Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question

Help extend the life of my laptop

Tags:
  • Compaq
  • Storage
  • Laptops
  • SATA
  • Presario
  • Hard Drives
Last response: in Storage
Share
October 13, 2014 1:58:58 AM

Hi All,

I'm after some advise to extend the life of my good old trusty laptop.
For info, it is a compaq presario v5002ea
Original Specs are here: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00...

I have already upgraded the RAM to 2GB (2x 1GB sticks of PC2700 sodimm), my next target is looking at the HDD, the bearings on mine are worn, you can hear it quite clearly by the grinding that comes from the existing HDD - hey they are not ment to last forever are they????
I have considered replacing the DVD-RW drive with a PATA to SATA CD BAY converter and dropping in a low cost SATA drive into that (I have an external DVD drive so can do without the internal one that doesn't get used), my questions are though:
1) is it worth it?
2) has anyone used these converters and what speed sata drive did you fit (sata 1/2/3 etc)?

My only other option would be to find an IDE hard drive that isnt faulty or anything (finding a new 2.5" ide drive would probably have something in common with rocking horse poop)

I'm also considering upgrading the CPU to something faster - if there is an upgrade at all and having a faster core.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me (helpful ones only please)?

My laptop has been trust worthy for me for a very long time and i really want to keep it going (that and i cant afford to replace it). it's mostly used as a DJ mixer these days with an external sound card/USB mixer and external HDD filled with music, but occasionally get used for games (dungeion siege, roller coaster tycoon 3, doom - the classics) and web browsing.

TIA all,
Collis

More about : extend life laptop

a b G Storage
October 13, 2014 2:57:26 AM

collis said:
Hi All,

I'm after some advise to extend the life of my good old trusty laptop.
For info, it is a compaq presario v5002ea
Original Specs are here: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00...

I have already upgraded the RAM to 2GB (2x 1GB sticks of PC2700 sodimm), my next target is looking at the HDD, the bearings on mine are worn, you can hear it quite clearly by the grinding that comes from the existing HDD - hey they are not ment to last forever are they????
I have considered replacing the DVD-RW drive with a PATA to SATA CD BAY converter and dropping in a low cost SATA drive into that (I have an external DVD drive so can do without the internal one that doesn't get used), my questions are though:
1) is it worth it?
2) has anyone used these converters and what speed sata drive did you fit (sata 1/2/3 etc)?

My only other option would be to find an IDE hard drive that isnt faulty or anything (finding a new 2.5" ide drive would probably have something in common with rocking horse poop)

I'm also considering upgrading the CPU to something faster - if there is an upgrade at all and having a faster core.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me (helpful ones only please)?

My laptop has been trust worthy for me for a very long time and i really want to keep it going (that and i cant afford to replace it). it's mostly used as a DJ mixer these days with an external sound card/USB mixer and external HDD filled with music, but occasionally get used for games (dungeion siege, roller coaster tycoon 3, doom - the classics) and web browsing.

TIA all,
Collis


Hey there collis and welcome to Tom's Hardware Forum :) 

Regarding the drive, I could suggest running a couple of checks to see the health status of your drive. I would suggest either downloading WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic too and running bot the quick and the extended tests, or simply run a chkdsk /r from the CMD in Windows. this way you could see if your drive is still reliable and if you can count on it for your data. Here's a link to WD DLGD: http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=810...
I could also suggest putting a SSD in your laptop as you will see major improvements in speed and performance. It should also enhance your DJ mixing experience a lot as SSDs speeds are far better than regular HDDs.
You could also get a cooling fans/pad (in case you don't have one to cool the laptop, make it run smoother and cooler and extend its life a bit.
Depending on your budget, you might want to check WD Black2. This is a dual drive combining a 120SSD with a 1TB HDD made for using in laptops. It improves capacity a lot as well as it gives you the option to install the OS an all your important and frequently used programs on the SSD. Here's a link: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1190

Hope this helps,

Captain_WD.
October 13, 2014 4:20:05 AM

Captain_WD said:
collis said:
Hi All,

I'm after some advise to extend the life of my good old trusty laptop.
For info, it is a compaq presario v5002ea
Original Specs are here: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00...

I have already upgraded the RAM to 2GB (2x 1GB sticks of PC2700 sodimm), my next target is looking at the HDD, the bearings on mine are worn, you can hear it quite clearly by the grinding that comes from the existing HDD - hey they are not ment to last forever are they????
I have considered replacing the DVD-RW drive with a PATA to SATA CD BAY converter and dropping in a low cost SATA drive into that (I have an external DVD drive so can do without the internal one that doesn't get used), my questions are though:
1) is it worth it?
2) has anyone used these converters and what speed sata drive did you fit (sata 1/2/3 etc)?

My only other option would be to find an IDE hard drive that isnt faulty or anything (finding a new 2.5" ide drive would probably have something in common with rocking horse poop)

I'm also considering upgrading the CPU to something faster - if there is an upgrade at all and having a faster core.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me (helpful ones only please)?

My laptop has been trust worthy for me for a very long time and i really want to keep it going (that and i cant afford to replace it). it's mostly used as a DJ mixer these days with an external sound card/USB mixer and external HDD filled with music, but occasionally get used for games (dungeion siege, roller coaster tycoon 3, doom - the classics) and web browsing.

TIA all,
Collis


Hey there collis and welcome to Tom's Hardware Forum :) 

Regarding the drive, I could suggest running a couple of checks to see the health status of your drive. I would suggest either downloading WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic too and running bot the quick and the extended tests, or simply run a chkdsk /r from the CMD in Windows. this way you could see if your drive is still reliable and if you can count on it for your data. Here's a link to WD DLGD: http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=810...
I could also suggest putting a SSD in your laptop as you will see major improvements in speed and performance. It should also enhance your DJ mixing experience a lot as SSDs speeds are far better than regular HDDs.
You could also get a cooling fans/pad (in case you don't have one to cool the laptop, make it run smoother and cooler and extend its life a bit.
Depending on your budget, you might want to check WD Black2. This is a dual drive combining a 120SSD with a 1TB HDD made for using in laptops. It improves capacity a lot as well as it gives you the option to install the OS an all your important and frequently used programs on the SSD. Here's a link: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1190

Hope this helps,

Captain_WD.


Thanks for the information.
Would the WD Black work nicely in a PATA - SATA CD Bay adapter?
My laptop being the age it is, only has the ability for an IDE drive and not SATA hence the interest in the drive bay adapter.
Related resources
a b G Storage
October 13, 2014 4:56:38 AM

collis said:

Thanks for the information.
Would the WD Black work nicely in a PATA - SATA CD Bay adapter?
My laptop being the age it is, only has the ability for an IDE drive and not SATA hence the interest in the drive bay adapter.


Hey again :) 

Can you post a link with the exact PATA - SATA CD Bay adapter that you want to use (brand and model). Also, which drive exactly do you have in mind?
I believe these adapters enable SATA drives to work on PATA laptops (even with the decreased speed, but still work) but I am not sure. I will try to check once you post the exact model. You could also contact HP support to ask them if this adapter works on this specific laptop and if it enables SATA drives to work.

Captain_WD.
October 13, 2014 6:15:25 AM

Captain_WD said:
collis said:

Thanks for the information.
Would the WD Black work nicely in a PATA - SATA CD Bay adapter?
My laptop being the age it is, only has the ability for an IDE drive and not SATA hence the interest in the drive bay adapter.


Hey again :) 

Can you post a link with the exact PATA - SATA CD Bay adapter that you want to use (brand and model). Also, which drive exactly do you have in mind?
I believe these adapters enable SATA drives to work on PATA laptops (even with the decreased speed, but still work) but I am not sure. I will try to check once you post the exact model. You could also contact HP support to ask them if this adapter works on this specific laptop and if it enables SATA drives to work.

Captain_WD.


I was thinking of purchasing one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171333633436?_trksid=p2060778...

I know it's a Chinese copy product, but then again, most stuff comes from that general direction?
Otherwise I may have to look into a more mainstream item, although finding them is harder that i thought it would be.
a b G Storage
October 13, 2014 7:26:36 AM

collis said:
Captain_WD said:
collis said:

Thanks for the information.
Would the WD Black work nicely in a PATA - SATA CD Bay adapter?
My laptop being the age it is, only has the ability for an IDE drive and not SATA hence the interest in the drive bay adapter.


Hey again :) 

Can you post a link with the exact PATA - SATA CD Bay adapter that you want to use (brand and model). Also, which drive exactly do you have in mind?
I believe these adapters enable SATA drives to work on PATA laptops (even with the decreased speed, but still work) but I am not sure. I will try to check once you post the exact model. You could also contact HP support to ask them if this adapter works on this specific laptop and if it enables SATA drives to work.

Captain_WD.


I was thinking of purchasing one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171333633436?_trksid=p2060778...

I know it's a Chinese copy product, but then again, most stuff comes from that general direction?
Otherwise I may have to look into a more mainstream item, although finding them is harder that i thought it would be.


Yes, making a SATA drive look and behave like a PATA one in front of the MOBO and the Chipset is not an easy task.
I believe the 2.5 inch WD Black should work. Have in mind that for sizes over 2TB, you need GPT formatting for some read/write support and some boot support (depending on the OS, it might support one but not the other). What type of OS are you using?

Captain_WD.
October 13, 2014 7:40:12 AM

Captain_WD said:
collis said:
Captain_WD said:
collis said:

Thanks for the information.
Would the WD Black work nicely in a PATA - SATA CD Bay adapter?
My laptop being the age it is, only has the ability for an IDE drive and not SATA hence the interest in the drive bay adapter.


Hey again :) 

Can you post a link with the exact PATA - SATA CD Bay adapter that you want to use (brand and model). Also, which drive exactly do you have in mind?
I believe these adapters enable SATA drives to work on PATA laptops (even with the decreased speed, but still work) but I am not sure. I will try to check once you post the exact model. You could also contact HP support to ask them if this adapter works on this specific laptop and if it enables SATA drives to work.

Captain_WD.


I was thinking of purchasing one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171333633436?_trksid=p2060778...

I know it's a Chinese copy product, but then again, most stuff comes from that general direction?
Otherwise I may have to look into a more mainstream item, although finding them is harder that i thought it would be.


Yes, making a SATA drive look and behave like a PATA one in front of the MOBO and the Chipset is not an easy task.
I believe the 2.5 inch WD Black should work. Have in mind that for sizes over 2TB, you need GPT formatting for some read/write support and some boot support (depending on the OS, it might support one but not the other). What type of OS are you using?

Captain_WD.


I run Windows 7 pro on my laptop, upgraded from the original Windows XP a long time ago.
a b G Storage
October 13, 2014 7:54:02 AM

collis said:


I run Windows 7 pro on my laptop, upgraded from the original Windows XP a long time ago.


Ok, depending on if it's 32 bit or 64 bit (I'm guessing it's 32 bit) you can or can't use it as a boot drive, but I believe you can read and write on those drives. Here's a couple of pics to show you the support of larger than 2TB drives:
32-bit: http://i.imgur.com/ljLtsbN.jpg
64-bit: http://i.imgur.com/qbWB2xa.jpg

Captain_WD.
October 15, 2014 1:16:32 AM

Thanks Captain_WD, I wouldn't ever put a 2tb drive in a laptop regardless, they are too small for my liking and turns into an "all your eggs in 1 basket" type of thing, 500GB/1tb would be the most that I would ever fit.
a b G Storage
October 15, 2014 1:39:54 AM

collis said:
Thanks Captain_WD, I wouldn't ever put a 2tb drive in a laptop regardless, they are too small for my liking and turns into an "all your eggs in 1 basket" type of thing, 500GB/1tb would be the most that I would ever fit.


Thrue, I also prefer multiple smaller locations for my data. I currently use WD Black2 for my laptop and a couple of external drives to make sure I have everything secure and neatly arranged. :) 

Captain_WD.
!