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Can I add a WD 1T internal hard drive to my Dimension 8400?
I have run out of space on my hard drive (photos), so want to add another internal hard drive and have tentatively chosen the Western Digital 1T internal hard drive (WD1001FALS). I bought my Dimension 8400 in 2004. The basic specs are Pentium 4 Processor (3GHz), Windows XP Pro, 4GB memory, with a 250GB RAID 1 (2x250 SATA HDD) hard drive. Is there any reason to think the WD internal drive would not be compatible or otherwise work with my system?
If it would work, and if I bought it from Dell (friendly price), would the WD drive come with a manual and instructions on how to install and format it? Does it come with all the cords I would need (data? power?)? If not, where could I get the manual/installation instructions and what cords would I need and where could I get those? You may have guessed I don't know anything about computers, so I am hoping to keep this very simple! :-)
Any other thoughts, suggestions?
Thank you very much for your help!
shesagordie
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August 6th, 2009 22:00
kinma
A 1TB SATA hard drive, should work fine in the Dimension 8400, providing there's an open bay to install it in.
Unless you buy the retail boxed version of the drive, all you will receive is a bare hard drive, no manual, or instructions.
A SATA data cable will be needed, there should be a spare SATA power connector for a second hard drive, inside the case.
Guide for installing an additional SATA hard drive in the 8400.
Connect the data cable to SATA 1 on the motherboard, then enter the setup and check that the drive is set to "Auto" [Enabled].
Next, the hard drive needs to be partitioned and formatted, using XP Disk Management.
How to install a second SATA hard drive
Motherboard layout
Dimension 8400 System Setup
These are generic instructions for installing an additional hard drive using Windows XP Disk Management, they are by Seagate, but apply to all brands.
A 18" SATA data cable can be purchased from HERE
Bev.