new HD in Inspiron 1100

My original Hitachi Travelstar HD fails the DST test (error code 1000-0142) and 2 of the Dell Diagnostics drive tests, and it's 5 years old, so time to replace it. I have backed up my data to an external hard drive and I have the OS & Resources discs, both of which I have been able to use successfully in the past, and I know how to remove the drive and how to remove it from the caddy.


I've browsed the Laptop/Hard Drive board on the old Dell Forum and I think I understand the process (thanks ejn63 for your informative posts there) but would like some confirmation that I have it right. It seems that I can buy any 9.5 mm PATA ATA 100 drive of 100MB or less. When I get it I will take the old drive out of its caddy and remove the pin adapter. Then I will put the new one & the pin adapter in the caddy and put it back into the computer. Then reinstall the OS & drivers in the usual way.


Is that correct?

The drive I am looking at is the Western Digital 800BEVE 80GB PATA 5400rpm bulk hard drive from ZipZoomfly for $55.


Jim

Edit: My biggest concern is whether the new drive's pins will work with my computer. I took out the old drive and removed the pin adapter to see what it looks like. Will the old adapter fit any 9.5 mm PATA hard drive ?