Power Supply Fan

[mjc]

Alright here goes,

My power supply cooling fan is getting louder and louder so I call HP customer support they are going to do "a unit exchange" so now I need a way to copy my hd without actually swapping the drives. No cd burners, no NIC any ideas?????

------------------
mjc
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

[BigBlue66]

Hey MJC,

Only two ideas come to mind. First, swap out your current HDD with all your information on it, and give them back the new HDD that will come with the new unit. Shouldn't be much of a problem with that. You would have to go into bios and auto detect the HDD the first time you boot up. After that, with an operating system already on it, it should boot up just fine. Methinks. Maybe I am missing something, but that's the way I personally would do it.

Second, why can't they just swap out the power supply? Seems to me that would be easier. I have no experience with HP tech support, so I don't know their limitations, etc.

Good luck,

Big Blue 66

[mjc]

I really don't know why they can't just send me a new power supply but they won't. Second they want the original hd with my old tower, told me so on the phone.

Maybe because they are not making this model any longer?

I had an idea though, what about putting my old drive into the new machine as master, making a drive image and saving it on d: (the drive in the new machine) and then restoring that drive image I just made?

Any way I thought I read on thier site somewhere that I was supposed to swap drives before sending the old one back, maybe I'll find out for sure when the new one gets here!

I really need some kind of backup drive!!!!


------------------
mjc
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

[Reid]

You could leave the new drive set as Master, install the old drive as Slave, boot with a floppy and run Ghost to copy the old drive over to the new one, then remove the old drive.

For backups, I recommend buying a second hard drive and use Ghost to save compressed images of the C: partition onto the D: drive. You can save multiple partition images on another drive, the only limitation is the amount of hard drive space available.

------------------
reido@my-deja.com

[mjc]

Yeah that sounds good and my HP should let me partition a second hard drive any way I want. HP hard drives are configured "cable select" I reconfigured my current drive as master that is why I was going to do it they way I said but what is switching a jumper going to take? HPs just won't let you partition the primary and still be able to use the HP supplied restore disk. Also I was just going through the literature that came with this infernal machine and I may be able to keep my current hd so this may all be an exercise in "what if". I've seen 8-10 gig hd pretty darn cheap, too.

------------------
mjc
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

[Reid]

I haven't worked with a Cable Select setup before. This HP link (http://www.hp.com/cposupport/information_storage/support_doc/lpg67003.html) has instructions for adding and configuring hard drives and might have information applicable to your system. Since it is under warranty, it would be best to follow the HP advice.

------------------
reido@my-deja.com

[This message has been edited by Reid (edited 12-23-2000).]

[mjc]

Yeah Reid,

All I really want is to get everything off my old hd on to the new one with minimal bother but I guess I'll wait and see what the new one looks like since HP is going to send me an "equivalent system" whatever that means (they aren't making my system any more)

------------------
mjc
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

[Paleo Pete]

Cable Select is basically just what it says. Most computers don't use it, but some do. It lets the machine decide which drive is master according to what its position on the cable is. Primary will be at the end of the cable, secondary in the middle.

And Reid has a very good point, since the machine is under warranty, it's best to follow HP's instructions, so you don't void the warranty.

------------------
My hairdresser charges me a finder's fee!!

Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[uncleel]

is it worth all the hassle to send it back? HP is making you jump thru all these hoops... for a Power supply. I'd buy a power supply from a reputable company like www.pcpowerandcooling.com (http://www.pcpowerandcooling.com) & be done w/ it.

[Paleo Pete]

uncleel: That would void the warranty, which would not be a good thing. If the machine were not under warranty, it would be a great idea, and knowing a bit about mjc's experience and ability, I doubt if he'd ever have posted this topic. He would have simply gone out and grabbed a new one and we'd never have known...

------------------
My hairdresser charges me a finder's fee!!

Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[mjc]

Yeah, the thing is following HP's instructions is what got me in this mess in the first place. They seem to be a bit confused about how to deal with transferring data from your original machine to the replacement machine. In one post an their site a while back they gave instructions to swap the drives and in another they say it is the customers responsibility to transfer the data. I've got about a week to figure something out and I'll know for sure what's in store when the knew machine gets here. Seesh, I wish that they would just send a new power supply but I guess that's too easy! (I've never found HP to take the easy way on any thing!) Maybe Santa will be nice and bring me some kind of backup device?

Pete's right! But you buy a machine part of that price covers the warranty so if something goes wrong why not put the manufacturer in the position to stand by what they promise?

------------------
mjc
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

[This message has been edited by mjc (edited 12-25-2000).]

[Reid]

I think Symantec's Ghost (http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/) is the best way to transfer your operating system and files to the new drive. It can be purchased and downloaded online, or buy the boxed CD at a store. It is about $70, but I am finding it well worth it for saving disk images. Ghost can restore my hard drive in 15 minutes from the second hard drive.

------------------
reido@my-deja.com

[This message has been edited by Reid (edited 12-25-2000).]

[Paleo Pete]

Had to think on this one a bit, but here's what I would do. Assuming they plan to send the new machine first, and you'll still have the old one, you have the technical expertise to do this.


Find out what drive is in the new machine and download the manufacturer's installation software.
Format the drive in the new one.
Install the drive from the old one as Slave into the new machine. Don't forget to check jumpers on the existing drive, in case it has to be jumpered for dual drive.
Run the installation software, which usually gives you the option to transfer all data on the slave to the new drive.
Remove the old drive and reinstall into the old machine.
Jumper the drive in the new machine as Master, if it had to be set for dual drive setup. (Lest you forget http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif )


Sounds like a whole bunch of trouble, but I think it should work, and should be lots cheaper than shelling out the bucks for a ghost or partition program.

------------------
My hairdresser charges me a finder's fee!!

Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[mjc]

Pete,

That's about what I came up with after putting all kids Christmas presents together and sleeping on what I read last night. I know it sounds like work; like I said earlier I've never heard of HP doing anything the easy way! Your a musician, Pete, so you know how some of sound guys can be, hearing things that other people can't, well it just started making a very high pitched very faint squeal last night so I think the end is closer than I thought. Had a fan go out in an amp on me about a week after it started sounding like this, that was easy just put in a new fan. But it wasn't under warranty any longer.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

And thanks for the help and suggestions.



------------------
mjc
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

[uncleel]

Originally posted by Paleo Pete:
That would void the warranty How true & I've been there; Gateway, packard bell, & HP. Gateway will @ least send you the parts. I finally got so tired of the downtime ( these are office machines) that we have spare parts lined up w/ a local pc shop. He has also built 4 identical pc's for us, as we have learned are lesson regarding "storeboughts". Our friend may survive being w/o his pc while "repairs" are made. My business can't.

[mjc]

It's hard to believe that it's been two weeks since I started this thread but the final result is: the new machine got here, reformatted its HD then transferred everything from my old HD to it no problems, and boy is the new machine is MUCH quieter!

Thanks for all the suggestions and help!



------------------
mjc
On the eleventh day of Christmas...