Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Laptop Hard Drives

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Community » Film-Yak » Laptop Hard Drives (Page 2)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2

Author

Topic: Laptop Hard Drives

Jason Burroughs
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 654
From: Allen, TX
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-06-2001 04:28 PM

Information as obtained from Western Digital's website, this should apply to the issue in hand.

How do I know if my system supports 8.4 GB and larger drives?

In order to properly support an 8.4 GB or larger IDE drive, your system's BIOS must be capable of supporting INT13 Extensions. At this writing, only a few BIOS's on some (but not all) new systems support these functions.

Although you may contact your system manufacturer to determine if your system supports INT13 extensions, we recommend simply using Data Lifeguard Tools, which will make this determination for you, as well as a number of other safety checks to ensure that your system can support the drive. If your system cannot support the drive, then Data Lifeguard Tools will install EZ-BIOS on the drive, a special utility that will provide support to the drive in place of the BIOS. To download Data Lifeguard Tools, please visit our Software Library.

Link to the Data Lifeguard Tools software:
http://www.westerndigital.com/service/ftp/drives.html

download this on a computer that's already working it will make a bootable diskette with the tools on it. I'm not sure if this tool works on drives other than Western Digital's but its worth a shot. If it dosen't, check the website of the manufacturer, they will more than likely have a similar tool available. But this is worth a shot.

| IP: Logged

Jason Burroughs
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 654
From: Allen, TX
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-22-2001 10:16 AM

Mark,

Did you ever get that hard drive to work properly?

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-23-2001 05:04 PM

Hi Jason,
Yes I did. I downloaded the small program from one of the other drive manufacturers. Can't remember which one it was but probably from the WD site. All has been working great. I don't have to worry about running out of room now. The drive is larger than most new laptops come with. BTW: If anyone is looking for a larger laptop HD the price has dropped even lower on this particuluar Toshiba 20 gig model. They are now 172.00. I paid 209 just a few weeks ago!
Thanks to all that offered suggestions on getting it to recognize the whole drive.......
Mark @ GTS

Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 02-23-2001 06:56 PM

Check the price of DRAM! it is now 89 bucks for a stick of 256 meg PC-133. And, it might even get lower.

Jason Burroughs
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 654
From: Allen, TX
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-24-2001 01:55 PM

Mark,

Glad things worked out.

As for SDRAM prices. They are indeed very low right now. Which is GREAT! Right now there is an overstock of memory, plus other forms of RAM are comming into demand, such as RDRAM (Rambus) and DDR RAM (Double Data Rate). Annother factor is the poor performing tech sector scrabling for cash. Thier plants don't make money (in fact they greatly depreciate) if they are not producing. Processor prices will also continue to drop. AMD has been dropping prices, and Intel is scheduled to as well as they eliminate the Celeron line of processors, and increase production of the P-4.

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-25-2001 09:32 AM

DRAM is 69 bucks for 256mb here in Salt Lake City. Check out www.ebccomputers.com
Mark @ GTS

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.