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1. Why does my new drive or connector look different from my old
drive or connector?
The first thing you need to do is to determine if you bought the right
drive. There are now two standards for 2.5” laptop hard drives, Serial
ATA (SATA) and Parallel ATA (PATA). Check with your manufacturer
for the drive specifications and compare it to the specifications on the
drive you purchased. All SATA drive connectors should look exactly the
same. Use Apricorn’s hard drive configurator at www.apricorn.com to
make sure you are getting the correct drive for your laptop or notebook
computer.
2. What is Serial ATA (SATA)?
Serial ATA is the next generation interface for the high-speed transfer
of data in PCs, workstations, and laptops. SATA allows an increase in
bandwidth from PATA’s 100 MBps to 150 MBps and higher down the
road. SATA cable connectors are much smaller than PATA connectors
and have no pins to be bent or broken. SATA connectors are more stable
and require very little pressure to attach the hard drive making them much
easier to use than PATA connectors. If your laptop requires a SATA hard
drive you must replace it with a SATA hard drive. Use Apricorn’s hard
drive configurator at www.apricorn.com to make sure you are getting the
correct drive for your laptop or notebook computer.
3. How do I format my drive?
For Windows 2000 and XP cut & paste or type the URL below into your
Internet browser or click the link below:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=313348
For Windows Vista & 7 cut & paste or type the URL below into your
Internet browser or click the link below:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Create-and-format-a-
hard-disk-partition
4. What is USB 2.0?
USB 2.0 represents the next generation of PC peripherals and connectivity.
USB 2.0 is the first major evolution of the Universal Serial Bus standard,
which was originally designed to bring low cost connections and “plug-
and-play” consumer devices to the PC world. USB 2.0 adds new
functionality to your laptop, by allowing faster connections and greater
flexibility without the need for upgrading your existing USB devices.
SATA Wire FAQs
