I have a Toshiba P25-S607 notebook. I’m pretty sure my hard drive is just about gone. Thanks to this site, I used Memtest 86+ to test my memory, which was fine. I then used Hitachi’s Drive Fitness Test and it pretty much confirmed my suspicions about my hard drive. I received error 0×72(Device SMART error). It was also whizzing a lot, clicking and was/is responding very slow. Hitachi’s DFT just gave me a piece of mind to commit and start looking for another hard drive. I think I managed to backup my hard drive using the built-in Windows XP backup utility and saved it to my external USB hard drive. It ended up being around 5 gigs. I have 3 questions:
1) How do I know what’s the maximum hard drive size my laptop will allow me to use and any recommendations?
2) Will I be able to use my “OEM Recovery Disc” after I install my new hard drive and return everything to factory settings without any other equipment? Or will I somehow need the assistance of the original hard drive?
3) Has anyone attempted to restore a Laptop/PC using the XP backup utility with success?
My basic goals here are to:
1) Install new hard drive (simple right?)
2) Get my Laptop back to factory settings (this would most likely my preferred goal. Luckily, I have 95% of all my files, docs, etc. backed up and all my programs handy, just a pain to install again.)
3) Maybe restore my laptop using the back-up utility (not terribly important, just interested if it works)
Toshiba equips these notebooks with 40GB, 60GB, 80GB 4200RPM and 5400RPM hard drives made by Toshiba, IBM and Hitachi. You can use one of the above mentioned sizes or install a larger hard drive. 100GB and 120GB drives should work just fine.
To return everything back to factory settings you should use your “Recovery disk”, just boot the notebook from this disk and follow the instruction on the screen. After you run the restore process it will install everything back on a new hard drive just the way you bought it from Toshiba. You don’t need any assistance from the original hard drive.
I have never used Windows XP backup utility and cannot give you any recommendations here.
Here are my steps for replacing the hard drive, backing up the data and reinstalling the operating system:
1. Start the notebook with the old hard drive and transfer/burn/move into save location all personal files. For this purpose I usually use an external USB hard drive because it’s much faster then transferring data over the network or burning it on CD/DVDs.
2. Install a new hard drive into the notebook.
3. Run the recovery DVD.
4. Reinstall all other software.
5. Transfer all personal files back to the notebook from the backup media.
Here’s a guide I’ve created for taking apart a Toshiba Satellite P25 notebook. It’ll show how to access the hard drive.
February 16th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Hello,
Please, I need some advice for a Toshiba Tecra 8200.
1) I want to upgrade the HD, and I was planing to upgrade it with a Hitachi TravelStar 7K100 (or newer) but I see that Hitachi`s Travelstar are ATA 6, and I am having doubts if this laptop may support it as I think the bios only supports ATA 5. Could it still work well without having a impact on performance, or this has nothing to do with it? Excuse my ignorance on the topic.
2) I have a stick of 256MB SO-DIMM PC-133, and another one of 128 MB but PC-100. The bus system is 100 MHZ. If I install this 256MB-PC133 and the PC100 along, do I run on the risk of doing a sort of overclocking to the system FBS, or to its slower memory?
3) My wireless doesn`t work in the laptop, the S.O shows the Mini-PCI wireless card present and correctly with drivers, but it doesn`t detect any signal even if the emisor is close the machine. I have to add that the off/on wireless button is on “On”.
Thanks for your kind time and excuse so many question.
Joao
February 28th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
I too am having trouble finding out the max hard drive a Tecra 8200 will take. I have been able to upgrade to a 60G Hitachi 5400rpm model DK23FB-60, which is apparently ATA-100 and an ATA-5 interface.
I have not been able to get confirmation that a 120G drive will work though (that’s what I want). General comments suggest that if 60G works then 120 will too, but I have also heard that there may be a BIOS issue. Cannot for the life of me find out for sure
March 1st, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Answering my own question here - the Tecra 8200 will happily work with a 120G hard drive, as I just upgraded. It seems that there is no definite information available on this point, even from Toshiba’s internal support. I have the 1.6 version of the BIOS.
Good luck, upgraders!
March 6th, 2007 at 10:32 am
My Toshiba Satellite A10’s HDD has been acting strange lately, so I decided to buy a new one. After I installed the new one however, the labtop won’t boot. When I press the power button I can hear the HDD spin up, but the screen just freezes at the “select boot device” screen (more exactly the icons for HDD, CD etc. are shown, but the square indicating what device you have selected won’t show up). After a few keystrokes it just starts beeping. I can’t even enter the BIOS.
Before I return the new HDD, I would like to be sure there are no known compatibility problems with newer harddisks. The old one was a Toshiba MK6021GAS 60GB ATA-100 disk at 4200 RPM, 2 MB cache. The new one is a Seagate Momento 5400.2 60 GB ATA-100 at 5400 RPM and with 8 MB cache. Should this be a problem?
Thank you in advance.
March 11th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
Kevin Hejn,
Both drives are ATA-100 and I think there shouldn’t be any compatibility issues between them. Can you enter the BIOS without new hard drive installed?
April 12th, 2007 at 6:07 am
Does anyone know how I can get a Gateway MX6121 Notebook retore disk? I tried to use another Gateway disk from a 7000 series laptop but it won’t recognize any of the hardware. Without the disk my laptop doesn’t have any sound USB keeps restarting, etc.
July 16th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
Hello, I used your website info to upgrade the RAM on my Toshiba Satellite A45 laptop. I want to upgrade the hard drive also and have sucessfully done so, but I don’t know how I would reinstall the system after upgrading to a new hard drive?
The laptop didn’t come with a system restore disc. The system recovery utility is all on the original hard drive and it will not allow me to create a recovery disc. Any suggestions? Thanks!
December 13th, 2007 at 2:36 am
I need the recovery dvd badly for this laptop
Toshiba Satellite P25 notebook
anyone can make a copy for me please letme know
munecooo@gmail.com
December 20th, 2007 at 12:16 am
I need to replace hard disk for my toshiba A45-S121. Here is the current specification. Can I use SATA or ATA 6 or 100 drives to replace it?
thanks
Primary Hard Disk Drive: 40GB* hard disk drive, Enhanced IDE
(ATA-5) interface, 4200rpm drive rotation; 9.5mm height, 0.2lbs,
Service Removable
March 1st, 2008 at 10:38 am
I need to replace the hard drive in my Pavilion ZV5000. The current HD is ATA-6. I understand that there are speed differences between ATA-6 and ATA-7, but are the connectors physically the same and will I have any trouble putting an ATA-7 HD in?
March 29th, 2008 at 11:21 am
i have a Averatec 3360-EH1
can i upgrade the hardrive and memory in this laptop?
it has 512 MB mem,80 Gig HD how big of a HD can i put in here.and directions if possible
Thanks David
April 20th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I have a Toshiba Tecra A2.My hard drive failed. My friend gave me his Compaq Presario 1200 LB to disassemble to get his 80 gig. hard drive. While he had it, it suffered a mild fall, disconnecting the Compaq’s monitor.
3 questions.
1)Is the hard drive compatible with my Toshiba (both notebooks)?
2)Are there any parts salvagable parts from the Compaq?
3) Where is the hard drive located?(I have not disassembled it yet)
April 20th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Darien,
1. I believe both laptops use IDE hard drives, so they are interchangeable. You can remove the hard drive from his Compaq and install it into your Tecra A2.
2. Processor, memory, keyboard, CD/DVD drive, LCD screen, etc…
3. Most likely you can access the hard drive from the bottom of the laptop.
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:14 pm
hi there, i intend to upgrade the hard disk on my toshiba satellite A15-S127. i read that some computers will only support HDD up to a certain size. i called toshiba support and asked if i could install a 160GB HDD on my laptop (gave them my model and serial numbers) and i was told that the biggest HDD that i can install was up to 40GB. told them that toshibadirect.com itself shows that their 100GB HDD is for my satellite A15. i was told that there would be compatibility issues. i’m confused. i intend to install a samsung HM160HC Spinpoint M 160GB HDD IF you say that it’s okay to do so. i just don’t agree with toshiba support, it’s just too weird that the laptop will only support up to 40GB.
i’ve also read on several sites, including this one, that i may have to upgrade my bios. for the life of me, i can’t seem to find info on how to determine if i have the latest bios version on my computer and if it will support the samsung HDD i plan to install.
any information you give will be greatly appreciated.
many thanks,
edward
June 18th, 2008 at 10:09 am
My hard drive failed on my toshiba A-65/S1068.
I bought a new one but the recovery dvd will not load.
Any suggestions?
Really appreciate your help!
June 18th, 2008 at 10:21 am
villamg,
What do you mean by that?
Are you getting errors or the laptop will not start from the recovery disc at all?
1. Clean the recovery disc.
2. Clean the optical laser inside the drive with a cotton wipe and alcohol.
3. Insert the recovery disc into the laptop and restart it. Press F12 as soon as Toshiba logo appears on the screen. Select the CD/DVD drive and press Enter.
If the DVD drive is fine and there is noting wrong with the recovery disc, the laptop should start booting from the recovery disc.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Hi , I have a Compaq Presario PC V5305WM…with a crashed hard drive !!! I did not get any kind of restoration disk so is there a site I can find so that I could try to do it myself ????? Help please !!!!
Thank you,
Sheri
October 20th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Hello,
I have a Toshiba Satellite 1152-S1552 and my drive is on its way out Hitachi 30GB. I bought an 80gb replacement one but am having a hard time running the restore disks. I seem to be only able to run them with a working version of XP. I can do this when I leave the old hard drive in the laptop. This of course doesn’t help to perform this on the new drive. When I put in the new drive with the restore disk in the DVD/CD and have changed the boot option to the cd. I receive a message NO OPERATING SYSTEM FOUND… very annoying… What are you suppose to do in this situation? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
November 17th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Tecra 8200 Hard Drive: I am trying to replace the Hard Drive but can not find it on the laptop. I also can not find any description of where to find it or any documentation in various internet and Toshiba searches. Can anyone help or give me step by step info? Thanks