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[grumpy old man]

I wish to install a new hard drive on my desktop pc.  My computer is getting on a bit now and has IDE connections for hard drive.

Having looked at hard drive options the majority of these are now SATA (2.5" options are for laptops?).  However it would appear that a SATA/IDE connector is available.  The cables have an IDE connector at one end and USB at other.  Dumb question but I presume the the SATA drives use a USB connection.  Just want to make sure I am buying the correct components. 

I have two IDE connections on my mother board one primary and one secondary.  If install XP on new drive and connect into primary and move current hard drive to secondary I presume pc will boot from new?

Thanks

gom

[tuftedduck]

Lots of IDE drives available, this page on ebuyer has fifty of them so no need to worry about IDE/SATA links unless you really want to to that.

http://www.ebuyer.com/search?page=1&store=2&cat=4&subcat=379

Will boot ok from a new drive. as long as the jumpers are set to master and those on the old drive set to slave................I did this recently and the only thing that occured was that I had to re-activate Windows but that was a simple task of only a few seconds.

[broadstairs]

SATA have their own connector NOT USB, and the adapters I have seen allow an IDE drive to connect to a SATA controller and not the other way round. As TD says there are lots of IDE drives available.

[grumpy old man]

Thank you for your replies.

I have followed your link tuftedduck to e-buyer.  As none of the drives shown make specific IDE what do I look for to confirm specification.  Will I also need to buy a ribbon connector?  The connector on current hard drive seems to have a spare connector attached to it. 

gom

 

[tuftedduck]

GOM, all the drives on that page are IDEs, the SATAs are on seperate pages, so any one off that list will do you. When on that page, if you look at the drop down menu of available components on the left hand side of the page, you will see clearly that you are on the 3.5" IDE page.......that is highlighted. 

You do not need any more connectors, the new master will go on the end ( black) connection, and the slave on the middle (grey) connection.

When you take the connector off the old drive, note the configuration of the coloured stripe down one edge of the connector ribbon, which stripe lies against pin 1 on the drive.....then just insure that you connect up with that stripe in the correct configuration.

[HPsauce]

You do not need any more connectors, the new master will go on the end ( black) connection, and the slave on the middle (grey) connection.

That's assuming a modern IDE 80-core IDE cable with CS (cable select) connectors. The drives will also both have to have their jumpers set to CS. Or set the old drive to Master and the new to Slave if it's an older 40-core cable.

[grumpy old man]

Thank you both for your replies to my rather basic questions, but not having installed a hard drive before, just wanted to make sure that I am buying the right components.

Will now order the drive from list you have very kindly provided and will hopefully install.  No doubt if I have any problems you will be able to help me out.

gom

[grumpy old man]

Have ordered new hard should arrive soon.

Once installed as presumably a secondary drive at least initially, can I do a clean install of XP on this drive and then change drive letters such that PC boots from new drive with and uses clean install XP.  I can then presumably remove XP from old drive.  Can I do this and keep my documents intact?

gom

[tuftedduck]

Hello, GOM. 

Earlier on, you mentioned that this exercise was because you wanted to reinstall XP on a new drive.

Do you mean a fresh install of XP from an installation disc, or do you mean that you just want to put the XP, your programs and all your data onto a new drive ?

[grumpy old man]

Sorry, didn't make myself clear.  I will do a clean install from original XP installation disc onto the new hard drive and then hopefully delete XP from my current drive.

gom

[tuftedduck]

Had it been a simple clone from one disc to another, I could help.

Clean install..............TD is totally out of his depth.

Will wait for the experts to come along.

[kitz]

Theres several ways to do things.
If it was me...  I think i'd install the new drive as the master and put XP on it.

Once that was done, I'd then introduce the old drive as the slave, so I could then transfer any files etc on to the new drive.   Once I was sure that I had everything I wanted from the old drive, then I'd format it.

[roseway]

Spot on, I would say Kitz.

[tuftedduck]

I'm probably entirely wrong, but I "bowed out" as I had the impression that GOM may be asking for a detailed step by step guide which would be entirely outside my competence.

[grumpy old man]

OK will install as master.  What happens when computer is switched on and there is no operating system does it stop once you have gone through initial boot and then I just put XP disc in and let software install?

gom