Hey, Picturebook fans! For your enjoyment, I have documented a step-by-step hard drive transplant, in pictures! This is an upgrade from the stock IBM Travelstar 40GN (4200RPM and 40GB) to the famous Hitachi Travelstar 7K60 (60GB and 7200RPM). Kids at home, bring out your VAIOs and follow along!
Note: This hack applies mainly to the Sony VAIO C1M-series of Picturebooks. Pictures were taken of the PCG-C1MSX Picturebook, but the steps should easily be applied to the other Japanese model (PCG-C1MZX), the European models (PCG-C1MGP, PCG-C1MHP), the North American models (PCG-C1MV, PCG-C1MW) and the versions released in Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong).
This is a two-stage hack. The other parts are here:
Stage Two: Surgery By Numbers
Extra Stage: Older Kids Can Play Too
On with the first stage!
Stage One: Cloning Is The Easy Part
First, what you'll need:
1) a new laptop size (2.5") hard drive with up to 9.5mm thickness,
2) an external enclosure kit complete with case and USB cables,
3) hard disk cloning software (we'll use Acronis True Image 7 here),
4) a philips (+) screwdriver, and
5) your Sony VAIO C1 Picturebook (not pictured here :D)
1. On a typical ('el cheapo') USB enclosure, you can take out the back panel to reveal the IDE connector to the laptop drive.
2. Line up the connectors to the drive and carefully plug in. Then slide the drive and back panel into the case.
3. Now screw up!
4. Connect the drive to your VAIO USB port. The drive is automatically installed, but you won't actually see the drive in "My Computer".
5. Start Acronis True Image 7. We're using this cause it's got a 15-day trial :D. Click on Disk Clone.
6. The Disk Clone wizard starts. Click Next.
7. You can let the wizard do everything and choose Automatic.
8. When on Automatic, True Image allocates proportional sizes of the old partitions on the new drive. It could not be easier!
9. If you want to do things your own way you can go Manual. This is the first dialog. Choose the old drive as the source.
10. Choose the new drive as the destination.
11. You should choose Keep Data so you can use your old drive as a back up when--er--if you screw up. :D
12. Choose Manual to set the partition sizes yourself.
13. My old drive came with two equal size partitions from the factory. Check 'Proceed relayout' to change the sizes. Otherwise to finalize, uncheck this. Click Next.
14. Here you can choose a partition and set the sizes in a popup window.
15. Once you're all done make sure to uncheck Proceed relayout in the Manual Relayout screen to finish up. You should see this screen and click on Proceed to get started.
16. Once you finalize your changes, you'll be prompted to restart. Once Windows XP restarts, True Image takes over and starts the cloning process.
17. This will be a while, so take a break with your favorite snack pack! When finished (with the cloning, not the snack pack), shutdown your VAIO and unplug everything.
Congrats, you're done with Stage One! And your VAIO's still in one piece! Not to worry, that will soon change in Stage Two. :D
1.26.2005
Sony VAIO How-To #1: Upgrade Your C1 Picturebook Hard Drive -- Part 1/2
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2 comments:
I tried to change hard drive in my VAIO C1 - it's works. Thank you.
John Roster
Sydney, Australia
Its really very good information. Thanks for sharing this info.
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