adapter?

i mean sata host adapter *edited

[alligatorbling]

AHHHH ok yeah....

yeah you will just have plugs that you plug straight into your motherboard for your sata cable

[alligatorbling]

simplified version of how to install, once you know which cables are which

turn pc off
unplug back of pc
open pc
plug sata cable into motherboard
put hardrive into brackets and install screws
find sata power cable in unused wires comming from PC powersupply (box in the back with the fan and all the wires)
plug in sata power cable
plug in sata cable from motherboard that you plugged in first
put side cover back on
plug power cable back into the back of your pc
turn on pc
use hardrive

[Zoshquin]

format the disk first before using

[purevilpleasure]

Originally Posted by leftylover

i have no clue how to replace an internal hard drive. i dig into guitars,not computers.

and the cheapest internal hard drive at best buy is 70 bucks for 160GB

Don't go to best buy. Get it from Tigerdirect.com or Newegg.com. Cheap and fast shipping.

[alligatorbling]

Originally Posted by purevilpleasure

don't go to best buy. Get it from tigerdirect.com or newegg.com. Cheap and fast shipping.

+1000

Originally Posted by Zoshquin

format the disk first before using

oh yeah... DOH lol

[geochem1st]

some may disagree, but here is a trick I learned over the years when I dive into a computer:

Computer 'parts' (ram, rom, cpu, etc.) are highly susceptible to static discharge, therefore the best way I have found to ground the system is to, have the power turned off, but do your work WITH the AC line cord plugged in. This grounds the case and internals solidly, DO NOT TURN THE POWER ON until you have finished your work and have reassembled the PC.

[Zoshquin]

Originally Posted by geochem1st

some may disagree, but here is a trick I learned over the years when I dive into a computer:

Computer 'parts' (ram, rom, cpu, etc.) are highly susceptible to static discharge, therefore the best way I have found to ground the system is to, have the power turned off, but do your work WITH the AC line cord plugged in. This grounds the case and internals solidly, DO NOT TURN THE POWER ON until you have finished your work and have reassembled the PC.

hmm kinda risky but I do that sometimes.. cause I saw my grandad(a technician) working on tv's that are turned on...


but it's kinda dangerous.. well just buy a static discharge strap..

[geochem1st]

Originally Posted by Zoshquin

hmm kinda risky but I do that sometimes.. cause I saw my grandad(a technician) working on tv's that are turned on...


but it's kinda dangerous.. well just buy a static discharge strap..

With the power off its not dangerous, just well grounded. Your grandad on the other hand was playing with fire working on a TV with the power ON. There are thousands of volts needed to fire an old CRT based TV. People died that way.

EDIT:
The voltages and current used by PC's are not even close to those in a TV.

[Zoshquin]

Originally Posted by geochem1st

With the power off its not dangerous, just well grounded. Your grandad on the other hand was playing with fire working on a TV with the power ON. There are thousands of volts needed to fire an old CRT based TV. People died that way.

EDIT:
The voltages and current used by PC's are not even close to those in a TV.

well I've never heard of him getting electricuted

[leftylover]

okay. i just dug around inside my computer for a while, and i took some pictures so i could show you guys.

I think my SATA cable is blue. Can it be blue, because the one you showed in the pictures is red. it looks to be about the same size as my blue one.


the power cable(?) is the one with orange,black,red,black,and yellow wires right? this is plugged into my current hard drive , and also has another extension not plugged into anything else.

but heres the problem. I think there is only one SATA cable(the blue one)

[ZoomZilla]

Lefty, that is normal. I don't know what kind of computer you have but this video will show you how easy this is to do!

YouTube - Adding a Hard Drive to a Dell Dimension

YouTube - Adding a Hard Drive to a Dell Dimension