ajac12a wrote:I have a SONY PCG-XG28K Laptop. I want to remove the old 12gig hard drive and replace with a new 40gig hard drive. But I can't find any directions for removing and replacing it. Also I have GHOSTed over all the info from old to new. Can anyone help me with this. Like pictures and etc.
Thanks alot.
Alice
You have ghosted, or you wish to?
When I ghost a notebook drive, I generally do it via a notebook HDD adapter (cost approx. $15 from an online vendor) to a desktop computer. I Ghost the first drive to an image on the desktop's HDD, and then dump it back out to the new laptop HDD. Alternatively if you have a copy of Ghost that works across network connections you could do it this way without a notebook HDD adapter.
As for putting the new disk in your VAIO, it's mainly about how to take the machine apart. Start by making sure you have the right tools (small screwdriver/torx drivers/etc.), go slowly, and label where each type of screw fits as you remove it. There are three possibilities depending on laptop design:
a) The hard disk is in a housing or tray that is easily removable from the side of the laptop with the removal of a few screws. This is the easiest method, just remove the tray, remove the old drive, clone everything, then place the new cloned drive in the tray and back in the laptop.
b) The hard disk removes from the bottom of the machine through a removable panel held on by several screws. I haven't seen many notebooks designed like this recently, so its unlikely.
c) The hard disk is physically inside the laptop, making it more difficult to remove. The best way in this case is to start slow by removing the battery and any external media bay devices, and then remove the keyboard from the laptop, which will probably make it easier to find where the hard disk is. It may take some time figuring out which assemblies you need to take apart to get the laptop apart and remove the hard disk if this is the case. You can always google for the model of your laptop with the words "take apart" or disassemble and see what you get.
Disclaimer: If you don't regularly work on computer hardware, I wouldn't do this on your own, and I'm not responsible for any damage you may do. I work on computer hardware regularly and have as part of my career for the past ten years, so I've done this before, and if you haven't, method (c) is not for the faint of heart, consider having a qualified shop or technician do it for you.
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 12:57 pm