Disk Upgrades and Replacements

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• laptop typically supports one internal mass storage device only
  • extra storage attached to an external port
• to upgrade the fixed disk, there must be a plan for what to do with existing data:
  • Migration
    • using backup software to create an image or clone of the old drive and store it on USB media
    • When the new drive has been installed, the system image can be restored to it
    • A system image is technology neutral, so an image of an HDD can be applied to an SSD
    • new drive must have storage space greater than or equal to the old one
      • unless using a cloning tool that can shrink the source image
  • Replacement
    • only data is backed up from the old drive
    • new drive is then fitted to the laptop and an OS plus apps installed
    • User data can then be restored from backup
• fixed disk can usually be accessed via a panel, but you may have to open the chassis on some models
• Laptop HDDs are usually 2.5” form factor
  • sometimes the 1.8” form factor is used
  • Compared to 3.5” desktop versions, magnetic 2.5” HDDs tend to be:
    • slower (usually 5400 rpm models)
    • lower capacity
  • are also reduced height units designed for ultraportable laptops
    • standard 2.5” drive has a z-height of 9.5 mm
    • ultraportable laptop might require a 7 mm (thin) or 5 mm (ultrathin) drive
• Magnetic drives use ordinary SATA data and power connectors
  • connectors on the drive mate directly to a port in the drive bay, without the use of a cable
  • Drive bays measuring 1.8” might require the use of the micro SATA (μSATA or uSATA) connector
• SSD flash storage device can also use the SATA interface and connector form factors
  • but more likely to use an adapter card interface:
    • Mini-SATA (mSATA)
      • resemble Mini PCIe cards but are not physically compatible with Mini PCIe slots
      • uses the SATA bus, so the maximum transfer speed is 6 Gb/s
    • M.2
      • usually interfaces with the PCI Express bus
        • allowing much higher bus speeds than SATA
      • adapters can be different lengths (42 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm, or 110 mm)
      • most popular length for laptop SSDs is 80 mm (M.2 2280)

Info

The specific M.2 form factor is written as xxyy, where xx is the card width and yy is the length.

• For example, 2280 means a card width of 22 mm and a length of 80 mm.