EDIT Stupid laptop questions. - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

PIMking · 02-25-2011, 08:20 AM

I've got a few questions about changing the HD in my laptop. When I buy a HD from say bestbuy and change them around, how do I get my information such as windows 7 and downloaded information to the new hd? Do I have to buy a kit of some sorts?

Hanni · 02-25-2011, 08:37 AM

You need a hard drive enclosure, something like this but you can probably find a cheaper one somewhere. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Rocketfi...sure&cp=1&lp=3
Then it is just a matter of transferring your data over, or keeping the external hard drive for storage.

As far as transferring windows I found this forum topic http://social.answers.microsoft.com/...8-0c4cabdd0c78

Though it may just be easier to reinstall windows on the new drive.

PIMking · 02-25-2011, 08:50 AM

okay let me restate this; I've got a 320gb hard drive and I've only got about 12gb left (says the computer)

Well I would like to have more room to save stuff on the laptop. I've also got a laptop that I loved but the keyboard stopped working on it and it seemed loads faster and the picture quality was better than this one. They are both Compaq's and this one is a cq62 and I can't remember the other one off the top of my head. But this one has an AMD compared to the Intel in the other. So should I just get some more ram? that is a pretty easy by adding new boards like this http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Computer...d=abcat0506002

So I guess would I be able to take one processor out of the old compaq, and then add more ram (4gb) and be okay?

PIMking · 02-25-2011, 08:51 AM

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817....asp?tab=Specs

That's my laptop

Hanni · 02-25-2011, 11:30 AM

I've never had a lot to do with laptops so this is based off of my knowledge of desktops, but should be mostly the same.

As you said upgrading ram is easy enough, just make sure you match it with what is currently in the system so you don't have any issues. Doesn't have to be the same brand but type (ddr2, ddr3 etc) and speed (133mhz, 333mhz etc) should match.

Aside from the trouble of actually changing out a cpu in a laptop, which I've never done on a laptop but looks like you have to take the entire thing pretty well apart. Intel and AMD are not interchangeable, you would also need to replace the motherboard to be compatible with the intel. Again more than likely way more work than it is worth.

As far as disk space goes I would look at getting an enclosure for the hard drive out of the broken laptop and using it as external storage for your media.