Adding a Second Hard Drive

Hi,

I,m no geek either (Lol), but will share my experiance, as ive just added a 160gb to my 8200..

Basically, i just installed the new drive, i didn't have to change the jumpers or anything, just Auto detect in the bios (if you do have to change the jumpers, i believe cable select is the one to use...

After the install, i booted into windows, right click on My computer and choose Manage, then disk management... then i partitioned the drive into 3 NTSF partitions...

It was as simple as that, you can also change the drive letters in disk management, so no need for partition majic, but if you wish to use it, then thats up to you, but i suppose it will have the same result...

Hope this helps

Good luck

Hello,

I too have a Dimension 8200 (850 Motherboard), and am adding a Western Digital 160gb hardrive....

Do I have to change or update my BIOS, it is currently at 'A02' ?___________________

 

I thought there was more for me to do adding a hardrive beyond 137gb?_________

Any other tips, etc. appreciated!

 

Edmund

hollywoodbob. Wrote.

(1) Once the second hard drive is installed, does it have to be formated? And what are the steps?

Yes. See the following.

"These are generic instructions for installing an additional hard drive using Windows XP Disk Management,
they are by Seagate, but apply to all brands"

                                            http://www.seagate.com/support/kb/disc/howto/install_xp_disk_mgmt.html

(2) Can this second hard drive be divided into a couple of partions and can I do it with Partion Magic 8.0, which I already have a copy of or does it have to be done another way?

Yes, you can use Partition Magic 8.0

(3) According to what I have read, NT, 2000, and XP, which I have, will just list the new drive and partions of this new drive, if I can partion a second hard drive, to the next available unused letters or is that wrong and it will assign the new second hard drive to the D: and E:, if I can partion it and move my dvd(D:) and my cd burner(E:) to (F:) and (G:)?

You can use any Drive Letter Assignment, except for C : this is always reserved for the boot drive and A : & B : that are reserved for the floppy drives.   Read the following.

 http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307844
 
(4) I know how to handle using different drive letters for my cd drive, because I always use it to just burn something to it, but what about my dvd drive? How do I resign a drive letter to it? Ex: I use WinDVD to play my dvd's and some cd's.

Use the above instructions.

I know I might have some of you confused, but I would like all the information, before I start to install this second hard drive. I'm not a geek yet, but I'm trying. LOL

Bev.
 

Hi EJC2,

I dont know if you have to, but i flashed my bios to the latest one A09, then when you install the drive, as long as you have Win XP SP1 installed, it will see the full 160gb....

When i first installed the drive, i did it from a clean format and it only showed 137gb, but when i downloaded SP1 the other 20gb appeared... ( well in total its about 156gb, but thats normal)

Apart from that, i just used disk management in windows to partition it and everything has been fine :)

If you are going to use it as the boot drive, i would suggest, when installing XP and it gives you the option to partition, make 1 boot partition of 10gb, but leave the rest till you've installed all windows updates, then once windows is installed and SP1 etc, use disk management to partition the rest, or partition majic, which ever you prefer...

Hope this helps

P.S
You may already have this, but something else i did which is the best time saver ever, i purchased Norton Ghost, and once i had installed all the windows updates  and essential progs i made an image of the boot partition and stored the image file on my second drive... now instead of the format taking hours, it takes 3 minutes, now hows that for time saving

Its especially good for me, as i'm one of the few people still with a dang 56k modem  (no broadband in my area, yet)

Good luck

Dimension 8200
Pentium 4 2.6ghz / 400mhz
1024mb Samsung pc800 rdram
120gb Western Digital 8mb cache
160gb Western Digital 8mb cache
16x Samsung DVD
24x Nec CD/RW
Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2
10/100 3com Network
Sapphire Atlantis 9700 pro Graphics
Win xp Home

3dmark 2001se - 14251
3dmark 03 - 4994

Message Edited by shunney on 02-20-2004 11:20 PM

Shunney, thanks for the information.  The information that you gave me was about what I had researched.

I couldn't find anywhere that said I could put the second hard drive into the NTFS Format, so I am glad you told me that you did it.

I am going to try your way without Partion Magic. Your way seems to be the way to go and since it has been tried and tested by you and works, that's good enough for me.

Who says you aren't a "Geek"?  LOL

Thanks for the info, it helped me a lot.      HollywoodBob

Shesagordie, thank you for the links.  I read them and they really helped put my mind at ease on putting in this second drive.

Between you and Shunney, I don't think I will have a problem at all. ( I'll be doing it this weekend)

I really appreciate your help.  These Dell Forums are the best ones I have ever been too. I have gotten some of my best advice on things here. I'm glad there are people like you and Shunney that read these that help people like me to increase my knowledge. That is why I always come to these forums to get the advice from the best before I start my project.

Once again, thank you for the links.      HollywoodBob

EJC2,  I just thought I would let you know.  I just called a Dell Tech and was told that the bios has nothing to do with the addition of a second hard drive, so Shunney was right on the money with that.

The tech told me I could have added as large of a second hard drive that I needed.

He did tell me exactly what Shunney said and that was to make sure you have SP1 installed on XP when you put in the second hard drive. Now, that was from the horses mouth.  LOL

Shunney and Bev, who also posted to this thread, have got their act together. Just reading both of their replies to my post will get you to where you want to go.

HollywoodBob

EJC2,  since I posted this message, I have gotten the info I needed.

As to your question on updating the bios, I think it depends on how old your bios is. I have never updated my bios and it is A00.  I talked to a Dell Tech last week when I ordered my 120GB drive and he said that I didn't have to update my bios.  I think that as long as your partions on your new hard drive, if you were going to partion it, are not over 120GB, that you won't have a problem. But don't hold me to that. 

As long as you are just installing the hard drive with out partioning it, you shouldn't have a problem and if you are going to partion it and any of the partions is over 120GB, then I would diffently update the bios

Also, make sure you have enough RAM. You should have at 128MB minimum, but 256 would be better.

Shunney gave you some pretty good advice in his PS part of his reply to your post. Sounds to me like he knows his stuff.   HollywoodBob

Well, it's a Friday night and I didn't hear back from anyone earlier this evening.... so I took it on my own to upgrade my BIOS from 'A02' to 'A09'... all seemed fine after!  So I then proceeded to install my new Western Digital 160gb HD..... all is fine here so far, it's working!

In the past few weeks I have added:

* USB 2.0/Firewire card ($26)

* 512MB (2X256) of RDRAM ($200)

* 2.6Ghz CPU stepping up from a 1.8Ghz ($169 -$30 rebate & selling the 1.8Ghz on eBAY= $64.99)

* 160gb HardDrive ($179.99 - $120 in rebates= $59.99

All for $350 after rebates and selling my old 1.8Ghz CPU on eBay 

Thank You All So Much.....  you are all a wonderful group of fellow DELL'ers!!!

Edmund 

Thanks HollywoodBob,

Good luck with your project this weekend..... BIOS was no big thing... so far!

May the force be with you young hollywoodbob!

 

EJ,  now you have a brand new computer. Glad everything went smooth. I hope the same goes for me this weekend.

Never updated my bios. That is another thing I will have to "learn" how to do one of these days I guess.

Sounds like you not only have a new pc, but now know a lot of info that will help you to build your own one of these days.

Hollywood

hollywoodbob.

You're welcome and thanks for the feedback.

Bev.

Your welcome guys

HollywoodBob...

If you do decide to flash the bios, it really is very easy.... just select your system through the Reference tab on the support page, click downloads, select Bios flash updates, there are 2 to choose from, choose the Floppy format (BD820009.exe) and download using HTTP... When its downloaded (its an icon of a Floppy disk), format a floppy disk and leave the disk in the drive, run the Bios setup, a Dos window will appear, follow the instructions and the files will copy onto the Floppy (making it bootable)... now leave the disk in the drive and reboot, when the system starts to read the Floppy, a blue screen will pop up, showing you the progress of the flash (takes about 30 seconds), when its done, take out the floppy and reboot, and thats it :)

The only caution i would say, is while the flash is in progress, stay well away from the Power button, because if the power cuts off during the flash, it can damage the Bios chip permanently :(

Good luck

Shunney,

I was going to update my Bios, but when I got to the part where I had to select either "HTTP" or "FTP" I got stumped. I have a web site and use "FTP" to upload all my files and almost was going to choose the FTP, but elected to wait and find out which transfer method I was to use.

Thanks for solving that problem for me without me even asking you. I really appreciate it.

Your directions are very easy to follow, so off to flash the hard drive I go. Thanks again for your help.

Hollywood

EJ

Thanks for the one liner,

"May the force be with you young hollywoodbob!" I too am a "Star Wars Fan" and being 55yrs old, the young part of the line made me feel good.

It is hard keeping up with the younger generations ability to just jump in and try things without thought of "Destruction" of these "Personal Confusers" as Leo Laporte calls them on call for help.

Hollywood