upgrade hard drive on T43

[Eto]

I want to increase the current size of my HD from the 55 gb to ANYTHING larger, I read/searched where there is an 80gb and even a 160gb.

In some of the descriptions they say for a "T43P"!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160GB-HARD-DRIVE-FOR-IBM-ThinkPad-T40p-T41p-T43p-A31p-/380343362699?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588e3b248b

Is a HardDrive designed for a T43P compatable with my T43?

BTW if it makes a difference my T43 is an 1872 J13!

Anyway can some one point me in the right direction for HD's for my T43.

Also I'm beginning to get HD sector failures so I want to change out BEFORE it crashes!

oh and one more thing, the "CADDYS" I read about they allow you to have a second hard drive at the expense of the CD/DVD drive bay correct?

oh yeah and reminds me of ONE MORE thing again . .is there a DVD writer available for my T43?

thanks Eto

[ajkula66]

Welcome to the forum!

Your T43 will take any 9.5mm/2.5" PATA (aka IDE or ATA) laptop hard disk drive. The largest available is WD 320GB/5400rpm.

Newer drives will give you a "2010 error" warning on boot, but that's nothing to be concerned about.

DVD RW and ultrabay HD carriers are widely available.

Happy upgrading.

[ajkula66]

double post...sorry.

[Eto]

thanks ajkula, i'll do a search for the WD 360gb drives.

On the DVD-R drive is there any additional spec I need when searching for that writer?

Is there an IBM/Lenovo/Thinkpad model or do I go generic?

thanks once more, i have NO plans to dump this OLDER laptop.

I LIKE the little lite at the top for nightime surfing and work.

I don't think there is NO other laptop with a light like that.

just did a search and found numerous sata drives in 2.5 inch 360gb 5400 rpm but not pata!

am i doing something wrong or are they (sata~pata) the same?

[ajkula66]

Here you go:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Digital ... 3a71fe0185

Not affiliated with the seller, shop at your own risk.

[Eto]

while I'm at it, what is the max amt of ram this model capable of?

T43 1872 j13

thanks, I ain't putting my T43 out to pasture ANYTIME soon!

[Eto]

Here you go:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Digital ... 3a71fe0185

Not affiliated with the seller, shop at your own risk.

thanks, eto

[RealBlackStuff]

Max. RAM is 2 x 1GB (DDR2-PC4200 or DDR2-PC5300), both sticks preferably (but not req'd) from the same brand.
PATA is NOT the same as SATA.
Your laptop requires PATA.

[Eto]

Max. RAM is 2 x 1GB (DDR2-PC4200 or DDR2-PC5300), both sticks preferably (but not req'd) from the same brand.
PATA is NOT the same as SATA.
Your laptop requires PATA.

thanks rbs

(apprentice serious thinkpadder)

[Countessjaye]

Hello, I see you are getting a new hdd for the T43. They are super-picky; very few hard drives make it without firmware flashing. What happens is that you get a 2010 error - you are using an unauthorized hard drive...

As you will find in the Thinkwiki http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Problem_w ... hard_disks, some drives work out the box - but any deviation from them means the 2010 error. For instance, the same Toshiba 40 gb drive at 4500 will not work but 5400 will, or the speed will work but the size won't... it is all very tedious.

Then there are some which will work with a firmware flash. Most just never do pass boot muster. I have a T43 that I have not been able to make happy so i just deal with the annoying warning and buzzers and such every time i use it. I tried seven before I surrendered to the fact that if it ain't on the list of usable drives, it ain't usable.

So there is one thing available I have not tried yet but think today is the day: there are modified BIOS available to help. The list, link, info is also in the ThinkWiki here. Enjoy, and keep me posted!

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Problem_w ... hard_disks

[RealBlackStuff]

Error 2010 is old hat by now.
Flashing the BIOS with TTAV134's BIOS will solve all Error 2010 problems.
http://forums.mydigitallife.info/thread ... post344779
Search the web with the filename as found above on the MyDigitalLife website, the links there are all dead.

[ajkula66]

For instance, the same Toshiba 40 gb drive at 4500 will not work but 5400 will, or the speed will work but the size won't... it is all very tedious.

This is absolutely, positively incorrect. Please disregard

I tried seven before I surrendered to the fact that if it ain't on the list of usable drives, it ain't usable.

You were doing something very wrong, because I've been running non-compatible drives for 7 years now on hundreds of T43/p units and have no similar experience to report. Yes, the warning is there but that's all. Everything else works properly.

In plain English, if you're afraid of flashing the BIOS with the modded one, use *any* 9.5 mm/2.5" PATA laptop drive and ignore the warning. It's really that simple.

[Eto]

thanks realblack, countessjaye and ajkula I'll probably go this route . . . .

in plain English, if you're afraid of flashing the BIOS with the modded one, use *any* 9.5 mm/2.5" PATA laptop drive and ignore the warning. It's really that simple.

. . as I could not find the BIOS download file, unless one of you have it and can email it to me!