Swap Tray Caddy
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 HP Hard Drive Caddy 35 Proliant Hot Swap Tray 349469 5  US $7.99
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The ultimate problem on my PC: it just would not boot up. The BIOS was trying to boot from the second hard drive and could not find the first. When I disabled the second hard drive the BIOS could not find a drive at all.
Removing the problem drive I could feel it spinning but there was no sign of recognition even from my SATA docking station.
This was the disaster I knew would come and fortunately I was prepared. You may like to consider the same solution.
My hard drives are mounted in removable trays, so that I can easily swap from Win 7 to XP, and XP booted perfectly, proving, if I still needed proof, that it was a problem with the drive and nothing else.
Fortunately I had an easy way back to business. A month before I had cloned my main drive. I used some free software called HDclone from Miray Software in Germany but they are just one of several firms which produce similar software, most having "clone" in their names. The process is also known as "imaging" and those of you with laptops may have come across it as the way such computers can have disks, or a partition, from which you can restore the system to how it was when you first got it from the store.
All I had to do was replace the faulty drive in the removable tray with the cloned one...that means loosening the tray cover, sliding that off, then undoing four screws, replacing the drive, doing up the screws, sliding on and tightening the cover (one screw) and sliding the whole into the caddy. That takes about three minutes.
I rebooted and there is my OS as it was a month ago. I copied back some files from the usual weekly backup via software such as DriveImage, TrueImage or Allway Sync 'n' Go and the past day or so's email and Firefox history from my thumb drive (thanks to MozBackup). Lastly, also from the thumb drive I copied the encrypted password file for my password safe (I use KeePass but again there are several good freebies).
I have since cloned the drive again and updated the cloned copy of my XP system. That takes time, but not when I have to be present. The PC will chug away for the 5 or 6 hours the cloning process takes. Paid versions of cloning software usually work faster than the free ones, so you could halve that time.
The Mira website states that the latest version can create cloned drives even from within Windows but I'm currently using a bootable CD made by copying their .iso file to a CD-R.
A self-booting CD (made from an .iso file) will copy just about any drive with any OS to any other drive which is at least the same size. I can use the same CD to clone my Linux drive. There is cloning software for Linux but I wanted just one solution.
I am not making any special claims for cloning in preference to all other ways. I am suggesting that it has its place as an adjunct to other backup methods.
Next time someone asks if you backup you can then say "I clone".
Gordon Woolf is the author of several books including How to Start and Produce a Magazine and (jointly) Success in Store: How to start or buy a retail business, enjoy running it and make money, which has just been reissued in a second edition which is being printed concurrently in both Australia and the USA. His blog is at http://www.gordonwoolf.com
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Extra 3.5in Hot Swap Hard Drive Tray for SATA and SAS Backplanes - storage drive carrier (caddy) $27.99 StarTech.com Extra 3.5in Hot Swap Hard Drive Tray for SATA and SAS Backplanes - Storage drive carrier (caddy) - 3.5" - black - for InfoSafe Dual 3.5" |
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Extra 2.5in or 3.5in Hot Swap Hard Drive Tray for SATSASBAY3BK - storage drive carrier (caddy) $27.99 StarTech.com Extra 2.5in or 3.5in Hot Swap Hard Drive Tray for SATSASBAY3BK - Storage drive carrier (caddy) - 2.5" / 3.5" shared - black |
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Startech Extra 2.5in Or 3.5in Hot Swap Hard Drive Tray For SATSASBAY3BK - Storage Drive Carrier (caddy). Each $29.41 Manufacturer: Startech Computer Products. Each. Device Type: Storage drive carrier (caddy) Dimensions (WxDxH): 4.5 in x 6.3 in x 1.1 in Weight: 5.4 oz Enclosure Color: Black Expansion Bays: 1 x hot-swap - 2.5" / 3.5" shared Compatible Bays: 1 x hot-swap |
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HP Low-Profile Hot Swap Tray D6128A $24.8 HP Low-Profile Hot Swap Tray D6128A |
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Bpu Series Hot Swap Spare Tray $26.99 BPU SERIES HOT SWAP SPARE TRAY |
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ACP / TRAY/BRACKET/CADDY/CARRIER SAS / SD238 $57.88 ACP - TRAY/BRACKET/CADDY/CARRIER SAS - SD238 |
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ACP / TRAY/CARRIER/2.5 SFF CADDY SAS / 378343-002-AA $51.89 ACP - TRAY/CARRIER/2.5 SFF CADDY SAS - 378343-002-AA |
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ACP / TRAY/BRACKET/CADDY/CARRIER 3.5 / 373211-001-AA $52.01 ACP - TRAY/BRACKET/CADDY/CARRIER 3.5 - 373211-001-AA |
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Startech Extra 3.5" Hot Swap Hard Drive Tray for SAT3540ER S352U2RER S352U2RERC - storage drive carrier (caddy). Each $17.38 Manufacturer: Startech Computer Products. Each. Specifically designed for use with StarTech.com's SAT3540ER, S352U2RERC, and S352U2RER multi-drive Hard Drive enclosures, this extra Hard Drive Tray features an easy to use handle release mechanism for quick |
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The Swap $13.99 The Swap |
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Startech.com / 3DRIVE TRAY-LESS SATA HOT-SWAP / HSB320SATBK $101.15 Startech.com - 3DRIVE TRAY-LESS SATA HOT-SWAP - HSB320SATBK |
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Datastor / DataStor HP PROLIANT SATA HOT SWAP TRAY / HPPLSATA $79.75 Datastor - DataStor HP PROLIANT SATA HOT SWAP TRAY - HPPLSATA |
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Startech.com / 4DRIVE TRAY-LESS SATA HOT SWAP / HSB430SATBK $122.57 Startech.com - 4DRIVE TRAY-LESS SATA HOT SWAP - HSB430SATBK |
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146GB SAS IBM 10000RPM 2.5in Non Hot Swap (No Tray) 42D0421 $130.26 146GB SAS IBM 10000RPM 2.5in Non Hot Swap (No Tray) 42D0421 |
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IBM Chassis With SCSI Hot-Swap Mechanical And Tray System x3650 42C0774 $76.4 IBM Chassis With SCSI Hot-Swap Mechanical And Tray System x3650 42C0774 |
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73GB Fibre Channel IBM 15000RPM Hot Swap w/ Tray 71P7544 $35 73GB Fibre Channel IBM 15000RPM Hot Swap w/ Tray 71P7544 |
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IBM 146.8GB 10K U320 Hot Swap Drive w/ Tray 07N8802 $62.84 IBM 146.8GB 10K U320 Hot Swap Drive w/ Tray 07N8802 |
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300GB Fibre Channel IBM 10000RPM With Hot Swap Tray 22R5947 $120.84 300GB Fibre Channel IBM 10000RPM With Hot Swap Tray 22R5947 |
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IBM 146.8GB 10K U320 Hot Swap Drive w/Tray 32P0731 $62.84 IBM 146.8GB 10K U320 Hot Swap Drive w/Tray 32P0731 |
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73.4GB IBM 15K U320 Hot Swap HDD w/tray 32P0737 $276.95 73.4GB IBM 15K U320 Hot Swap HDD w/tray 32P0737 |
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IBM 36.4GB 10K U320 Hot Swap Drive w/ Tray $119 IBM 36.4GB 10K U320 Hot Swap Drive w/ Tray |
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146.8GB IBM 10000RPM Ultra320 SCSI Hot Swap w/Tray 33P3392 $62.84 146.8GB IBM 10000RPM Ultra320 SCSI Hot Swap w/Tray 33P3392 |
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IBM 73.4GB 15K Ultra U320 Hot-Swap HDD w/TRAY $276.95 IBM 73.4GB 15K Ultra U320 Hot-Swap HDD w/TRAY |
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146.8GB IBM 10000RPM Ultra320 SCSI Hot Swap w/Tray 24P3714 $420 146.8GB IBM 10000RPM Ultra320 SCSI Hot Swap w/Tray 24P3714 |
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36.4GB IBM 15000RPM Ultra-320 SCSI Hot Swap w/Tray 33P3380 $177.5 36.4GB IBM 15000RPM Ultra-320 SCSI Hot Swap w/Tray 33P3380 |
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IBM 73.4GB 15K U320 Hot Swap Drive w/ Tray $157.5 IBM 73.4GB 15K U320 Hot Swap Drive w/ Tray |
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146.8GB IBM 10000RPM Ultra320 Hot Swap Drive w/Tray 74P4102 $63.09 146.8GB IBM 10000RPM Ultra320 Hot Swap Drive w/Tray 74P4102 |
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18.2GB IBM SCSI Ultra160 Hot-Swap w/Tray 37L7205 $89.75 18.2GB IBM SCSI Ultra160 Hot-Swap w/Tray 37L7205 |
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36.4GB SCSI IBM 10000RPM ULTRA320 Hot-Swap w/Tray 33P3373 $119 36.4GB SCSI IBM 10000RPM ULTRA320 Hot-Swap w/Tray 33P3373 |
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IBM SATA Hot Swap Tray Black 8836 31R3061 $16.98 IBM SATA Hot Swap Tray Black 8836 31R3061 |
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DataStor/HP ProLiant SATA Hot Swap Tray Hpplsata $74.78 DataStor/HP ProLiant SATA Hot Swap Tray Hpplsata |
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36.4GB IBM SCSI Ultra160 10000RPM Hot Swap (No Tray) 06P5759 $59.8 36.4GB IBM SCSI Ultra160 10000RPM Hot Swap (No Tray) 06P5759 |
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IBM MP201004 Hot Swap Tray For Netfinity Exp10/15 For 37L5724 01K6679 37L5741 $13 IBM MP201004 Hot Swap Tray For Netfinity Exp10/15 For 37L5724 01K6679 37L5741 |
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IBM Hot Swap SL Tray for NF5000/5500/7000 FRU 12J3276 01K6932 $12.76 IBM Hot Swap SL Tray for NF5000/5500/7000 FRU 12J3276 01K6932 |
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Intel Hot Swap Hard Drive Tray Carrier C82432-001 $4.97 Intel Hot Swap Hard Drive Tray Carrier C82432-001 |
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73GB SCSI HP / Compaq Ultra320 15000RPM Hot Swap (No Tray) AB421A $74.51 73GB SCSI HP / Compaq Ultra320 15000RPM Hot Swap (No Tray) AB421A |
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Bed Caddy $169 "Bed Caddy from Offi. A molded wood tray used for reading, eating, or for work with your laptop." |