How to: Upgrade hd

[EggsBenny]

Running a 60gb HD on my x60s that has run out of space and need to replace with a larger capacity drive. Are there any 7200rpm solutions and will the stock ThinkVantage utilities clone the old data to the new HD without a hitch? Cloning instructions appreciated. Recommended HD upgrade brands also appreciated. TIA.

[highland1024]

I used Acronis Trueimage, a harddrive image software
1. create a disk image of existing internal harddrive on a USB external harddrive
2. install the new internal hardrive
3. remap the disk image from USB to internal
If you currently using a 60 GB harddrive, the total process (exclude harddrive switch which depends on your experience) will take less than 1 hour.

I think you can use other harddrive image software to get this done as well.

Good luck

[gpvillamil]

Even simpler:

1. Get the new drive
2. Put the new drive in a USB enclosure
3. Clone the internal to new drive using TrueImage
4. Remove the old laptop drive
5. Take the new drive out of the enclosure
6. Put new drive into laptop

[EggsBenny]

Update:

1. Bought a Thinkpad 160GB 7200rpm SerialATA drive; part no 41N5737.
2. Installed the new drive into my X60s.
3. Overwrote all sectors including the MBR with bootable Secure Data Disposal then did a low level nuke -- 1's and 0's on the new drive from an external CD drive.
4. Changed BIOS setting from "AHCI" to "Compatibility Mode".
5. Booted from Rescue and Recovery CD's (part # 41R8453) and rebuilt the partitions.
6. Booted from new internal drive and loaded TrueImage Home 2009.
7. Attached external USB with TrueImage image of my C partition, MBR and hidden partition.
8. Unchecked MBR and hidden partition and checked "C" partition restore.
9. Launched TrueImage restore and waited 40 minutes...

...for an error free restore!

[m509272]

Overly complicated. Got Apricorn unit. Installed backup utility on existing HD, 1 minute. Connected new HD to Apricorn, plugged USB in, ran software, it reboots and creates new HD. Pull original, install new. Done. I've done this 3 times already.

[EggsBenny]

Overly complicated. Got Apricorn unit. Installed backup utility on existing HD, 1 minute. Connected new HD to Apricorn, plugged USB in, ran software, it reboots and creates new HD. Pull original, install new. Done. I've done this 3 times already.

Unfortunately, I bought TI early in the cloning process. Apricorn failure/success rates aren't much better. There isn't a high success rate with ThinkPad’s and TI's cloning tool. I never got it to clone. In fact, I could only restore a drive in 2 ways with TI;

1. Place a bootable HD with TI installed in the internal bay and restore from a backup image residing on an external USB drive and,

2. Place a blank HD in the internal bay and restore the boot partition with TI's boot CD and a backup image residing on an external USB drive.

I was in Best Buy today and asked a member of the Geek Squad if they had any success cloning a ThinkPad with TI. The answer was no. So, if the Geek Squad couldn't pull it off chances are...