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Adding a new hard drive need advice

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  • 15-07-2015 5:29am
    #1
    tonyheaney
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,686 ✭✭✭


    My 500gb mains powered hard drive died a few weeks ago. I tried and failed to understand why it died. This WD HDD was to be my backup if my main computer died. Instead "It" died and took my back up to the grave while my main desktop is still working away grand.

    I was about to throw the bloody thing in the bin when i had a moment of inspiration. I though what if i could connect the ext HDD to my computer internally an low and behold it works just fine. so it seems that the casing power was faulty.

    Also i disconnected my optical drive and connected its wires to the Ex HDD up and i can now access my files :)

    Bu i am wondering can i keep the Ex HDD inside the tower for good? I don't need the optical drive, never used it. Anything i need like drivers and such i can get online and the computer has FACTORY_IMAGE so im grand if i need to re-install... right?

    I am not a novice in fact it more luck this worked at all for me. The computer has been running slower of late and i don't know why and i was all about to buy another computer when i get some cash in. Face is i am quite proud of my achievement and i think i would like to to do this again but with more knowledge.


    Anyhow any tekkies out there that can help a guy out?


    My computer specs: 2a6v6ue.png

    The drive in front is the salvaged HDD: 2m6r8l0.jpg


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    #2
    SeantheMan
    Registered Users Posts: 6,911 ✭✭✭SeantheMan


    You can just keep going like this yes.

    External HDD's that you buy are basically just HDDs put into a convenient casing for USB , external power.

    2 of my previous Externals both broke, but like yours, it was the electronics within the casing or connections that were faulty and not the actual HDD.
    They both currently reside in one of my PCs at home as yours does, doing their job fine from inside the PC.

    If you need to use a CD, you can always get external readers, and a Windows image can installed via USB if you want (in fact it's much quicker)

    You might want to get some cable ties or something though to secure your HDD, so it's not clanging around if you move it or causing undue stress on any of the wiring etc


  • Options
    #3
    tonyheaney
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,686 ✭✭✭tonyheaney


    SeantheMan wrote: »
    You can just keep going like this yes.

    External HDD's that you buy are basically just HDDs put into a convenient casing for USB , external power.

    2 of my previous Externals both broke, but like yours, it was the electronics within the casing or connections that were faulty and not the actual HDD.
    They both currently reside in one of my PCs at home as yours does, doing their job fine from inside the PC.

    If you need to use a CD, you can always get external readers, and a Windows image can installed via USB if you want (in fact it's much quicker)

    You might want to get some cable ties or something though to secure your HDD, so it's not clanging around if you move it or causing undue stress on any of the wiring etc

    I managed to get the new ext hdd in to the casing which it now is sharing the already built in. Seems there is room for two. working along happily 700 gbs of movies saved and im quite happy with the work done. Odd thing mind before i did all this i logged a fault with WD after which i gave up and decided to go ahead and install it in to the Pc i got a call from WD saying they will replace it for free lol :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:


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