Factory restore - Updating ram.

m_13

OK, so you need an ATA-6 2.5" hard disk drive that is 9.5mm tall.

Fujitsu do one for about £60.00:

FUJITSU 2.5" 60GB 5400RPM 8MB NOTEBOOK HARDDRIVE 9.5MM ATA-6 [P/N MHV2060AH]

Toshiba do one for around the same price:

Toshiba Hard Disk Travelstar 7k60-60 60gb 2.5in Ata-6 7200rpm 8mb 10ms Product ID HTS726060M9AT00

The maximum RAM you can run is 1GB in a single chip of two 512MB next to each other.

m_13

Rikki wrote: »

Where is best to buy the hard drive and ram from? Is it relatively easy to install?

If I bought windows 7 to go on this laptop would I need to make the recovery disc?

I'd be wary about running Windows 7 as there might not be drivers available for your hardware which is over 4 years old.

Do you have the manuals for your laptop? You will need to unscrew various parts to get to the RAM and the hard disk drive.

Rikki

m_13 wrote: »

I'd be wary about running Windows 7 as there might not be drivers available for your hardware which is over 4 years old.

Do you have the manuals for your laptop? You will need to unscrew various parts to get to the RAM and the hard disk drive.

No windows 7 then.

No manuals I'm afraid.

closed

Are you getting smart errors, have you run diagnostics to prove it's failing? If it is a hitachi/ibm, then I would avoid the same brand, not known for reliability. By the time you've bought a new hard disk, ram, and windows 7, you will have spent about half the price of a new machine.

m_13

Rikki wrote: »

No windows 7 then.

No manuals I'm afraid.

The manual is available under the documentation link on the left hand side of the page where you saw you hard disk type.

It's a PDF but sadly is very general - although it does tell you about making a recovery CD - and does not tell how to get to the RAM or HDD.

Can you upload a good quality photograph of the back of your machine? The RAM is under the keyboard on some models which is more complicated.

Edit
OK, there is a disassembly manual available on the Packard Bell FTP site.

Hard disk drive looks quite simple. RAM is under the keyboard which will be more fiddly and require concentration and good dexterity.

Rikki

closed wrote: »

Are you getting smart errors, have you run diagnostics to prove it's failing? If it is a hitachi/ibm, then I would avoid the same brand, not known for reliability. By the time you've bought a new hard disk, ram, and windows 7, you will have spent about half the price of a new machine.

I like this laptop.
It has a fantastic Diamond View screen for watching films.

What is Diamond View?

Packard Bell Diamond View is a special surface coating that brings TV-like colour and picture quality to LCD displays, which were originally designed for use in notebook computers. To reduce the glare caused by the bright overhead lights of the office and airport environments, fine grooves are etched into the polariser (the top layer) of the screen. This technique reduces glare by dispersing the light transmitted by the LCD display. The downside is that it makes images fuzzy and reduces colour depth and contrast.
Today, consumers are buying LCD displays for visual entertainment purposes, such as watching movies and editing pictures and home video. To enhance the enjoyment of these kinds of activities, Packard Bell has developed Diamond View. What are the benefits of Diamond View?

With Diamond View, the picture quality of a Packard Bell LCD display rivals that of a high-end home TV set. Colours have the depth and vibrancy that the film director or photographer intended them to have. Dark movie scenes aren't washed out. You can see the finest details in photos. And the increased sharpness makes it easier to read the small print on web pages.

macman

Rikki wrote: »

I've just been on crucial.com/uk and the results are HERE.

I have more questions now. Can I install two making it 2gb?

Yes, you have 2 slots, each can take a maximum of 1GB. But this will cost twice as much and only give you 2GB, as opposed to 1.5GB. Of course you will 'waste' the existing 512MB chip. I'd fit 1GB and see how it goes, it won't cost you any extra to come back later for another 1GB if you want it.

Rikki

m_13 wrote: »

The manual is available under the documentation link on the left hand side of the page where you saw you hard disk type.

It's a PDF but sadly is very general - although it does tell you about making a recovery CD - and does not tell how to get to the RAM or HDD.

Can you upload a good quality photograph of the back of your machine? The RAM is under the keyboard on some models which is more complicated.

Edit
OK, there is a disassembly manual available on the Packard Bell FTP site.

Hard disk drive looks quite simple. RAM is under the keyboard which will be more fiddly and require concentration and good dexterity.

I have put off making the recovery CD as I just wipe the computer back to factory setting using the partitioned recovery. I will have no choice when I replace the hard drive. I have the user's guide for the making the disc, I just haven't got a dvd-r.

I haven't taken the laptop to bits yet, it's what I'm using now. So no photographs until I get the bits and make a start.

Your link to the manual isn't working.

espresso

Rikki wrote: »

Your link to the manual isn't working.

The link to the Packard Bell EasyNote M5 / M7 Disassembly Manual works fine for me!

closed

What makes you think the disk is failing?