Laptop HDD?

[pikeh]

heya!

How complicated is it replacing a laptops HDD? Is it worth paying someone to do it for me?
Also, how careful do I have to be when purchasing the new drive? My laptop is quite an old Novatech model, so will there be some problems with compatability from off-the-shelf HDD's?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Kryten]

A drive is a drive, nice and simple

If you can tell me what model it is, I should be able to give a few pointers.
Most commonly, the hard drives are behind a panel either on the side or the bottom of the laptop and make be connected via a very small ribbon or just a hard fitted connector.

It's a piece of piss to do even for someone with no experience, so don't worry too much about it.

Let me know the model and I'll tell you where it is

 

[pikeh]

A drive is a drive, nice and simple

If you can tell me what model it is, I should be able to give a few pointers.
Most commonly, the hard drives are behind a panel either on the side or the bottom of the laptop and make be connected via a very small ribbon or just a hard fitted connector.

It's a piece of piss to do even for someone with no experience, so don't worry too much about it.

Let me know the model and I'll tell you where it is

hey, thanks for the reply!

Its a Novatech Neptune Elite intel 1.8ghz
purchased it about 3 years ago and having some nasty problems with it now, that various other forums seem to think my hard drive is about to 'splode.

 

[MYstIC G]

If that's the case, I suggest an immediate backup.

 

[pikeh]

If that's the case, I suggest and immediate backup.

Done and done!

the error comes up in event viewer and is;

The device, \Device\Harddisk0\D, has a bad block.

Nearly every thread I google, it ends up in someone saying "its gonna die"
So yeah, all backed up

 

[Kryten]

As with many of those universal (rebadged) laptops I can't get much information at all about the specific machine.

Either way, what you need to look for is a smallish panel that's gonna be circa 3" long by 1.5-2" wide if the drive is on the bottom, or a plate on the sides/front of the machine that are again a couple of inches long. Will be held in with screws, pop them out and take a look at a couple of panels.
It'll be one of those.

 

[pikeh]

As with many of those universal (rebadged) laptops I can't get much information at all about the specific machine.

Either way, what you need to look for is a smallish panel that's gonna be circa 3" long by 1.5-2" wide if the drive is on the bottom, or a plate on the sides/front of the machine that are again a couple of inches long. Will be held in with screws, pop them out and take a look at a couple of panels.
It'll be one of those.

thankyou,
Ill take a look when my machines cooled down

As for buying a new HDD how does this look?
Seagate Momentus 5400.3 ST9160821A Laptop Hard Drive Laptop Hard Drive ST9160821A - PC World Business Online Store UK - Buy The Best Deals Online.

 

[razeredge]

I you still have problems, try taking a few pics, not a whole lot online on the system, drive could either, slide in at the side, be under a panel, or worst case, be under the keyboard, here's a couple of links as to what it could look like (not the model/maker in question but should be similar), if it slides in at the side
http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/latd600/sm/hdd6.jpg, - that hard drive is at the side of the system or http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/latd610/en/sm_en/hdd4.jpg is something similar

 

[Kryten]

Aye that drive should be fine, but only assuming it is indeed an IDE drive (44pin) rather than a SATA (newer standard).
Best judged when you've taken a look at the old one

 

[pikeh]

Went out and got an IDE 120gig drive just like the one I posted, only smaller.

Its all fine, seems I've installed my copy of windows a few too many times though so I've got to call tomorow and sort all that out.

Thanks again for your help everyone!
was real easy to take out and fit the new HDD