Replacing Computer Hard Drives

Have you run out of storage space in your computer?

Perhaps it's time for a bigger hard drive!

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In this article you'll find out how to replace your current hard drive.

Replacing Computer Hard Drives

In actuality the computer wouldn't even run without a hard disk drive, its BIOS or basic operating system would be looking for it the minute you turned it on.

The hard disk drive is a sealed unit with multiple rigid magnetic disks inside.
It is sealed to prevent any foreign particles from entering inside it, which would render the drive useless.
Hard disk drives come in many sizes, anywhere from a few hundred megabytes to several gigabytes.

Now that's what I call a memory bank!

I wish I had one of these babies in my head, then I'd never forget anything again.

Obviously you'd want to get a large enough hard drive for your needs.

Like memory modules, the bigger the better.

But remember, the larger the hard drive the more it will cost you.

There are currently 3 types of HARD DRIVES:

IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics).

EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics) and,

SCSI (Small Computer Serial Interface) - A SCSI expansion card is needed.

The most popular being the EIDE drive.

Most current motherboards support EIDE drives, but check your motherboard owner's manual to be sure.

On the back of the hard drive you'll notice 2 connectors.

The smaller one is to supply DC power to the drive.

The larger one is used for data communications to and from the computer.

You'll also notice there are jumpers, much like your motherboard and expansion boards.

If this is the only hard drive in your system you'll want to set it as your master drive.

Most of the time the drive will be already configured at the factory for master drive # 1.

Connect one of the remaining power leads from the power supply to the DC power connector on the drive.

The power connector is keyed so it will only fit one way.

Connect the larger flat ribbon cable to the motherboard and to the data connector on the drive, making sure the dotted colored edge goes to pin # 1 (usually near the power connector).

Slide the drive into one of the bays and secure it with 4 Phillips screws using a non-magnetic screwdriver only!

To remove or replace the drive, simply reverse the procedure.

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Data Recovery On External Hard Drives

Perhaps you are already aware of the fact that the data on your computer can be stored in many different ways, such as CD's, removable disks or DVDs and so on. I may also agree with the fact that all machines reach a point where they crash, with or without any obvious reasons. Floods, fires or human mistakes can be among them, if you were looking for actual examples!

Loss of data is one of the major negative effects these break downs can cause, therefore one must try to prevent them as much as possible. You may always simply want to delete a file, but you do it on another one by mistake. On the other hand, the hard drive may fail in an attempt to open a file, or the whole operating system can crash and leave you with nothing!

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In order to solve any of these problems and be safe from any computer break down, the best option you have is contacting an external hard drive data recovery specialist.

Data Recovery On External Hard Drives

In case you are wondering what external hard drive data recovery means, it is simply the method of recovering the damaged data that has been lost from external hard drives, such as Fireware or USB. Generally speaking, this is not a very difficult process, just that there are times when it may get more time consuming.

The process of recovering data from external hard drives starts by a thorough analysis of the external hard drive in question. There are many external hard drive specialists who can easily get to solution of your problem and set the scope of the damage. They are the ones to decide the part of the data that can be recovered, but also establish the best way to take in order to successfully retrieve that particular data. This first evaluation is said to be rather expensive, but if you investigate the market a little, you will surely find the companies which actually do it for free.

Unfortunately, the rest of the recovery process is not cheap at all. The company will provide an amount of money that covers the full costs of the project. This figure must cover for the service the company puts in to obtain your data and the amount of data restored, therefore don't expect it to be a bargain!

There is nothing more for you to do now, than expect the specialists deal with the damage and recover your data!

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What You Need to Know About External Hard Drives & Data Recovery

External hard drives, also called portable hard drives, are a popular choice for data storage among consumers for both business and personal use. External drives offer the convenience of allowing for expanded storage capacity for your data, the ability to back up your internal drives and the ability to easily move files from one computer to another. They are particularly convenient for laptop or notebook users. They are usually relatively light weight and compact, while still able to store a significant amount of data.

An external hard drive is a hard drive that connects to your computer from an outside port. There are a number of popular interfaces for external drives, including:

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Firewire (a popular interface for Mac users) Universal Serial Bus or USB. USBs are able to connect a large number of devices, including MP3s and PDAs as well as external hard drives. eSATA is the newest interface for external hard drives. eSATA external drives follow the same protocol as internal drives, which allows for better performance from your external drive. Ethernet connections. These are less common, they act like file serves to store your data.

What You Need to Know About External Hard Drives & Data Recovery

External drives are relatively inexpensive, allowing you to take your data with you anywhere you go and access it on almost any computer, due to their portability and ease of use. These hard drives come in a wide range of different models, all with different speeds and data storage capabilities.

In selecting the right model for you, you need to know the amount of data you need to store, as that will determine the storage size of the drive that you require. Keep in mind that your data storage needs will almost certainly increase over time, and be sure that you buy one that will cover not just your short term but also your long term needs.

You'll also need to consider the cache size of the drive. The cache size controls how quickly you can store data on the drive. The larger the cache, the faster you can copy files to your drive. The higher the cache size, the more expensive your drive will be, so let your individual needs and situation determine your purchase.

One of the benefits of using an external hard drive for data storage is that it you can add to size of your backup drive as your storage needs increase. You can add more storage as the amount of your data increases. As the size of the drive increases, your device will likely need its own power source as it won't be able to draw enough power from the USB or Firewire connection alone.

Recovering Data From Your External Hard Drive

Data loss on external hard drives is fairly rare as long as you care for your drive properly, but it still can occur. There are several reasons that might cause your external drive to lose data, such as:

Physical damage Deleted partition or logical drives Files written to bad sectors Virus attacks Accidentally deleted files Corrupt backup or application data Accidental reformatting Power surges

Always keep in mind that the more important your data is, the more likely that you should take the failed drive to a professional data recovery lab to retrieve the files. But if any of these happen to you, there are some steps you can take to recover data from your external hard drive.

Boot your computer as you normally would, with the external drive attached to your computer. Download or run a data recovery program and install it on your main computer drive. Make sure that you don't install any programs on your external drive, as this may write over some of your lost data. Run the data recovery program. You will likely get options to recover deleted files, find your lost hard drive if it is not responding and recover data lost due to formatting. Select the drive containing the lost data and scan for the files. Save all recovered data on your internal hard drive. Send your external drive to a professional computer technician or company to have it repaired. It isn't likely that you will be able to repair it yourself, particularly if there is significant physical damage to the drive.

The best protection against data loss is to regularly back up your system and protect your external hard drive(s) from extreme heat, moisture and physical damage. Be sure to protect your drives against power surges or other electrical problems. Taking good care of your equipment could save you the time, money and hassle of having to recover lost files.

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Backup With External Tape Drives

Backing up valuable information is a very important part of running a business or a group successfully. Depending on the type of business being run, it may even be a requirement by law... hence the external tape drive.

As more time passes, it is becoming smarter to save records of all the transactions and paperwork which go through the system in order to have protection against any discrepancies which may arise in the future. The question remains, which is the best way to save these records.

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There are two main schools of thought when it comes to the best preservation methods. Most people are more familiar with the use of disc space to record and store all of their records. What many people don't realize, however, is that the use of magnetic tape outweighs disc space by far.

Backup With External Tape Drives

Magnetic tape costs nearly 25 times less to record the same amount of information as it would cost on hard disc space. It also has the ability to last for over 30 years, making its shelf life incredibly valuable. The only issue comes in the form of the fact that most computer systems normally do not come with magnetic tape decks.

This means that if someone wanted to use magnetic tape to backup all of their documents, they would need to install a tape drive into their system. Thankfully, an external tape drive is available, making the use of one of these systems incredibly easy for any user.

By installing an external tape drive, one simply needs to hook the unit up to the computer and run some software to make the unit compatible.

Sticking a blank magnetic tape into the external tape drive makes it then available for the unit to record and store the data necessary, with only a minimal amount of work on the part of the computer user. These external tape drives can be a lifesaver when it comes to the storage of all of the important data.

External tape drives will often end up saving the company a great deal of money as well, when compared to saving the equivalent amount of data on discs. The cheapest of these drives can be found for a little over 0, while some of the more quality, top-end brands can go all the way up to 0.

Whichever external tape drive is purchased, however, the company will quickly begin to save money. The tapes which are required to store the information are much cheaper and will hold much more than the disc space that could be required. In this manner, it will not take long for the company to make up the difference they would have been spending on all of the disc space and begin to save money, therefore killing two birds with one stone, with the external tape drives!

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Top External Hard Drives - Best Storage Solution

If you're looking for the best external storage for you, there are several good options out there. To find the one that is best suited for you, you need to look at several factors including your budget, the capacity you desire, the drive speed and more. You also want a reliable brand and model, so those are also considerations to keep in mind when choosing your new hd.

What to watch out for is poor quality of casing, hard disk itself or components. Here is a list of top-rated hard drives based on a compilation of reviews from top review sites. You're likely to find one here that will suit your needs well.

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Western Digital My Book
Western Digital's "My Book" line of drives is one of the oldest manufactured external hard drives to date, and the line is currently in its 3rd generation of offerings. My Book 3.0 has in-built USB 3.0 capabilities, making it a sensible choice if you're looking to stay updated with computer technology standards. Since USB 3.0 hasn't even been released yet at the time of this writing, investing in this hard drive is a surefire way to make it last well into the future.

Top External Hard Drives - Best Storage Solution

Western Digital is a well-known brand reputed for producing reliable internal and external hd. Although there aren't many reviews yet for the My Book 3.0 because it's so new, previous generations have garnered enthusiastic positive reviews from both professional and consumer-driven review sites.

The My Book drive is available in 1 TB and 2 TB capacities, and will likely have more capacities available once demand increases.

Iomega Prestige
Iomega has also been manufacturing all kinds of storage devices for a long time. They were the original manufacturers of the Zip drive back in the day, which eventually became an industry benchmark of computer storage devices. Iomega are using their knowledge and experience to now make high-quality external hd.

The Iomega Prestige is a stylish and elegant drive, boasting an attractive brushed aluminum finish. Its current capacities include 500 GB, 1 TB, 1.5 TB and 2 TB.

The Prestige has received good to excellent reviews from professional and consumer review sites.

Lacie D2 Quadra
The Lacie D2 Quadra series external storage are designed to be stackable, and are known for their expandability. You can purchase them sequentially as your storage needs change, and keep stacking them together. They are connectable via USB as well as Firewire 400 and 800, and ESATA as well.

The D2 Quadra is available in the following capacities: 500 GB, 1 TB, 1.5 TB and 2 TB.

This model has gotten favourable reviews overall from professional and consumer review sites.

Worthy Mention
Amongst all the many good external storage out there, the hard drives mentioned above are the ones that have consistently gotten the best reviews from major review sites. There are a few more that also deserve to be mentioned:

Western Digital Passport
Toshiba Portable
Seagate FreeAgent Go
Western Digital Element
Seagate Desktop

Conclusion
In general, the brands Western Digital, Toshiba, Seagate, and Lacie are at the forefront of the external hard drive market. These brands have a consistent record of manufacturing reliable, high-quality hard drives.

Which one is the best for you? It's a matter of preference, really. Once you know the features you're looking for, you'll be in a better position to choose from the options available.

Also consider building a hard drive of your own, or upgrading your existing internal HD- which is easier than it might seem.

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How Long Do External Hard Drives Last For?

What is the age of external hard drive?

Before I went to purchase an external hard drive, the first thing I thought of was the age they last. I asked this question to one of my computer expert friends and he replied me like this:-

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"My friend, the age of the external hard drive doesn't depend on one factor. It can be last long to you if you take proper care of it. There are many other factors like if there is any virus in the drive, sometimes overheating problems, ventilation problem, mishandling of the device etc. If you take proper steps to maintain it then it will be last long for you. But it cannot be more than MTBF stats."

How Long Do External Hard Drives Last For?

So when I listen to this answer I searched for the best portable external hard drive which can last long for me and  is able to give me good results. After a lot search of the device I found a HP SimpleSave 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Disk. This is amazing and it proves to be 100% suited to my needs. I will explain it how:-

Feature#1-Quality brand

HP is a well known name in the IT industry. Its products are really marvelous and stylish. Company has been awarded many times for its new innovations and designs. The recently launched product HP SimpleSave 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive is one of the new innovations of this company. Provide you a great combination of quality and style this gadget stands top in the list of best external hard drives mac.

Feature #2-Build and design

Sleek and compact design is a good feature of this hard disk. Placing it horizontally it gives a very nice look. Packed in glossy black finish this gives an attractive look. The structure of the box is solid and gives an unbreakable power.

Feature#3-Storage capacity

This is the most important feature you are looking for.  HP SimpleSave provides you the 1.5TB storage capacity which is more than enough. Store million of photos, music, movies, songs and videos of your life to the unlimited extent. It is very good device for those professionals people who do robust computing and need to take more and more backup.

Feature#4-Easy to use

HP SimpleSave  is a portable external hard disk which is very easy to use. It doesn't have any complex function to use on. The working of this device is very simple. Just plug it in computer and start working on it. The backup software runs right from the minute you plug it in USB port from drive. One more additional thing is this that you need not to install any other software to make it work. Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, or Business Service Pack-1, Windows XP Home are the familiar software for this device.

Conclusion

This is one of the best devices I ever used. It is a long lasting hard drive if you take a proper use of it. I am sure if you purchase this device you will consider yourself fine on taking this decision. It is good in every aspect of external hard drive.

Editor's rating 9 out of 10

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Seagate 1.5 Terabyte Desktop and Terabyte Notebook Hard Disk Drives

Seagate presents next generation of computing with their massive Barracuda 7200.11 1.5 TB and Momentus 1/2 TB storage hard drives, including world's first 1.5 Terabyte desktop PC and half Terabyte notebook/laptop hard drives to meet the explosive worldwide demand for digital-content storage in home and business environments.

1.5 Terabyte Desktop Hard Disk Drive

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Seagate Barracuda 7200.11, the first 1.5 terabyte desktop hard drive to hit the market. The debut of the Barracuda® 7200.11 1.5TB hard drive, - a half-terabyte increase from the previous highest capacity of 1TB is the eleventh generation of Seagate's drive for desktop PCs, marks the single largest capacity hard drive jump in the more than half-century history of hard drives.

Seagate 1.5 Terabyte Desktop and Terabyte Notebook Hard Disk Drives

Technical Details

The Barracuda 7200.11 hard drive combines the capacity and speed required for today's most demanding desktop PC applications. The drive packs 1.5TB on just four platters and its fast Serial ATA 3Gb/second interface delivers an industry-leading sustained data rate of up to 120MB/second for fast boot, application startup and file access. The 3.5-inch drive is also offered in capacities of 1TB, 750GB, 640GB, 500GB, 320GB and 160GB with cache options of 32MB and 16MB.

The Barracuda 7200.11 hard drive combines proven PMR technology, components and expert manufacturing to provide 1.5TB of reliable storage for mainstream desktop computers, workstations, desktop RAID, gaming and high-end PCs, and USB/FireWire/eSATA external storage.

½ Terabyte Notebook PC Drive

Seagate's 2.5-inch half-terabyte 5400 and 7200 rpm drives - Momentus® 5400.6 and Momentus 7200.4 - deliver the best combination of capacity, mobility and durability for mainstream and high-performance notebook computers, external storage solutions, PCs and industrial applications requiring small form factor.

Technical Details

Momentus 5400.6 and Momentus 7200.4 hard drives are the fourth generation of Seagate's laptop family to use PMR. The Momentus 5400.6, a 5400 rpm drive, combines a powerful Serial ATA 3Gb/second interface and capacities ranging from 120GB to 500GB with an 8MB cache. The Momentus 7200.4 hard drive, with its 7200 rpm spin speed and a Serial ATA 3GB/second interface, delivers true desktop performance.

Shock Resistance

Both Momentus drives are built tough enough to resist up to 1,000 Gs of non-operating shock and 350 Gs of operating shock to protect drive data, making the drives ideal for systems that are subject to rough handling or high levels of vibration. For added robustness in mobile environments, the Momentus 5400.6 and 7200.4 are offered with G-Force Protection, a free-fall sensor technology that helps prevent drive damage and data loss upon impact if a laptop PC is dropped. The sensor works by detecting any changes in acceleration equal to the force of gravity and parks the heads off the disc to prevent contact with the platter in a free fall of as little as 8 inches and within 3/10ths of a second.

Power Efficient

Seagate's new Momentus drives are low on power consumption, allowing notebook users to work longer between battery charges, and are virtually inaudible thanks to Seagate's innovative SoftSonic(TM) fluid-dynamic bearing motors and QuietStep(TM) ramp load technology.

Warranty

All Momentus and Barracuda drives are backed by Seagate's leading five-year warranty.

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