Gateway SX2800-01- eSATA Port

[INFO_35]

Hi everyone I am new here I hope to contribute in the near future soon.

Recently my computer has stop working and I have decided to buy a new one which is Gateway' SX2800-01 slim - style desktop. Before purchasing I have a couple of questions that I hope can be answered.

1. My internal hard drive from my recent computer which contains files that I still want still works, but I am unable to know exactly if there any space available in Gateway' SX2800-01 for a second hard drive.

2. If there is know space available for the hard drive is there anyway that I can transfer files onto the new computer through the use of the eSATA Port on the Gateway computer.

Note: My hard drive is an Serial ATA with no eSATA connection.

3. If I install my hard drive which contains "Windows Xp" on a computer which already has "Windows Vista" on the primary hard drive will it cause any problem to the system.

Gateway' SX2800-01 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883113100

Thanks in advance

 

[Paperdoc]

Yes, you can do this relatively easily. What you need to do is buy an external drive enclosure. When you do that, you pay attention to two interface issues: What is the interface between enclosure and computer (you will choose eSATA), and what is the interface internally between enclosure and hard drive (you will choose SATAII).

Get an enclosure with its own power supply, usually as a separate "wall wort" or something - most for desktop 3½" drives come this way anyway. Many enclosures come with two or more interfaces to the computer. Mine has both eSATA and USB2, because USB2 is SO widely used I can count on using it on almost any machine - but I use eSATA at home because it's faster.

Whether or not your enclosure has a built-in cooling fan is your choice, but those ones cost more. In mine containing a 500 GB Seagate a few years old, it runs at quite reasonable temperatures with no fan.

Even if your HDD is an older original SATA (slower) drive, a SATAII interface inside the enclosure will work just fine.

It is usually simple to mount the hard drive in the case and get it to work. You may have to go into your new machine's BIOS to enable the eSATA port so you can use it. You MIGHT (read your system's manual) have to load a driver into Windows for that eSATA port, or you might not.

Adding to a computer already with Vista installed another disk with XP on it will cause no problem. You will have your BIOS Boot Priority set to boot from the internal new disk, maybe after the optical disk, but you will NOT set it to try the eSATA external device, so it never will. Windows can see in My Computer that those files are on the external drive, but will never go there looking for those files because it already knows where to find (on your new machine's internal drive) everything it's looking for.

After you have moved all you old data to the new drive and are SURE the old one has nothing you need, consider completely wiping it clean and starting fresh. You do this in Disk Manager by Deleting its current Partition(s), then Creating a new Primary Partition that is NOT bootable and Formatting it to use the NTFS File system. You can then use it for data any time. Or, you can do like me - use it as you backup device. Periodically back up your main drive to it, then disconnect it electrically for isolation, and consider physically moving it offsite for safe storage until the next use. Just don't do this exactly like me - I don't make the backups often enough!

 

[INFO_35]

Thanks for your reply

When it comes to external drive enclosure is this what I am suppose to be looking for - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3804512&Sku=ULT40273


Thanks in advance

 

[Paperdoc]

Thanks for your reply

When it comes to external drive enclosure is this what I am suppose to be looking for - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3804512&Sku=ULT40273


Thanks in advance

Sorry I'm a bit late replying - lost track of this thread. Yes, that's exactly the type of external enclosure I recommend. I don't know that brand, but that does not matter. The Tiger page is a little confusing because it says the unit comes with a USB cable but does not mention the eSATA cable. However, one of the customer reviews mentions it. So you may get it, or maybe not. If not, buy one at a local store, or even order one when you order the enclosure.

Note that the pictures indicate it comes with an adapter bracket to mount in a PCI slot space at the back and plug into a mobo standard SATA port, thus providing an eSATA connector on your case back. If you don't have an eSATA port on your machine already, this is a good way to get it for no cost. But if your mobo already provides a real eSATA port and back panel connector, use it and discard the adapter.