How To: Upgrading HDD in R51 (1836 QNU)

[stevenc]

I decided to upgrade my 40 GB HDD (Fujitsu MHT2040AT) to a new 120 GB one (Seagate ST9120822A). While there are many threads discussing HDD upgrades, most cover the T4? Series. Therefore, I’m creating this thread to consolidate the advice in previous threads, with my own experience.

Summary:
1. Installed Seagate DiscWizard (used version 10.0.0.5077, based on Acronis TI 10)
2. Created DiscWizard bootable media
3. Installed new Seagate drive in ThinkPad
4. Installed old Fujitsu in USB enclosure (Vantec NexStar model NST-285U2)
5. Disabled IBM service partition
6. Booted from DiscWizard DVD
7. Cloned from USB enclosure to HDD in TP

While I suspect (based on release date) that the R51 is capable of 48-bit LBA, and therefore able to accept a HDD larger that 137 GB, I decided on the 120 GB model to be safe -- and to save money for a USB enclosure . I also purchased a Vantec NexStar enclosure, which (at only $17) comes with a leather (?) carrying case, mounting screws, a screwdriver, and a USB cable with splitter. Although I’m not quite sure of its purpose (possibly to allow cloning from another USB disk using only one USB port), the cable has a male USB A connector with two cables coming out of it; one leads to a mini USB connector for the enclosure, the other leads to a connector with a male USB A at one end and a female USB A at the other.

I performed a custom installation of DiscWizard to include the Bootable Media Wizard. I used the wizard to create a "full version" (includes USB drivers) bootable ISO (50 MB), which I copied to another computer and burned onto DVD. (I chose a DVD due to speed and cost considerations.)

I booted into my TP’s bios to disable the IBM service partition, and then restarted with the DiscWizard DVD inserted to ensure that it was bootable. DiscWizard told me that there was no Seagate drive detected and shutdown.

I removed the TP’s HDD mount, removed the existing Fujitsu drive (but not the heat spreader), and installed the new Seagate drive in its place. I re-installed the HDD mount, and then installed the Fujitsu drive in the USB enclosure.

I turned on the TP, and once the DVD started to boot, I turned on the USB drive. I started the full version of DiscWizard, which recognized both drives and prompted me to proceed with the New Drive Wizard. The New Drive Wizard is an unnecessary process, as the Clone Drive Wizard will delete existing partitions anyways. So, I closed the New Drive Wizard and started the Clone Drive Wizard.

I chose the Seagate as the new (i.e. destination drive) and the Fujitsu as the existing drive. I chose to keep the data on the existing drive, in case the cloning process failed. However, DiscWizard did provide options to erase the source disk after the cloning process.

I chose the Manual mode to allow me to resize and move the partitions locations on the new drive. However, I found that I couldn’t resize the system partition. I moved other partitions, leaving enough unallocated space after the system partition to resize it later. I was concerned that the partitions on the new drive were assigned drive letters E, F, etc., but these were just temporary.

I proceeded with the clone, which took about 45 minutes. The setting to copy the MBR was set automatically. Once the cloning process was completed, I closed the DiscWizard window, which shutdown the computer. I disconnected the USB enclosure and booted into the BIOS. I re-enabled the IBM service partition and booted into XP. Once there, I used PartitionMagic 8 to resize the system partition and to create additional partitions in the unallocated space. Because I wasn’t resizing or moving the NTFS partitions, this task took only a minute or two and didn’t require a reboot.

To address concerns raised in other threads, I’ve check that USB devices can be removed without error, that the Active Protection system still works, and that I can still boot into the Rescue and Recovery partition at boot (via the Access IBM button).

Using HDTune, I can verify that the data transfer rate for the new drive is about twice as much as the old one. And while it’s too early to compare battery life, the new Seagate drive is so quiet, the only indication it’s on is the HDD led!

I realize that this is a long post, but I hope it serves as a guide and helps alleviate any concerns regarding upgrading the HDD of an R51.

Thanks to the thinkpads.com Support Community for providing an invaluable service to TP owners.

Steven