Is the dimension L800r set up as 1.1?  How can I tell what it is for sure?

You're going to want to buy a PCI card with a USB 2.0 controller on it. USB 1.1 is going to be painfully slow with a hard drive.

If you're running 2000, SP4 or XP, SP1 or SP2 you're all set. For any other OS, the card will need to come with drivers for the operating system, as Microsoft doesn't support USB 2.0 on any other desktop OS.

Deryl

The L Series supports USB 1.1

 http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kb/en/document?dn=1075769&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19

Thank you.  It looks like I will be PCI card hunting.  Whom  do you recommend? 

 I understand the PCI card part.  What does the USB 2.0 controller part mean?  I  want to make sure I get the right thing.

Message Edited by Deryl on 11-17-2005 06:41 PM

Deryl

Check out the following

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815104216

Bev.

Thanks, you have been very helpful.

I do have another question or 3....  When I install the new PCI card should I just do that and start the computer with nothing hooked to it.....leaving the modem hooked up to the 1.1 slot? Or can I install the PCI card, hook everything to it including the new external hard drive and then boot up?  Will everything be recognized using the second option?

Virtually all USB devices require you to load the drivers before connecting the device. Read the instructions carefully or you'll end up with nothing but headaches.

Deryl

Leave the modem as is, open the case and install the USB 2.0 card, if you are not running XP SP1 or SP2, then you will need to install the drivers, supplied with the card. Then you can connect the external hard drive to it.  The user manual should be included.

http://www.koutech.com/proddetail.asp?linenumber=111

Bev.

 

Message Edited by shesagordie on 11-19-2005 12:06 AM

PCI card installation was successful.  New hard drive installation is going ok so far except for one thing.  Right now, I am following instructions in the conversion of the hard drive from FAT 32 to NTFS.  The instructions that came with the hard drive are telling me in Computer Management /Disk Management to right click on the icon for your new drive in the window that appears.  FAT32 should be listed in the column labeled File System. Then it says to select Format from the menu.  When I select Format from the menu, I get the following caution:   "This is the active partition on this disk.  All data on partition will be lost.  Are you sure you want to format this partition?"...   HUmmm what should I do? Do I click yes or no?

Message Edited by Deryl on 11-19-2005 06:18 PM

I thought that would be the answer, but didn't want to take any chances since the new F drive is showing only 189 gigs. Thanks for the reply.