How do I add an extra hard drive?

[jimflint1]

I'm really kind of a novice at putting together computers. Right now I have a Seagate HD with these specs:
Disk Drive ST380011A (80 GB, 7200 RPM, Ultra-ATA/100)

I'd like to add a really large HD, like maybe 500 GB, but I'm not sure what kind I'd need to get to work well with my current system. Also, what would I need to do to install it in my computer? Or if I get an external drive, what will I need to do to get the new drive running properly with the old drive?

 

[Rik]

If you get a nice big ata 133 drive it should work without any problems inside your pc provided you have a spare plug on the data cable, a spare power plug, and enough room to fix it in.

 

[mailpup]

Let me add that you should set the jumper on the back of the new drive probably to Slave while confirming that your old hard drive is set to Master. This assumes you are installing both hard drives on the same IDE data cable with the Master on the end of the cable and Slave in the middle. An alternative is setting both drives to Cable Select (CS). For cable select you should make sure you have an 40 pin (they are all 40 pin), 80 wire IDE cable. If you aren't sure, just try it and see if it works.

Once you physically install the hard drive, all you should need to do is format it and you should be good to go.

 

[Rik]

Some good words from mailpup there. I recomend you have a look inside your pc first of all tho. Theres no point in buying an internal drive if it wont fit in there.

 

[jimflint1]

If you get a nice big ata 133 drive it should work without any problems inside your pc provided you have a spare plug on the data cable, a spare power plug, and enough room to fix it in.

Thanks, Rik. BTW, what does the "133" mean?

 

[jimflint1]

Oh and thanks to the rest of you also--it's all kind of coming back to me now that I hear setting the jumpers to slave and master and making sure of the line up on the cable. I guess I was also curious about the ATA drive and if it was compatible with other types of drives, but I think since most of what I see out there are ATA drives and this will work within my current setup, that's what I'll get--so it makes EIDE etc., a mute point. I think.

 

[Rik]

The 133 refers to the data transfer rate of the hard drive. you can get 33, 66, 100, and 133 ata rates. Then you have sata1 that's 150 and sata2 that's 300.
If you tell me what mobo you have i can tell you what it is compatible with. Its either going to be an ata mobo (compatible with all ata speeds) or it could be ata and sata compatible one.