computer hard drive advice

[Steve (sdh2903)]

Our house "kid" laptop is a cheapy Asus with i quote "64GB eMMC flash storage unit". This is always running around 75% full even with all the cleanups done. Now quick googling shows this type of storage is not upgradeable, is this correct? Would a basic laptop like this generally have a slot to add a proper hard drive?

 

Generally this storage isnt an issue as 'My' old laptop has a 500gb drive and i have a portable drive as backup. But this laptop is old and on its last legs so i need a secondary storage incase the portable drive chucks it.

 

So whats the best option for storage upgrades or is it not worth it with the availability of large USB drives/SD cards? The asus does have an SD slot.

[TableLeg]

The type with flash type storage are really geared at using a network storage device instead. Many routers have the provision to add a USB stick (mine has 2 for example) and these can be accessed by any device setup to do so.

Some of the models of flash drive netbook/laptops have an upgraded version usually with a removeable drive so the access is already there but others don't.

The SanDisk Cruzer type USB sticks are nice and small so you don't really notice them.

The other thing you can do is install the SD card and uninstall and where possible reinstall any apps and programs to that instead. It should help things.

[DamperMan]

Windows 10?     The eldest boys laptop would run at 100% disk capacity for most the time even when nothing was being done and increasingly really slow.   It was not the size of the drive but the amount of data being written/read.   Defrags, various optionising programs, switching off AVG  and it was a little better.    I reinstalled Windows 10 and it was perfect like new!   Then naturally Windows had 99999 updates to install resulting in it being back to how it was before...Grrrr...     Some Googling found that there are certain services which can be switched off.  I just followed online instructions.    Its OK now for speed and usable but the hard drive is often at full capacity... The offending child told not to install to much on it and make sure anything new is not on the start up program list.            

[Stuart]

I bought a 1Tb WD Elements 2.5" USB hard drive from Amazon recently and it's small and perfectly formed.  Just had a quick look and they're currently £35. 

[maurici]

2 hours ago, DamperMan said:

laptop would run at 100% disk capacity

Bloddy nightmare of windows 10...

Tookme two years to sort the problem, removing indexing and cache and so... terrible!!

My workstation is been nearly useless for two years. Finally found the issue, but cant remember what it was. I tried that much things.

Weird as my laptop is running the exact same version of w10 and is spot on.

[Steve (sdh2903)]

Router doesnt have a usb slot unfortunately.

 

Yes its windows 10. The laptop itself is running perfectly for the usual homework/internet/youtube/Netflix duties. It just needs more storage.

 

I know the portable hard drive is easiest but if possible I'd like something integral to save another separate unit. I've just been reading I can mount an SD card and partition it so it's used as on board storage. I think I may go with this option.

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

I believe it is possible to upgrade but it’s not plug and play though, to upgrade it’s a desolder swap and solder event, I suspect it is some thing that could be done by one of the small specialist places that deal with phones and laptops etc.
 

if you search in upgrade eMMC you should find some references and videos

you’d need to be able to reinstall the OS though or would need to be able to boot off an external usb so you could take a copy of the current disk to restore on the new one once swapped 

[Exitus]

On 28/02/2020 at 14:07, maurici said:

Bloddy nightmare of windows 10...

Tookme two years to sort the problem, removing indexing and cache and so... terrible!!

My workstation is been nearly useless for two years. Finally found the issue, but cant remember what it was. I tried that much things.

Weird as my laptop is running the exact same version of w10 and is spot on.

 

A lot of it is down to the quality of the hard drive. Probably why your laptop is fine, but workstation isn't.

 

Disks have a maximum read/write rate. Cheap ones have a low rate, more expensive ones are higher. If you have a very cheap or crap drive, even background windows tasks can use up much of that rate, leaving nothing for you to actually do anything with.

 

My parents PC was almost unusable, due to the hard disk constantly being at 100% capacity. It wasn't that the computer (or windows 10) was actually doing much, it was just a cheap, crappy hard disk. I got them a much higher quality one of the same size, and the computer now works fine.

 

Unfortunately it's a consequence of pushing the price down whilst keeping the eyecatching "1 terabyte hard disk!"  marketing stuff. Yup, its got a 1TB disk, just the crappiest one they could find! Dell is really bad for this at the moment, but it's the same with most other manufacturers and anything considered 'budget' (ie. below about £800...)

 

@Steve (sdh2903), Rhett is probably right. It might take some resoldering to replace the unit. The laptop almost certainly won't have a sata slot for a normal hard drive, as it would take up too much space. Using an SD card is probably your best bet.