New HDD - need advice and instructions

[Barrister]

Okay, my Windows drive on the King of Macs is just jam packed, and it slowly dawned on me that might be a teeny, tiny part of the reason why Windows boots are so slow.  So I think I'm going to break down and get a new HDD.

I've tried to justify to myself getting a SSD, but money is tight and to really make use of a SSD I'm pretty sure I'd need to upgrade Windows 7, which turns a $100ish expense into over $300.  Just can't do it.

So my questions are - in buying a new internal HDD are there any particular brands to purchase, or avoid?

Second - is there any way to comply copy / clone my old HDD over to the new one, rather than having to re-install Windows on it (or perhaps I should re-install Windows - it's been 3+ years).

[Grey Fox]

Bad time to be buying HDDs, they are crazy expensive these days. If you can wait out the Thailand & Taiwan flooding, do.

There is : hiren.info & use one of the ghosting software.

[Barrister]

Bad time to be buying HDDs, they are crazy expensive these days. If you can wait out the Thailand & Taiwan flooding, do.

There is : hiren.info & use one of the ghosting software.

Not really.  SWTOR is just killing my storage space.  I'm down to STO, SWTOR and EU3 on my drive, with only 20% free.

[Grey Fox]

How big do you want to go?

I hate Seagate drive & I'm a WD fan boi. Hitachi always seemed nice but too expensive for my taste.

http://ncix.com/products/?sku=62047&vpn=WD20EARX&manufacture=Western%20Digital%20WD This seems alright to me.

[Barrister]

I'm trying to go cheap.    Use OS X to store all my data anyways - just use Windows to install games.

So stay away from Seagate, look at WD?  I can do that.  I'd probably get a smaller drive than the one you suggest though.

[Grey Fox]

I'm trying to go cheap.    Use OS X to store all my data anyways - just use Windows to install games.

So stay away from Seagate, look at WD?  I can do that.  I'd probably get a smaller drive than the one you suggest though.

You can get a 2TB for 220$ or a 640GB for 120$.

[Barrister]

I'm trying to go cheap.    Use OS X to store all my data anyways - just use Windows to install games.

So stay away from Seagate, look at WD?  I can do that.  I'd probably get a smaller drive than the one you suggest though.

You can get a 2TB for 220$ or a 640GB for 120$.

Yeah I know - for double the price you get over triple the storage.

Where did you see 640GB for $120?

[Grey Fox]

I'm trying to go cheap.    Use OS X to store all my data anyways - just use Windows to install games.

So stay away from Seagate, look at WD?  I can do that.  I'd probably get a smaller drive than the one you suggest though.

You can get a 2TB for 220$ or a 640GB for 120$.

Yeah I know - for double the price you get over triple the storage.

Where did you see 640GB for $120?

http://ncix.com/products/?sku=65558&vpn=WD6400AARS&manufacture=Western%20Digital%20WD

[Barrister]

I'm trying to go cheap.    Use OS X to store all my data anyways - just use Windows to install games.

So stay away from Seagate, look at WD?  I can do that.  I'd probably get a smaller drive than the one you suggest though.

You can get a 2TB for 220$ or a 640GB for 120$.

Yeah I know - for double the price you get over triple the storage.

Where did you see 640GB for $120?

http://ncix.com/products/?sku=65558&vpn=WD6400AARS&manufacture=Western%20Digital%20WD

Ordered.

And I ordered Win 7 as well - it just makes a lot of sense to finally upgrade if I'm having to do everything else to switch drives...

[Grey Fox]

You wil love Win 7, in some ways it feels like MacOS

[viper37]

I'm trying to go cheap.    Use OS X to store all my data anyways - just use Windows to install games.

So stay away from Seagate, look at WD?  I can do that.  I'd probably get a smaller drive than the one you suggest though.

never had problems with Seagate.  But I hear people using them extensively (as in Universities, or big businesses) have lots of problems with them.

[Barrister]

You wil love Win 7, in some ways it feels like MacOS

I'm just looking forward to the computer finally recognizing all 10GB of RAM...

[Grey Fox]

You wil love Win 7, in some ways it feels like MacOS

I'm just looking forward to the computer finally recognizing all 10GB of RAM...

and then play a game that has no idea how to use more then 2GB. Altho, I doubt that swtor as that problem.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

I'm trying to go cheap.    Use OS X to store all my data anyways - just use Windows to install games.

So stay away from Seagate, look at WD?  I can do that.  I'd probably get a smaller drive than the one you suggest though.

never had problems with Seagate.  But I hear people using them extensively (as in Universities, or big businesses) have lots of problems with them.

The server has gone through three Seagate drives, including a SCSI-3 model, in the past seven years.  Seagate is also the only manufacturer I've ever received a DOA drive from.  Not touching them again.

[Barrister]

Wow.  Ordered Friday, arrived Tuesday.

Of course maybe I'm just surprised I'm no longer living at the edge of the known universe.