Can you supply me with a step by step set of instructions that
will enable me to install and FDISK the new compaq 13Ghz hard drive
they sold me, so that I can put - all my files and programs added to
my Compaq 5410 computer since the last and third time that I was
forced to do a quick restore on my C drive by Compaq's Technical
Support Team - out of harms way, while I restore my C drive, for $20?
IF NOT DO NOTHING.

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Request for Question Clarification by arcadesdude-ga on 17 Oct 2002 15:08 PDT

Can you explain what you mean by "new compaq 13Ghz hard drive"?
Hard drives aren't measured in gigahertz, they are measured in
gigabytes. Perhaps you meant 13GB hard drive? Or the hard drive in
your 1.3Ghz computer?

Also, it would help to know the model of hard drives and the reason
Compaq's Technical Support could not help.

Here is some general information about using a new drive:
Once you have installed the new hard drive, FDISK'ing it will just
format the disk. After that the operating system will have to be
installed and then your files transfered.

Basically, if your hard drive types are standard then you can install
the new one by first setting the jumper pin on the back of the new
drive to slave/secondary and then connecting it to the computer. There
will be 2 wires to connect to the hard drive, the power connection,
and the data connection. The data connection is the long (usually
flat) connection that connects to the motherboard (the flat, main part
of the computer where everything connects to everything else.) If the
drive is an IDE drive (most likely) then it will be an 80 (or 40) pin
flat black cable. That cable should have another connection near the
end where it can connect two IDE devices (hard drives in this case).
Once those cables are connected and the computer starts up as new, you
can access the data on the new drive and format it. (In windows, right
clicking on the correct drive and choosing format, but be careful, you
don't want to format your current "old" drive). Then the drive can be
disconnected from the old computer (or switched so the new drive is
connected how the old drive was and the old drive connected how the
new drive is). From there the operating system can be installed and
the files and programs transfered over.

I'm still unsure of what you mean by "13ghz hard drive" though.

I don't have an answer, but I sympathise. Compaq seems to answer
everyone with
"FDISK and use the restore disk". My neighbor had a printer error
yesterday, and being a newbie, and me at work, he called Compaq. They
told him to FDISK and restore! Luckily, he did not, and today he is
fine, with a new printer.
When I had major problems, about 5 years ago, I told the tech, after
getting charged $20, that I could see my files, and did not want to
lose anything. They told me:
"It's like looking in  a candy store window. You can SEE the candy,
but you can't GET the candy."
I did reformat and lost everything. Two years later when I took the A+
Computer classes, I learned I did not have to lose everything. I never
bought Compaq again, but they have told several other people I know
the same thing as they did you.


I think Compaq tells everyone the same thing. Grrr.

Good luck.

XP and remote support will make this situation better.. maybe.

The way Compaq and other companies work, is to get you to resore the
machine to how it was when it was deliveried to you!. If the system
then functions OK, they will tell you that you are causing the
problem. So you will lose all Programs and user files that you had on
that system.
The first thing to do is backup up all your files. 
The best was to do this is to another Hard disc using software such as
GHOST
Other ways is burn files to CD-R ( this will make files read-only , so
remeber when restoring).
I suggest prior to the FDISK, you might try and check the system for
errors
by running DiscCleanup, ScanDIsk, Defrag  or use utility like Partion
Magic.
If you need More detail, let us know, give Full Errors
messages/symtoms

If you have a "new drive" and your old files I'm assuming you have two
drives, or at least a new drive with the files backed up somewhere.

Simply restore the new drive and copy over the files from the other
one.  You can install both drives by making the old one the slave and
the new one the master.  You'll loose installations, but downloaded
files and documents should be salvagable.

Hi,
 This is really quite simple....OK, open the case..uplug the data and
power cables from the cd-rom and hook them to the new hard drive {make
sure pin #1 {red} is plug in closest to the power plug in}..There are
jumpers on the back of the hard drive for selecting either master,
slave or cable select...make sure it is jumpered for master. Now it
should look like this..old hard drive on the primary cable by itself
set for master and the new drive on the secondary set for master with
no other devices on those two cables. boot up into windows and go to
the command prompt {in win 9X go to start..run and type in "command"
and enter. In win 2000 or xp type in "cmd" and enter. at the command
prompt type "d:" than enter. now you should have a "d:>" on the
screen..now we are ready..type this in exactly..XCOPY /S /C /H /K /Y
/R /E C:   hit enter and the process will begin..this could take some
time depending on how many files you have..let it finish. type "exit"
at the prompt. now you new drive is an exact duplicate of your old
drive..pretty cool aye!..now shut down and remove your old drive and
replace it with the new one {still jumpered for master} and reconnect
the cd-rom. Boot up and all should be well. sometimes the new drive
{not usually} will require you to make the partition active. So if it
doesn't boot up, put in a win 98 boot disk..if you don't have one make
sure you download one before starting any of this..and boot with the
floppy..type fdisk..than select create active partition..pretty
straight forward...hope this helps..if you need more info just ask
                           Kevin