Help a n00b buy a harddrive

February 24, 2012 8:38 AM

Recommend me a decent, cheap hard drive for my HP netbook (or at least a reliable site to shop from)

I've got an HP Mini 210 netbook. The hard drive crapped out one month after the warranty expired and its been sitting around for a few months. I know everything else works because I booted it off a USB key with a few different OS-es (Ubuntu, chrome). However, I'd like to get it back to working condition. I use it strictly for surfing the web.

I know how to get at the hard drive. I just need the hivemind's help in buying an affordable hard drive from a reliable online vendor who will ship to Canada.

This site's cheapest one was 95 bucks and it was a 160gb. I really only need 80gb or less. If I could get it for $75 or less before shipping, that would be an ideal price.

I also need help getting a new OS onto the HD. I have an old windows XP disc kicking around. I'd be happy with that, although the netbook came pre-installed with Windows 7. Is there a kit i can get that will allow me to hook the hard drive up to my desktop computer and install the OS? Is there a cheaper way to do it?

It's an HP 210 -1010CA
Model WD265UA

posted by Brodiggitty to computers & internet (6 answers total)

Newegg.ca sells a well reviewed WD 320GB 5400RPM 2.5" SATA drive for CA$70 shipped. Newegg itself gets fantastic reviews.
posted by ChrisHartley at 9:03 AM on February 24, 2012

Seconding Newegg.ca, and the drive that ChrisHartley linked is the one recommended in this walkthrough.

There's not much point in seeking out smaller drives than the ones that are currently manufactured in high volume, unless your machine has hardware or BIOS limitations on HD size.
posted by holgate at 9:12 AM on February 24, 2012

OK, I was assuming smaller would be cheaper. i forget how quickly this stuff changes. Thanks for that walkthrough link too!
posted by Brodiggitty at 9:30 AM on February 24, 2012

ChrisHartley has the best deal period for under $75. You are not going to do better for a hard drive right now. There is a worldwide hard drive shortage due to massive flooding in Thailand wiping out something to the order of half of the factories that produce them.

As for slapping on the OS: For around $15-20 HP will generally sell you recovery disks. When you talk to the agent, explain that you know it is out of warranty, no you don't want to pay for troubleshooting, you already know the hard drive is dead, can you please send/sell me recovery disks. IIRC, the HP support for Canada consists of Canadians. If the agent insists you pay the out of warranty troubleshooting charge, ask for a supervisor.

Yeah, I have inside knowledge of HP's tech support.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 9:33 AM on February 24, 2012

Thanks Mister Fabulous - so I would need an external CD drive to do the installation in that case? Boot from the CD drive?
posted by Brodiggitty at 10:08 AM on February 24, 2012

Something like isotousb might let you put the bootable recovery disks on a bootable USB drive. I'd try that before I bought an external CD drive but not before I borrowed one from a friend.
posted by ChrisHartley at 2:01 PM on February 24, 2012