The 1TB Seagate/Samsung hdd will fit instead of the 500GB drive
- I think the heigth is the same.... please do check.
1. A standard recovery DVD created with the laptop manufacturers
installed software (in Windows 7) will only produce a fresh Windows
system on this laptop - including all manufacturers "add ons"
- the Windows system will be same like you have baught the laptop.
It does not reinstall all the software and data you have installed/created
after you started the laptop the first time.
2. If the image you created on the external hd is
a real 1:1 image- and if you are able to transfer it back to the 1TB hdd, then it should
work instantly - but the partition(s) will show (in total) the 500GB
(formatted around 460GB in total).
Again - if its a 1:1
image of the existing hdd - it should include all
you personal data, settings and programs installed - in addition to the
preinstalled software delivered with the laptop.
You either can set up a further (500gb/460GB) partition
follow this info:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows7/ ... dows-7.htmor you can install a software to extend the existing partition to the full
capacity of the hdd. I definitely recommend to set up a 2nd partition and
to copy some "old" data from (I assume) C: to E: (D: is most probably
your DVD/CD drive).
3. Why would you want to partition and format the new drive?
If you replace the old hdd with this new drive and transfer the image
from the (existing) external drive to it - it will work just like the old
(replaced) 500GB hdd.
Partitioning and formating of the new 1TB is only necessary if you
do not use this drive to replace the old one but want it to use as
external drive (in a 2,5" USB case).
+++