Need some HDD help...

[avx]

Ok, Im trying to install my new 80gig HDD, I have a Compaq Presario 5240, running win XP, now, I just realized that those little white caps on the back of the HDD are the jumpers...I thoguht the jumpers were those little wires connected to my 10gig...so here what I believe I have to do, please correct me wherever I make a mistake here...
1. Turn computer off
2. Uninstall my old 10gig HDD
3. Install my new HDD and then, start my computer, place my windows XP CD into it and restart it, and then my computer should boot off the CD, and then I just follow the instructions
4. Once I have windows installed, I hook my old HDD up as a slave(now, 1 question here, how do I hook up 2 harddrives at once?, should there be another one of those wires that hooks up to the back of my current HDD?)and then when it is in slave mode, I just drag all of the contents from my old HDD(where will I be able to find the contents of my old HDD?) just drag them into my new HDD
5. then do I turn my computer off and remove the old HDD, or can I remove it while it is still on?....does everything sound good here guys....

I was told by Hall, that I need to get into my system BIOS and set it to boot from the win XP CD, but how do I get into my system BIOS????

[Nuclear Krusader]

Most Compaqs let you access the BIOS by pressing F10 key while the Compaq logo is displaying right after you push the power button.

As for connecting two HDs just make sure the jumpers in both of them are set for Cable Select. The black connector goes to the master and the middle gray one to the slave. The red or blue goes to the mobo.

And yes turn off the comp before hooking or unhooking the drives. Only servers have hot plug features.

[morriswindgate]

Since this is a 1998 model year unit, you may have to upgrade the BIOS to get larger drive support, and even then you may end up making several partitions on the new hard drive in order to use it all. You will have to go to compaq for it.

[avx]

So, when I go to compaq.com to look for the upgrade for my BIOS, what should I search for?...and how will I know that it is for me?....and what does cable select too, I thought I just had to set 1 for master and 1 for slave....cable select is new

[glc]

Don't even bother with trying to update the bios - the only way a 80 gig drive is going to work on that machine is with EZ-Bios or a controller card. You also are going to have issues with Compaq's proprietary diagnostic partition on the hard drive - upgrading a Compaq is something not to be taken lightly and is something best left to a professional unless you know exactly what you are doing.

[avx]

o great...so you mean to tell me that I have to go to some compaq place and shell out like 100 bucks for them to do a 5 min job...that sucks, and you know how compaq is, they will charge 100 bucks, they are that sucky and cheap...damn it, why does this have to be so complicated, my friend upgrades his gateway all day long every day, no probs, new CPU here, new HD there, new CD Burner if theres time left, and he dont even know how to deal with compaqs, cause they suck....god Im gonna through this damn thing out the window

[Airmack]

umm. buy a new one? Or use your new drive and drop the 10 gig...

[ssahl]

It may not be that hard, at least hook up the hdd like you said you were and see what it says about the drive in the bios when you post. He already upgraded his OS to XP Home (I'm guessing) I know where your coming from though, it's only a stinking hdd. I have never owned a Compaq but have worked on enough of them to know they really suck to work on.

[AlwaysUp]

Wait a minute, guys. circa 1998 PC's support int13. I think it will see the drive just fine. I CAN see some problems with the way you say you are going to go about it, though.

[avx]

o god you would save my life if you tell me what I have to do just to get this damn drive inserted, its driving me up a wall, first someone says it sould be fine, then just go in bios, then just partition, then jsut slave, master drag and drop...god, isnt there just one way to do it where it wont take me a week, 40 bucks and my sanity??

[AlwaysUp]

OK one small firmly planted step at a time....
Can you boot your system now, without that drive hooked up?

[avx]

boot my drive...what do you mena?...I understand boot, butu I dont have boot disk, but I have windows XP home, and someone told me that I could boot from the CD, and I have my 10gig drive installed right now...so, I guess I could boot

[ssahl]

Use the ribbon cable that came with the hdd when you bought it and set the jumper for the hdd to CS (cable select) hook it up to your motherboard, then when you turn your computer on go into the bios and make sure it's seen, if not use auto detect. also while your in the bios set your CD-ROM to be the first place your system looks when it boots up. Then you can put your winXP CD in there and boot from it like you were saying. Your winXP CD is the full version of XP and not just an upgrade right? When you get to the part of partitioning the hdd set up at least 4 partitions (80gigs is pretty big) In the future if you want to use or get any files off it you can hook up the 10gig hdd, if/when you do also set the jumper on it to CS. In your bios you will need to make sure that it looks to the 80gig hdd to boot up and not the 10gig, if it does boot to from the 10 gig restart go back into the bios and change it. I dont know the bios on that model Compaq but hopefully the option to do this is in there.

[Airmack]

my win xp upgrade cd is all so a full version.

[avx]

hey, thanks alot, that is the best desription of what I have to do yet, thanks a lot, I think Im just gonna go for it, and just go buy what everyone has recommended I do, thanks alot guys, you have been a great help

[mc2phat]

Your absolute best bet here is to take glc's advice. Chances are darn near 100% your BIOS will not recognize that large of a drive. If you wish to do it yourself, I highly recommend picking up a Promise ATA-100 controller card and hooking your new drive to it. Leave the old drive as-is to save yourself headache.
www.mwave.com has the Promise cards for $23.00

regards,
phat

[9600baud]

I agree with mc2phat, messing around with the compaq's old bios, EZ-Bios, its just not worth it... and that way you dont have to swap your HDDs and simply add ur new HDD as storage.

[avx]

well, thanks alot mc2phat, I trust you guys more than my own judgment, so I guess Ill order the card, but what should I dow hen I get it,, what does it do, make my harddrive externl??...so technically Ill have a 90 gig...my 10 gig internal and 90 gig external storage, is that wat it is???

[9600baud]

Originally posted by avx487 well, thanks alot mc2phat, I trust you guys more than my own judgment, so I guess Ill order the card, but what should I dow hen I get it,, what does it do, make my harddrive externl??...so technically Ill have a 90 gig...my 10 gig internal and 90 gig external storage, is that wat it is???

from what i understand the card controls the HDD for you, you still mount it inside and all but instead of plugging it onto the mobo, u plug it on the card. This makes configuration ez since the card knows what to do w/ ur HDD, which ur bios doesnt.

[Alfie]

What drive is in the system now?
Does this drive have an operating system on it and if so does the system work as is?
If it has an operating system what is it?

[mc2phat]

avx487,

I'll try to answer your last question as thoroughly as possible. As of now, you have your original setup in your Compaq, and haven't touched anything. Leave it that way. You have XP on there, everything is running. You buy the Promise card and plug it into an open PCI slot, mount the harddrive, and plug the harddrive into the controller card. You'll need an 80 wire IDE cable. Plug the blue plastic plug of the cable into the card, the black plastic plug into the harddrive. Make sure Pin 1 of each plug is lined up with pin 1 of the receptors on the card and on the harddrive. Pin 1 will be marked on the harddrive and card. Pin 1 on the IDE cable will be marked on the actual plugs with a little arrow, and the wire that runs to pin one will be blue or red, where the rest of the wires are grey. Make sure the harddrive is jumpered to cable Select. Start your computer and go. While I haven't installed one of these cards in Windows XP yet, I am pretty sure the drivers are bundled with Windows XP. You'll know when you boot it up. Go to Control Panel>System>Device Manager>SCSI and RAID controllers, it should be there. If you have to install drivers, do so with the disk provided with the card. If you wish to partition the disk, get it installed and post back here and we'll help you. If you just want one 80 gig partition, all you'll need to do is click on the new drive in My Computer, and WinXP will ask you if you want to format it, hit yes, let it finish and you're done. I hope this helps you.

Regards,
-phat

[avx]

wow...took me like 20 people and 3 1 very long confised week to get to the point where all I have to do is go buya card that will do allt he work for me....why does the easy answer always come after all the hard work is done??...lol, thanks either way, to everyone, youve beena great help, and Ill go out and pick up one of them cards ASAP, and then Ill post back and tell you guys how it went

[glc]

Welllllllllll...................the card is not going to do it ALL for you - if you want to *replace* the original hard drive with a bigger one, you still have hoops to jump through.

[ssahl]

That's why I said he should at least try and hook it up, it's not going to hurt anything just to see if in fact his bios will see the hdd correctly or not.