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Replacing Hard Dive On Dell Laptop

  • 23-09-2010 03:15PM
    #1
    Teclo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 496 ✭✭


    This is a more 'what if' question than an urgent cry of help. For the past week I've been hearing very faint crackling noises coming from my 3 year old Inspiron 1721. I fear this may be a sign of trouble to come with the hard drive.

    I have no operating system cd and system restore says I can't back up system files on my external hard drive. If the worst were to happen I would be able to work out how to physically replace the drive, but then what?


Comments

  • #2
    NothingMan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,178 ✭✭✭✭NothingMan


    Ideally you'd want to take an image of your back up using Norton Ghost or similar. Not sure what free options there are. Then when you put in the new hard drive you boot to the Ghost CD and do a re-image from the image you've taken and have on an external hard drive.

    Other than that you could try and source an operating system disk but you'd still have to back up all your files first.


  • #3
    bhickey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭bhickey


    NothingMan wrote: »
    Other than that you could try and source an operating system disk but you'd still have to back up all your files first.

    Yep Dell disks are easy enough to acquire - just find someone with a Dell and the same operating system as you and see if they have one handy.


  • #4
    phill106
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,833 ✭✭✭phill106


    ok first backup your data/pics etc.
    Then dell seem to have this on all inspirons

    http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?journalid=90DD7A7E0788D496E040AC0A66E91725&docid=62A668E1C3A5857AE040AE0AB8E12942


  • #5
    dilallio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,728 ✭✭✭dilallio


    bhickey wrote: »
    Yep Dell disks are easy enough to acquire - just find someone with a Dell and the same operating system as you and see if they have one handy.

    +1

    Backup all your data onto an external drive.

    Replace the hard drive (probably a 2.5" SATA).

    Borrow another Dell Windows CD and install.

    At this stage you will need to install all the drivers for your Graphics / DVD / Webcam / Wireless / etc. The easiest method is to connect to the Internet using a network cable (unless you are using mobile broadband).

    Go to the Dell Support Site under Drivers, enter your Service Tag no, select which version of Windows you are using, and it will show you all the drivers for your machine. Install these, and you will then be able to copy your data back.


  • #6
    hearny
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 953 ✭✭✭hearny


    You Could clone the had drive using something like HD Clone download from http://www.miray.de/products/sat.hdclone.html

    If you suspect a problem backup now.

    Get a SATA drive from http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/catalog/ZKB_01COM/11_HDD/06_INTHD25/default.aspx
    and a hard drive enclosure
    http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_01COM/11_HDD/02_HDDCASE/productdetails/15365595/ICY_BOX_Pocketsized_Aluminium_Case_black/IB_250STU_B/default.aspx

    If you need instructions on anything let me know.


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  • #7
    ricman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,559 ✭✭✭ricman


    SEE here free drive backup program,http://www.todo-backup.com


  • #8
    Teclo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 496 ✭✭Teclo


    Well thanks for all the help, I have a better idea now of the various options.

    I downloaded Todo and made a clone on my external drive. I had no unexpected events until close to the end when I got the an "opening registration table failure" message. The progress counter was showing the second operation at 100% complete but the total progress at 81% complete. I clicked on finish(the only option it gave) but despite my fears everything seems to have transfered to my external drive. Is there any reason why I would not be able to transfer everything in working order to a new hard drive I might install on my laptop?


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