Will this laptop be able to read this external hard-drive? [Archive]

jayyy

11-20-04, 11:38 PM

I have an old dell inspiron laptop bought in 2001 with a 700mhz celeron processor loaded with windows ME (one reason I want an external harddrive is so I can back everything up and get rid of it, theres no burner to put my data on discs with)
I found a really nice 160GB external USB hard drive cheap, but I don't know much about USB or fire-wire devices, and I'm not sure my laptops motherboard will be able to recognize it all. Theres no way it would recognize an internal HD that big, and I don't know what would be different about a USB device.
How does a USB extrnal drive work? WOuld there be any conflicts with a computer as old as this?

Andrzej

11-21-04, 07:15 AM

:D size of hdd seen by PC is limited by computer's BIOS
(up to now several hdd size bariers were notted)
so by the first upgrade PC to leatest BIOS version is recomended.

any mentioned above barier can be omited by both methodes : software and hardware

sfw 'Bios Overlay Support' programs
hdd driver is installed & run on startup & hdd is divided to several apropriate partitions
often bios overlay programs are available on hdd producers' pages
to be exactly there is two diferent hdd overlay methodes:
EZ-DRIVE & it dereviate (eg WD)
Ontrack
OTOH disadventures of sfw methodes :
such hdd is seen on primary hdd controller (but not on secondary)
can 'slowdown' very weak machine (not in this case)

hdw 'Controller Card' for desktop (often no drivers is needed)
need PCI slot

both mentioned : stw & hdw are available for desktop.
the first one sfw for laptop

PS why do you use ME ?

zooner

11-21-04, 07:36 AM

it has nothing to do with the bios. It's run by the controller in the external device. Which is then connected through your usb controller.

I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't see it, although stranger things have happened. Probably really depends on winME.

If you have a desktop computer, you could definately get this to work. Simply network the computers together and transfer those file through the main computer to the external HD.

No matter what, there WILL be a way for you to back up your data.

jayyy

11-22-04, 06:13 AM

Thanks, thats what I figured, Just wanted to double check before buying it.

PS Andrezj- soon as I can back up my data win me is outta there.

ghost

11-23-04, 07:55 AM

I have an old dell inspiron laptop bought in 2001 with a 700mhz celeron processor loaded with windows ME (one reason I want an external harddrive is so I can back everything up and get rid of it, theres no burner to put my data on discs with)
I found a really nice 160GB external USB hard drive cheap, but I don't know much about USB or fire-wire devices, and I'm not sure my laptops motherboard will be able to recognize it all. Theres no way it would recognize an internal HD that big, and I don't know what would be different about a USB device.
How does a USB extrnal drive work? WOuld there be any conflicts with a computer as old as this?
WinME should detect it. Should. You never know with ME. Worst case scenario: download the drivers for the external HD & install.

(And zooner is correct about the BIOS having nothing to do with it, since the HD has it's own controller.)

Let us know how this turns out for you. ;)

jayyy

11-23-04, 10:15 PM

Let us know how this turns out for you. ;)

Always do! Buying it today. Gonna add a USB 2.0 card, plug in the drive, back up my data, wipe windows ME clean and install a copy of 2000. ME won't open Word, uses up all my ram for some reason, and won't even do a full scandisk because apparently win explorer is always writing data to disc, even with no progs running.

I'll be glad to finally see the end of that OS, I'll tell you that.

Genuinely™

11-24-04, 12:21 AM

yea ME tends to take up a lot of ram which i wasnt to sure...i recieved ME from a friend and i got rid of it the same day i formated and put it on my computer...now i run xp and win 2k corporate....

Andrzej

11-24-04, 01:12 PM

:D jayyy can you install yours huge new hdd
in primary hdd controller ?
not by USB which use own secondary drive controller

as you noted
apropriate advices for first hdd controller can be find in my first post
(for desktop & laptop).

jayyy

11-24-04, 08:29 PM

:D jayyy can you install yours huge new hdd
in primary hdd controller ?
not by USB which use own secondary drive controller

as you noted
apropriate advices for first hdd controller can be find in my first post
(for desktop & laptop).

Its a laptop, no way I'm going in there.

jayyy

11-25-04, 08:27 PM

Well, I hooked up the USB 2 card and external hard drive...

Win ME liked the card so much I thought it was gonna marry it, lots of happy little bleeps, but when I plugged in the external HD through it it spasticked out and the whole computer froze. Plugged it in through the USB 1 jack, and it worked fine right away :rolleyes:

USB 1 is slow, but I just cued up all my docs, mp3 and .wav folders, and left the computer running when I went to work.

BUT...when I went to get my Win 2000 disc, it turned out the whole product key isn't written on it. I'm missing 5 digits, rendering it useless, so I'm still stuck with Windows ME!!

Someone PM me if they know the solution to that one ;)

BrandonB

11-25-04, 09:10 PM

Well, I hooked up the USB 2 card and external hard drive...

Win ME liked the card so much I thought it was gonna marry it, lots of happy little bleeps, but when I plugged in the external HD through it it spasticked out and the whole computer froze. Plugged it in through the USB 1 jack, and it worked fine right away :rolleyes:

USB 1 is slow, but I just cued up all my docs, mp3 and .wav folders, and left the computer running when I went to work.

BUT...when I went to get my Win 2000 disc, it turned out the whole product key isn't written on it. I'm missing 5 digits, rendering it useless, so I'm still stuck with Windows ME!!

Someone PM me if they know the solution to that one ;)
DL a key gen from shareaza =P

jayyy

11-25-04, 09:23 PM

DL a key gen from shareaza =P

DIdn't even know about shareaza til now...thanks :)

zooner

11-25-04, 10:28 PM

why dont you just put winxp on it?

I've run winxp on a p3 500 before and a p2 450, no issues at all.

jayyy

11-26-04, 12:15 AM

why dont you just put winxp on it?

I've run winxp on a p3 500 before and a p2 450, no issues at all.

I'd like to get one, but I'm in japan, and I'd have to go with a japanese OS...sometimes you need to do/find stuff thats hard enough even with english labels.

I happen to have an english copy of win 2000 lying around, so thats the easist solution

zooner

11-26-04, 12:37 AM

I'd like to get one, but I'm in japan, and I'd have to go with a japanese OS...sometimes you need to do/find stuff thats hard enough even with english labels.

I happen to have an english copy of win 2000 lying around, so thats the easist solution

PM sent.

zooner

11-26-04, 12:38 AM

PM sent.

dont replies like that annoy you??

I mean, the PM was sent. Why is a board-wide notification necessary??

:irate: :irate: :irate:

BrandonB

12-10-04, 10:43 AM

No problem =) here is a link to sheareaza website if u have trouble finding it, http://www.shareaza.com/ this program is basicly just a a buncha programs brunched up into one, (like kazaa, edonky and so on). i realy like it.. i get on average 100+ resources on all of my DL's if i pick the right ones. :D

DIdn't even know about shareaza til now...thanks :)

Scott

12-10-04, 12:20 PM

dont replies like that annoy you??

I mean, the PM was sent. Why is a board-wide notification necessary??

:irate: :irate: :irate:
WTF are you talking about? I just sent you a PM, there's no board wide notification about it?