911 and 77 (21)
It is a lot easier to pop into a 'high street' computer shop and buy the whole assembly combined as a single unit already for you to connect (via a USB or Firewire lead) but while this is better if you're not very confident to deal with the two separate items, it presents a problem that needs to be explained now.
Unfortunately you can't, in all liklihood, be sure that you will have the right drive, it could be either IDE or SATA. You can of course look on the box for an explicit specification but I'm afraid you probably won't find it there, even so you can't just guess and hope for the best. You will NOT be able to use the wrong type of drive; it must, must, match your laptop's.
This is a major hurdle that ought not to exist but due to manufacturers commonly failing to display this fact we as the buyer have a problem that is not easy to overcome.
When you buy a drive as a discreet, separate, item the connections details are usually part of the technical sales description so then you do know without having to go around in circles trying to find out whether it is IDE or SATA.
You won't have a problem with backing up and cloning the wrong type of drive but you will find it impossible to swap them when the all important time comes and, of course, at that time you really don't want to discover your basic mistake.
The advantage of buying a ready housed drive - once you have ascertained it as IDE or SATA - is that it is easier than buying the drive and housing as separate items. But it is easier to discover what type of drive is being sold to you if you buy it as a discrete item.
Most shops that sell the housed drives won't have the expertise to advise you what type of drive is inside it's housing so you would have to spend time researching for yourself before buying. On the other hand, buying the housing and drive as separate items can be done by mail order or at more specialist computing hardware shops and this way of buying makes it easier to make sure that you get the right type of drive.
If you buy the drive and housing as separates to assemble yourself then you need to take care not to damage the drive by physical handling or by electrostatic discharge. For the time being please go to the web site of the drive manufacturer and search there for advice on handling and installing. My intention is to include an article detailing what you need to know, pending that article please read the manufacturer's advice.
By Paul E. Coughlin
SaneThinking.com
27 May 2008
![[Valid RSS]](valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
