Advanced format disks - support?

[John Gray]

I'd like to replace my laptop's 200 GB SATA 2½" internal drive with a 750 GB version. This new drive comes as an Advanced Format hard disk, with physical 4K sectors rather than physical 512 byte sectors. The new disk specification includes the phrase "Physical 4K blocksize with 512 emulation".

Having read http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storag ... rd-disks/1 I am not really the wiser on whether I can simply replace the 200 GB drive with the new 750 GB drive, without worrying about hard disk controller and software driver compatibilities...

Does any hardware techie have a view on this?

Thanks

[JoeP]

For Windows 7 see Update that improves compatibility with advanced format disks. Note the "for more information" links at the end of the article.

Joe

[John Gray]

Thanks very much, Joe! I wonder whether I need to remove the dual-boot and Windows XP from the laptop, and leave it as a pure Windows 7 box?

[JoeP]

See XP will have issues with advanced format disks. I'd dump XP.

Joe

[Bigaldoc]

John: Don't miss the blurb at the end of Joe's recent article. It sounds like imaging software is something one should check beforehand. Of course, by now the softwares could be up to snuff.

[John Gray]

I saw a post (dated January) on the Macrium Reflect website which said that it supported Advanced Format disks. I would probably use their v5 Clone Disk facility...