Hard Drive Update Help Needed

[Roadhog]

My daughter has this motherboard which looks to be an sata 1 :
http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=K8N_Neo2_Platinum&class=mb

She is looking to get another hard drive, and she only has one western digital 80gig IDE now.

I am looking at this hard drive along with others:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7615967&st=western+digital+serial+ata+hard+drive&lp=2&type=product&cp=1&id=1130985130674

I see two potential problems.

1. She has sata1 and this is an sata2 drive.
2. The 137 gig barrier (I do not know how to tell if the mobo has the 48 bit LBA support). I see windows needs Sp1 or greater for drives larger then 137 gig which is not a problem.

I plan to partition the drive into partitions less then 137 btw, if that matters. I have never worked with drives larger then
80 gigs, nor had an sata II drive. I did read a post here saying sata II drive could run on an sata I interface, with just a "possible" jumper change (is this jumper on the mobo or drive)??

I am looking to go with the sata drive to give her another boot device/Operating system (off of another interface). Just a second copy of windows in case the first one gets corrupted. Also, sata seems to be the way to go now.

Any one else see any better deals out there, please post also..thanks as always

[Midknyte]

From Best of Data Storage (http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=162275):
Serial ATA Quick Tutorial (http://www.addonics.com/emerging_technologies/sata_tutorial.asp)
SATA II Misconceptions (http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=2450)

SATAII drives will work on SATAI. the jumper would be for a SATA3G drive versus a SATA1.5G drive.

why would you need a second install of windows? just use TrueImage or Ghost to image the drive.

if the drive has native SATA, it should have 48bit LBA support.

[Roadhog]

From Best of Data Storage (http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=162275):
Serial ATA Quick Tutorial (http://www.addonics.com/emerging_technologies/sata_tutorial.asp)
SATA II Misconceptions (http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=2450)

SATAII drives will work on SATAI. the jumper would be for a SATA3G drive versus a SATA1.5G drive.

why would you need a second install of windows? just use TrueImage or Ghost to image the drive.

if the drive has native SATA, it should have 48bit LBA support.

First, I think the 48 LBA support has to be on the mobo also (I think)? I am asking about this, as I just do not know. I am sure the 48lba would have to be (again, I think) on a drive larger then the 137 gig, other wise, what would be the use is having a drive larger then 137 gig and no 48 LBA)???

Second The jumper you refer to, is it located on the disc drive itself?

Third: I have been using a second install of windows for about 3 years. I know it may sound stupid, but it workd out pretty well. This is my config, not my daughters:

(1) 2 western digital raptors (SATA) 37 gigs each raid0

One windows and one data partition.

(2) 1 Western digigal 80 gig ide

One small windows partition, one small partition for a windows swap and one data partition)

(3) 1 Segate 40gig (older drive)

A couple partitions for data and programs.

The good thing about his is I use the raptors as my main windows partition. I boot into the IDE (Western Digital) only to use Norton Ghost 2003. I like to use Ghost from windows and this works for me great. (Sysopt mod told me you could use the Ghost 2003 from floppy (with service pack 2), but I never figured out how to do it (jack, Bigjackstaf or something, one of the big guys on these forums, I have never found the guy to give bad advice).

The second windows partition takes up little room and is nice insurance also.

[Midknyte]

48bit lba support has to be in both the bios and the OS. If your board has SATA, then it came out recently enough that the bios should already have 48bit lba. you already mentioned the xpsp1, so I figured you knew that it had 48bit lba also.

it's your system, so whatever. I use trueimage to back a backup image, since the image can be compressed. That saves a lot of space. whatever floats your boat.

[Roadhog]

48bit lba support has to be in both the bios and the OS. If your board has SATA, then it came out recently enough that the bios should already have 48bit lba. you already mentioned the xpsp1, so I figured you knew that it had 48bit lba also.

it's your system, so whatever. I use trueimage to back a backup image, since the image can be compressed. That saves a lot of space. whatever floats your boat.

Mid

Thanks for the help on the 48 lba. It is a recent mobo (only about 7-8 months old), but it is an older model and they no longer even sell them. It is a geforce3 (chipset) if that helps? It does have the sata, so I hope you are right about the 48 lba, as the daughter wants a lager drive (larger then the 137 gig).

On the other thing, I tried a couple backup programs. I "may have" tried True Image (I am very forgetful--52, and it is only getting worse lol). When sp2 came out, Norton 2003 would not work under windows when cloning from another partition and wrtiting over the windows partition.

Any way, if I remember, True Image "DID NOT" seem to have a partition to partition clone option (which I thought odd, and searched and searched--no option I could find for that). The one I remember had every option you could think of except for that partition to partition clone? I think it even had a drive to drive clone, but no partition to partition. Maybe just the revision I had?

I like to keep every thing on partition I know is good, and has all the major programs and updates on. Then, I can try trials or demos or utilities and such, and if it does not work out, I clone back over and every thing is "good". I do not like just removing the trial program, game, or utility, as it seems to always leave trash behind.

I would not find a "compressed to dvd" option useful either (I think that is what you are refering to?). I clone over once a week, maybe even twice, so that would be too slow for me. Hey, I am getting old, I do not want to waste time lol :D

[Midknyte]

You can look at the manufacturer's website to make sure it supports 137G+ drives. I haven't seen a motherboard with native SATA that doesn't support 48bit lba.

I'm using TI9. you can copy partitions by using the clone disk option.

I have a system and a data partition. I use TI to image the system partition to the data partition. Then I backup the data partition to one of my external hds. you could also burn the TI images to DVD.

[Roadhog]

You can look at the manufacturer's website to make sure it supports 137G+ drives. I haven't seen a motherboard with native SATA that doesn't support 48bit lba.

I'm using TI9. you can copy partitions by using the clone disk option.

I have a system and a data partition. I use TI to image the system partition to the data partition. Then I backup the data partition to one of my external hds. you could also burn the TI images to DVD.


Mid - Are you saying you can use TI and use clone disk option to clone a partition? As I remember fumbling around and if I remember correctly (highly unlikely), it would only allow me to clone a complete disc to a complete disc:

IE I had Drive c with two partitions..it would not allow me to clone just one of the partitions to another partition (on another disc).

TI had a nice interface, and some other nice features, but I could not find a way to just clone one partition on one drive to another partition on another drive.

[Roadhog]

Complete Message

Mid - Are you saying you can use TI and use clone disk option to clone a partition? As I remember fumbling around and if I remember correctly (highly unlikely), it would only allow me to clone a complete disc to a complete disc:

*IE I had Drive c with two partitions..it would not allow me to clone just one of the partitions to another partition (on another disc).

TI had a nice interface, and some other nice features, but I could not find a way to just clone one partition on one drive to another partition on another drive.

I just re-read you post, and it seems to me you are saying you "CAN" do the star item above? I found the disc to disc, but could not find the partition to partition.

What I have works any ways, it just bothers me a little I could not find that option when I was playing with it. I never back up to dvd Mid. I do not do real work on the computer, just games, utilities and burn a little music some times. What I call a back up is backing up a windows install or data or game partition. When I just have a few files to save (enough for a cd or dvd), I just use Nero.

Can you go over how you clone the partition uing the clone disc option in TI. I rememer now "trying" to use that clone disc option . No rush, just wait until the next time you do a clone image unless you remember it now.

BTW, I went to the MSI web page (There is a link in my very first post to the mobo, the specs and such do not list disc drive size limit nor the 48 lba size). You are probably right in that if it is sata, it should also support larger drives. I am just trying to make sure in case I mail order from newegg or othere. If I buy local, and it does not work, I can just take it back. Best Buy has a decent deal with the sata 250gig for $79.99, but I have heard so many bad things about those guys in reviews. Also, I live out in the sticks, and it is a 45-50 minute drive to the local Best Buy, and that is if there is no traffic.

[Midknyte]

No, that's not possible with TI. The second drive would have to be erased first.

You could always make a TI image first, and then restore it to a different partition.