Want some advice about adding a new hard drive

[videocheez]

I feel like adding a new hardrive to my computer for the purpose of experimenting with Linux and some of the cool Linux apps. that i have heard about. I was thinking that I would add a new hardrive and install Ubuntu on that drive. I just wanted to get some advice about how to add a new hardrive as painless as possbile without screwing up my system.

Computer Specs.
Processor= Core2 Duo Processor E6600
OS=XP Professional Edition
Mother Board= Intel® D975XBX
System Memory=2GB (2- 1024MB) DDR2/800 DIMMS
Hard Drive= 250GB 7200RPM SATA
Hard Drive=148GB RAID 0 - (2 x 74GB SATA HDDs) 10,000 RPM WD

Thx in advance,

VC

[redwudz]

If you have the room in the case and a spare SATA socket on the MB, I'd just add it in there. Or if you are short of room, you could use an external SATA drive and a PCI SATA socket to extend the MB SATA socket out to the rear of the computer. This may be the easiest setup, because if you have any problems, just unplug the external drive. The PCI sockets look like this:



Then all you would have to do is set up it up to dual boot.

[videocheez]

I have a spare WD SATA 74GB Raptor that is an internal drive. Do ya think i could just run a cable from my motherboard's last SATA connector and treat the internal drive as an external. I have spare 5" sized bays. Is there an adapter that exists that would let me fit an extra hardrive in one of those bays?

Thanks in advance,

VC

[TA69]

yep, those adapters exist, just go to your local computer shop.
TA69

[edDV]

All you need to install and run linux is about 5-20GB unpartitioned space. Visa or Linux will install a boot loader or if you prefer, you can boot linux from a floppy, CD or flash drive.

[Nitemare]

Many distro's (Ubuntu included) come as a LIVE CD. When you want to run it, boot your PC from the CD ROM drive and it'll start up as Ubuntu Linux.

This distro method is perfect for test driving Linux. The Live CD can also install to a hard drive later on if you decide that you like it.

[redwudz]

Just to add about the 5 1/4" > 3 1/2" adapters. They are out there. I bought a few from here: http://www.computergate.com/products/item.cfm?prodcd=XMKHD

Or do a Google search for 'StarTech.com 5.25 to 3.5-Inch Drive Adapter Bracket' or similar. They are about $4US. There are also 5 1/4" inserts with fans that fit a 3 1/2" drive into a 5 1/4" drive opening.

I like the external idea as all you need to do is to add the PCI socket connector. Then you can add any external SATA drive with it's own PS and it will operate at the same speed as a internal SATA drive. Those SATA PCI brackets are about $6US. These guys also have external SATA enclosures. http://www.cooldrives.com/insaexsa1ppc.html The SATAe connectors are a little better as they don't have as much tendency to get unplugged, but they both work the same.

Either way should work fine. I have no idea about using a dual boot setup, but others should be able to assist you there.

I've downloaded Ubuntu also, but haven't had time to work with it. Good luck.

[videocheez]

All you need to install and run linux is about 5-20GB unpartitioned space. Visa or Linux will install a boot loader or if you prefer, you can boot linux from a floppy, CD or flash drive.

I figured that i would install onto a separate drive and not have to worry about screwing up my comp since its running beautifully as is.

[videocheez]

Then all you would have to do is set up it up to dual boot.

Two questions.

1. Is that a USB cable connecting to the rear computer PCI SATA socket or a SATA cable?

2. Does the BIOS have a dual boot option? Will I be prompted to either boot to Linux or Windows whes my scrren is still black and white?

[redwudz]

1. That's a standard SATA cable that plugs into a motherboard SATA socket and ends in a standard SATA socket on the PCI slot. The external SATA drive would operate the same as an internal drive, but can be easily unplugged or removed.

2. I believe you modify the boot.ini on your existing boot drive to give you a choice of which OS to boot from. But I'm not really knowledgeable about that. But it should work the same as installing Linux on a separate partition on the boot drive, which is one common method of dual boot setups.

[videocheez]

1. That's a standard SATA cable that plugs into a motherboard SATA socket and ends in a standard SATA socket on the PCI slot. The external SATA drive would operate the same as an internal drive, but can be easily unplugged or removed.

2. I believe you modify the boot.ini on your existing boot drive to give you a choice of which OS to boot from. But I'm not really knowledgeable about that. But it should work the same as installing Linux on a separate partition on the boot drive, which is one common method of dual boot setups.

Thanks for the update. I just walked across the street to the computer store next to my office and found Vantec NST-360S-BK Nexstar 3 3.5" SATA kit for $32.50 so I appreciate your advice. As far as the boot setup business, I think I better review this one further.

[redwudz]

It's new to me also, but I found a couple of pages on the Ubuntu documentation that makes it sound fairly easy to set up: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall and https://help.ubuntu.com/community/How_to_dual-boot_Ubuntu_and_XP_after_installing_them...ely_on_two_HDs

EDIT: I have one of those external Vantec SATA enclosures and it works well.

[ahhaa]

just a thought, but there are removable HD 'carriers' that fit those 5" bays. you could just plug in the M$ drive or the Linux drive and avoid the miseries & mysteries of uninstalling boot software...

[videocheez]

It's new to me also, but I found a couple of pages on the Ubuntu documentation that makes it sound fairly easy to set up: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall and https://help.ubuntu.com/community/How_to_dual-boot_Ubuntu_and_XP_after_installing_them...ely_on_two_HDs

EDIT: I have one of those external Vantec SATA enclosures and it works well.

Thanks for the links. That Vantec drive sure is hot. I gotta firgure out a way to cool that sucker.

[redwudz]

Unfortunately a hard drive in a small case will run fairly warm. But mine has been doing that for about two years in a Vantec case with no problems. Some SATA drives also run warmer than others. 97F or 36C is about normal.

I did have problems booting to Ubuntu from my external SATA, but discovered that was because my boot drive is a SATA drive and the boot loader was looking in the wrong place. The second link I posted should probably work to straighten that out. I'll try fixing it after work today. But I did try a dual boot with a computer at work and everything is working great. I'm using it at present. I haven't had to install any drivers, so that made it easy.

[videocheez]

Unfortunately a hard drive in a small case will run fairly warm. But mine has been doing that for about two years in a Vantec case with no problems. Some SATA drives also run warmer than others. 97F or 36C is about normal.

I did have problems booting to Ubuntu from my external SATA, but discovered that was because my boot drive is a SATA drive and the boot loader was looking in the wrong place. The second link I posted should probably work to straighten that out. I'll try fixing it after work today. But I did try a dual boot with a computer at work and everything is working great. I'm using it at present. I haven't had to install any drivers, so that made it easy.

Thanks for tip about the temp. From touching that teeny HD case, the temp does appear to around 36C but I'll point an IR thermometer at it tonight when I get home to see for sure. Besides, the WD Raptor has a 5 year warranty.
Regarding the Ubuntu install, it was getting late last night and I was too chicken to actually install it on the HD for fear that I would be up until 3AM screwing around with it.
Based ont the following instructions from link #2 from a few posts ago, it looks like it will be pretty simple:

"Do a fresh install of Ubuntu with the windows hard drive still plugged in. Ubuntu will automatically detect the other hard drive, and Grub will automatically list it as a choice at startup. You can then also see the other hard drive and access it while in Ubuntu by mounting it."

I am wondering now about partioning the drive. When I added the eSATA drive through Windowsl ast night, I did an NTFS format with no partitions. It's total size is 69GB. Do ya think I should use Ubuntu to partion the drive 20GB for OS and Apps and 49GB for Linux data? I didn't understand what you meant that the boot loader was in the wrong place and why that second link should work to straighten out the boot problems that you had. What does dual boot actually mean? Can I switch back and forth from Windows to Ubuntu with a couple of mouse clicks or do I have to reboot? Will I be prompted with a black and white screen saying Run Windows or Run Ubuntu. I know that I can just try this stuff to see what happens but since you are ahead of me i just thought I would find out what you have to say in order to avoid any obvious mistakes and besides this changing OS stuff freaks me out.

Thanks in advance,

VC

[redwudz]

What it does is make a small modification to your boot files on your C: or original boot drive. So when you start to boot the computer, you get a screen that gives you a choice of which OS to boot into. By default, it puts the modification on the first hard drive, usually Drive 0, which would normally be your boot drive.

In my setup Drive 1 is the Windows boot drive and my one PATA drive on the system, a storage drive, is shown as Drive 0. So that's apparently where it put the files. I probably could have avoided that by unplugging all but the boot drive and my external SATA, but I didn't read the instructions first. Ubuntu installed correctly, but my boot sequence doesn't see it.

The second article tells how to fix the boot file so it works like described if you mess it up. That's my project tonight.

The Ubuntu disc will do any necessary partitioning of the new drive. It was pretty much automatic and easy for the work computer I installed it on. I installed it on a removable drive that I use for backup. I made the install about 40GB total on a 80GB drive.

From what I read, it doesn't appear too hard to remove the boot modification if you don't want the dual boot screen anymore. My setup booted to Ubuntu automatically in about 20 seconds if I didn't specify Windows for boot, and I suspect I could change that so Windows was the default instead easily enough.

If you have more than one hard drive besides the external one, it would probably be easier to unplug them so there is no confusion during the install. After the install plug them back in and everything should be fine.

I spent the last month learning Vista, so this is like starting all over again.

EDIT: I gave up trying to modify the install in my home computer, so I unplugged the other hard drives and just reinstalled with the boot and the external SATA drive. Worked great. It's up and running and downloading updates. I just have to shut down and reconnect the other drives and I should be set. The only issue I had was it installs in 600 X 800 mode and I had to move the taskbars to the sides of the screen to be able to see the buttons. But I think that was just my monitor settings.

[videocheez]

If you have more than one hard drive besides the external one, it would probably be easier to unplug them so there is no confusion during the install. After the install plug them back in and everything should be fine.

I wish that I read this prior to installing but I got so excited about how easy this was suppose to be that I jumped in head first.

I need to do some serious googling tonight or I'll be using my windows restore disk within a couple of days. My system did not boot up. I got operating system error when I first rebooted. I have four hardrives on my system.

Drives 0 and 1 are configured as RAID0 striped as my main C: drive
Drive 2 is the drive that I installed Ubunto onto and is the new eSATA drive
Drive 3 was my windows storage drive

I tried changing the boot order in the BIOS from the default and I received a message saying installing Grub immeditely followed by an error 17 i think. I disconnected the eSATA drive and Windows still won't boot up. Some how I think I screwed up the Windows drives 0 and 1 so I'm in some trouble now. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

VC

[redwudz]

From Goggling on that error, I saw that you can use your Windows disc and boot into the repair console (Type 'r' instead of installing Windows.) Then type 'fixmbr' when the console is running and that may fix it. There is a risk.

What apparently happens is the boot 'pointer' is pointing to the wrong drive. This seems to repair the mbr (Master Boot Record) to restore the default Windows pointers. But I don't understand much of that. I assume this can happen with any dual boot setup.

But do a Google search for 'grub error 17' and you should get more info. There should be a better way.

Any Linux experts out there?

[videocheez]

I'm on lunch break now so I can spend some more time researching this. I'm concerned that my RAID0 Windows drives could have got out of sync. and I'm not sure that problem can be repaired. I'm thinking that in the worst case, Umbuntu wrote somthing to just one of those drives instead of to the pair.
I like your suggestion about recovery console but i don't have an actual Windows disk. What i do have is 3 -year in home warranty so as long as i don't mention an Ubuntu installation I could have the factory boys come out and fix it for me. Thanks for yours help thus far. I'll let you know the outcome. If I don't figure it out out by Noon Saturday, I'll re-install Windows.....maybe. .

VC

EDIT:I'm posting from Firefox in Ubuntu I'm 1/3 of the way to my ultimate goal of Dual boot. I disconnected RAID0 drives, only had the new eSATA drive connected and installed Ubuntu. It finally installed and I'm checking it out now. Now I'm going to disconnect the eSATA drive, reconnect the RAID0 drives and try to recover Windows using your suggestion with Windows recovery console. I guess I'll find out pretty soon if I screwed up Windows. That was close. Windows is saved. I think I need to get a little bit better save my ass plan before proceeding any further. I will back up back up MBR file, install the Windows recovery console and describe exactly what i would like to achieve on one of the Linux forums. i'll let you know how it goes.