New Hard Drive Advice

Yall didn't steered me wrong on my video card or modem, infact yall hit the nail on the head on both so now I am asking about a new hard drive. I really wasn't looking for a second hard drive but I do need one. Circuit City has a 120GB one for $50 right now, what do yall think? This is going to be a second hard drive not a replacement. http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Western-Digital-Internal-Hard-Drive--WD1200JBRTL-/sem/rpsm/oid/71459/rpem/ccd/productDetail.doThanks for any and all advice.Merry Christmas
-Brian-

*Proud Supporter of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic*

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RE: New Hard Drive Advice, chucksc, Dec-23-04, 09:59 PM, (1) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, buzzbenz, Dec-23-04, 10:55 PM, (2) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, crstagg, Dec-24-04, 12:47 PM, (7) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, chucksc, Dec-24-04, 01:44 PM, (8) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, crstagg, Dec-24-04, 03:05 PM, (9) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, UP Wings, Dec-24-04, 04:41 PM, (10) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, buzzbenz, Dec-24-04, 05:02 PM, (11) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, UP Wings, Dec-24-04, 06:28 PM, (12) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, seank97, Dec-24-04, 00:41 AM, (3) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, UP Wings, Dec-24-04, 08:46 AM, (4) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, dgauci, Dec-24-04, 10:16 AM, (6) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, rpicardi1, Dec-24-04, 09:32 AM, (5) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, UP Wings, Dec-27-04, 07:20 PM, (13) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, seank97, Dec-27-04, 07:37 PM, (14) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, rpicardi1, Dec-27-04, 08:40 PM, (15) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, UP Wings, Dec-27-04, 09:11 PM, (16) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, jtsdadinaz, Dec-28-04, 10:42 AM, (17) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, UP Wings, Dec-28-04, 04:23 PM, (18) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, jtsdadinaz, Dec-28-04, 04:52 PM, (19) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, jtsdadinaz, Dec-28-04, 04:54 PM, (20) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, UP Wings, Dec-28-04, 09:25 PM, (21) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, rpicardi1, Dec-28-04, 09:33 PM, (22) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, jtsdadinaz, Dec-29-04, 03:58 PM, (23) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, UP Wings, Dec-29-04, 05:14 PM, (24) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, seank97, Dec-29-04, 11:44 PM, (25) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, Doxt5, Dec-30-04, 01:03 AM, (26) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, UP Wings, Dec-30-04, 01:46 PM, (27) RE: New Hard Drive Advice, trainrcool, Jan-03-05, 02:54 PM, (28)

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LAST EDITED ON Dec-23-04 AT 09:59 PM (EST)

I have a couple of those (WD Caviar SE w/8mb of cache & 7200rpm) and they have given me excellent service and I paid a lot more than $50 for them......Note however that they are the "older" IDE interface and not the "newest" SATA....
But unless you are striping them into a raid array you'll never know....For $50 for 120GB you can't go wrong! I'd get it!Chuck Schneider
Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and (Virtual) CEO

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I'll agree with Chuck on that!I have been 3 of the 80-GB version of those (Western Digitial 7200 RPM w/8MB cache) and i have been very pleased with them.And i got one of them on that same deal, only then it was the 80GB, not the 120GB! Go for it!----------- BUZZ -----------

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Brian,
That is not the WD Caviar SE Chuck mentions. The model # on the WD Caviar SE is W1200JDRTL. The drive you are looking at is model # WD1200JBRTL. Slight differences in the model numbers. It is in Western Digital category High-Performance EIDE not Caviar SE category. See WD web site http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/current/retailkits/wd1200jbrtl.asp for the one you are looking at and http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/current/retailkits/wd1200jdrtl.asp for the Caviar drive.

Charles

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>Brian,
>That is not the WD Caviar SE Chuck mentions. The model # on
>the WD Caviar SE is W1200JDRTL. The drive you are looking
>at is model # WD1200JBRTL. Slight differences in the model
>numbers. It is in Western Digital category
>High-Performance EIDE not Caviar SE category. See WD web
>site
>http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/current/retailkits/wd1200jbrtl.asp
> for the one you are looking at and
>http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/current/retailkits/wd1200jdrtl.asp
>for the Caviar drive. Au Contraire Charles, they were called caviars when Buzz and I bought them.... WD has relabeled their drives so that Caviar series is SATA only.... Originally it was 7200 rpm and 8 MB cache low profile..... Chuck Schneider
Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and (Virtual) CEO

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Chuck,
True that drive was a Caviar before SATA, but now it is not catagorized as a Caviar and Brian should not think he is getting a Caviar.

Charles

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Just wondering what is a Caviar? I didn't think I was getting one but then again I really don't know what a Caviar is. I have got it home and already read the directions once. They are supposed to have detailed step-by-step directions on their website. I am not going to install it until probably late Sunday when company leaves and I can sit down and take my time.
-Brian-

*Proud Supporter of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic*

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I *THINK* "Caviar" is what WD labels their current mainstream ATA (be it EIDE or now SATA) drives. The Caviar label seems to follow whatever is currently the big thing. When Chuck and i bought our drives, SATA was more the new kid in town, but now they are taking over the EIDE... But that's kind of an educated guess, so if anyone knows different, speak up ----------- BUZZ -----------

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LAST EDITED ON Dec-24-04 AT 06:30 PM (EST)

Well the drive I have has "Caviar" on the back. Then, "Enhanced IDE Hard Drive". Then under that WD - P/N: WD1200JB-00GVA0Edite: It's part number is WD1200JBRTL
-Brian-

*Proud Supporter of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic*

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Outstanding choice for a backup drive. I bought last summer the 80gig 8meg buffer version at Ofiice Depot and with rebate it set me back $22.00! Had my neighbor and both brothers get them too.SeanK97

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After reading some of the reviews about the hard drive, it seems that it doesn't have good installation instructions. I don't want to run windows off of this drive, all I need it for is to save MSTS, pictures, and other programs and games that are filling up my current drive. Any tips on how to do this? Thanks.I don't have the drive home yet so I really haven't seen the instructions myself. Thanks again.Merry Christmas
-Brian-

*Proud Supporter of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic*

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I'll have to dig around for a step by step tutorial, but it is really simple to do.In a high level overview:1) Physically install the drive, connecting the data and power cables. Check the jumper to be either master/slave/or cable select depending on your current configuration and installed devices.2) Format and partition the drive from the Windows XP Disk Management tool. For a non-system data disk your now done.

"Boycott Michael Moore and his friends in France"

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This spring, replaced the 80g and added a 160g in the computer. Also, replaced the hard drives in the portable ones with an 80 and 120g. Got rebates back on some of the new drives.The only thing needed to do on the WD drives is run the setup utility to configure the drive, partition, formatting. Quick and easy.If in doubt on the setup, just set the jumpers on the boot - C drive to Master and the second drive on the same daisy chain cable to Slave. Note which color coded connector on the ribbon cable goes to which drive and the controller or mother board per the instructions.For a portable backup drive, on the USB2 series as the older USB is very slow, just replace the old 20 or 40g with the new one. It will autoconfigure when you plug in the USB and turn it on. (You may have to use the setup utility.)When copying large amounts of files to the portable drive, disconnect from the Internet and disable NAV. The file copying will occurr much faster.Note, the large 120G and above drives are already formatted to NTSF for Windows XP. You will need service pack 1 installed in order to use a hard drive with a partition larger then 120GDidn't have to reinstall anything when I replaced the C drive. Just used Norton's Ghost to back up or mirror the C drive to the new one. Use of Ghost or the equivelent backup will save you days of reinstallation recovery should a drive fail or be nuked by a hacker.SRV Ron

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OK, the drive is installed and I hear it start up when the computer turn of but my computer will not recongnize the second hard drive. I have tried several things but here is were I am right now: I have both my original and new hard drives set in Cable Select (I know my computer supports this because that is what my orginal drive used)I have went into my BIOS and and changed Primary Hard Drive 1 to Auto from Off. (The Primary Hard Drive 0 (Above it) was also on Auto)Here is the problem: when I turn the computer on it takes a bit longer to start and then says: Primary Hard Drive 1 Not Found. Any suggestions? Thanks.
-Brian-

*Proud Supporter of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic*

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Since the BIOS is not "seeing" the drives properly to load, try setting the jumpers to "master" and "slave" respectively and then try a boot. Also, if you are using a ribbon other than the ribbon included with the new drive, CS may not be recognized on the second drive.Give that a whirl and get back with us.SeanK97

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Set the C drive jumpers to Master and the new one to Slave. Then, install and run the setup utility from the supplied CD. Once that is done, the new drive will show up. Use the supplied ribbon and hook up following the color code on the connector ribbon. Don't forget to plug in the power cable as well.SRV Ron

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OK, I finally got it working! I went in to change it to Master / Slave and saw that the connection to the new drive wasn't in all of the way. Then I found out that it was because the way the computer case closes, that is why I didn't see it before. It is fixed, I ran the ribbon a different way. Thanks for all of yall help.Now, any tips for moving MSTS onto the new dive.
-Brian-

*Proud Supporter of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic*

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Use a cloning software and just copy the entire drive over.SInce you said that your system uses CS, put whichever drive you want to be master on the end of the cable. The Cable select cables have a wire cut to use this feature,where a normal cable is complete. NOTE: You may not be able to see where they made the cut as sometimes it is just a real small hole, enough to break the connection.Fair warning, setting drives to Master /slave with a CS cable will not work.

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I have it set up and working. The orginal 40GB is the drive on the end and has windows on it, the 120G is the drive I want to put MSTS, my pictures, and any other games. I am using Cable Select. How would you go at transfering MSTS to the other drive? I thought about uninstalling it, move what is left of the trainset, route, and other folders to the new drive and then reinstalling it there. I don't know if I need to go through all of this. Thanks.
-Brian-

*Proud Supporter of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic*

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OK, here is how.1. Create a folder on the new D: drive Called Program Files.
2. tag and copy, not cut the Microsoft Games folder and paste it into the Program Files folder on D:
3. Unzip the attached file and merge it into your registry, which in turn will replace all of the C: drive entries with D: Drive.

Attachments
http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/41d1d5870119188c.zip

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And lastly, confirm that it works properly in the new location before you delete it from C:, then remember that all of your extra utilities will also have to now be pointed at D: instead of C:

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Thanks alot! Can you change your program to F: The new drive I installed is called F: because I have the CD drive called D: and the CD-R drive called E: and that leaves F: Thanks
-Brian-

*Proud Supporter of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic*

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You must have locked settings in XP on the devices. The new drive should have configured as D with the Cd and CD-R drives moved up a letter. That can mess up settings, can be edited in their config files, on some games requiring the CD inserted before they will play.SRV Ron

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W98 and Me did that, not XP. It just takes the next drive open adn assigns it. Would be a bit much to tell someone how to fix it, especially a novice. I can change the stuff for ya if you want to leave it as F:

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Yes, please. I already have some other games that are on it so I am going to keep it as F: Please change it, if you don't mind. Thanks
-Brian-

*Proud Supporter of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic*

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There is one key thing not mentioned here so far that you should be aware of. When adding a second hard-drive to an already running system, especially in a situation such as yours, the new drive although it is capable at much better response time while running a program like MSTS, it is only capable of running at the slower drives maximum speed. If you are hoping to gain some frames per second with having the MSTS on the newer/faster drive you will not see any gains in performance due to it's being slowed by the old drive still in the system. It's kind of the same thing as "the chain is only as strong as it's weakest link" if you catch what I am saying here. Don't expect to drive your new Ferrari in rush hour traffic, 'cuz you ain't gettin' nowhere fast. The best bet is to replace the original 40gig drive too, and leave your new one just as suggested above.SeanK97

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I have had good service with my WD Caviar series. But if I was to redo my system, I would go with the WD Raptors because of there 10,000 rpm speed!Pentium 4 / 2.4GHz HT O/C @ 2.755GHz w 920FSB
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While I was in my computer I took a look at the 40GB drive. It was a WD Caviar 7200RPM. I didn't know that it is as slow as the slowest drive but lucky for me they are both the same. I bought the drive because the 40GB was getting full and I need more room. Thanks.
-Brian-

*Proud Supporter of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic*

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ok i donno if this is the right topic for this.
but i got a new harddrive 160GB and that for my games. but my mine harddrive is a 60GB and it has bugs and files all over the place and i whant to wipe it clean. i know you can partiton the drive but you have to becarful of what files not to delete. or it can mess up your computer big time. i'm trying to fine out what files i don't whant to delete. my OS is window xp. anyone know what files i shouldn't delete during the partiton thing?

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