Changing hard drive in a laptop

[lasernigel]

Hi. I know similar topics have been covered but here is my problem.
My company (US) has been sold a pup. Spec says 500Gb but is only 80Gb. Don't want to send it back. So told them I will buy a hard drive myself.

Have an external 250Gb drive so can copy all files programs using something like Adonis software.

Take hard drive out, replace with new. How do I boot up laptop, and then get it to copy everything from external hard drive?

Will I lose passwords, or email on Outlook? Will my programs still function the same?

No discs as company has multi license on Windows and programs.

[Saab Dastard]

Adonis software

Do you mean Acronis? :)

The best way to transfer everything would be to clone the current 80GB disk to the 500. This makes an exact copy of everything on your original disk onto the new one, so all your programs, files and settings are exactly the same.

However, it's a bit trickier with a laptop, because you can't simply connect both disks at the same time to the laptop.

There are a number of ways around this - you could use an external USB disk to hold the image from the original disk, then swap the disks and download it to the 500 (assuming that your cloning software supports external USB devices).

You can do it over the network from the laptop to another PC - but this requires the software to recognise your laptop network card, and you may need an "enterprise" version of the cloning software that supports server-based image distribution.

Or you could get a caddy to allow you to mount at least one 2.5" disk into a desktop PC (either to IDE or SATA connectors) and transfer the image that way - although it would be quicker to put both 2.5" disks into the PC and clone directly.

SD

[seacue]

Would it be possible to use an external USB case for the new 2.5" HD and plug that into the laptop?

Clone the internal laptop HD to the larger one in the USB case - using Acronis (for example).

Then put the new, larger, 2.5" HD inside the laptop.

Come on experts, does this make sense?

EDITED TO ADD: Note p*St # 123 on the Ultimate List of Free Software thread. It address lasernigel's question.

[Pontius Navigator]

Yes, but for 'external hard drive case' read caddy.

Copy to the new HDD in the caddy then swop drives. At this point you have two drives with identical data. If the new one doesn't work you have lost nothing.

I did it and I think I used Paragon hard Disk Manager but it was more than a year back.

[lasernigel]

I take it that you mean something like this...IOMAX 2.5" USB 2.0 External Caddy: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics (http://www.amazon.co.uk/IOMAX-External-Enclosure-Laptop-Powered/dp/B001EEQQ8Q/ref=pd_cp_ce_1)

Would have thought a lot more expensive. But if this does the trick with the Acronis software fantastic.
Thanks!:ok:

[airborne_artist]

My old laptop died before I could back it up, but as it was only the motherboard I was able to remove the HDD, mount it in a USB caddy as above, and then copy the key files across. I now use the old drive/caddy as a back-up/archive.

[spannersatcx]

I did it on my daughters laptop recently, using EASUS, in win 7, transfer to ext drive pop in the new drive and away you go it took no longer than 30 mins, very easy.

[Mr Optimistic]

Some laptops have hidden 'recovery' partitions which may be the only source of the operating system if you ever need it.

Acronis True Image Home 2009 Review - Clone a Laptop Hard Drive Tutorial (http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/16043.aspx)

[milsabords]

If it's a brand new laptop I find very strange that the HD is 80 GB only if the spec says 500.
Use Windows disk management (diskmgmt.msc) and check if ther is any space unallocated, or not formated, or w/o a drive letter assigned.

[lasernigel]

If it's a brand new laptop I find very strange that the HD is 80 GB only if the spec says 500.



Yes as said think company sold a "pup". I have physically checked it and it is an 80Gb drive.The laptop is a Toshiba Satellite U505-S2005. Bought in US.
If I send it back have no laptop.
Hard drive and USB caddy arrived Saturday. I will download Acronis. Have to wait as now company split email needs routing to new server on Monday p.m. so will wait until thats done.