Question: Is it possible to upgrade/replace the hard drive in my iHP-120/H120/iHP-140/H140?
Answer: Yes, it is possible.
Disclaimer
For legal purposes, I, nor Misticriver, can be held responsible for any damage caused to your player by following the information/instructions included in this thread. I do make an effort to keep all the information up to date, but it may become outdated at times. Additionally, it may contain errors, though I'd like to think that they are kept to a minimum.
Obstacles
Upgrading the hard drive posed several questions. The main issue was whether or not the player's native firmware would recognize/support the additional storage space. It has since been proved that the player
will recognize and support additional hard drive space. (also scroll down to "Apple Branded Drives")
The iHP-120/H120
The iHP-120/H120 uses a single platter 1.8" 20 gigabyte hard drive manufactured by Toshiba. The model name on these drives may read MK2004GAL or MK2006GAL (the 4 and 6 designate model years, and there is no known difference other than the number). Toshiba currently manufactures two other single-platter drives with the same dimensions, the 30 gigabyte MK3006GAL drive and the 40 gigabyte MK4007GAL drive which uses new PMR technology (note: it has not been officially released yet). 120s can both be fitted with these drives without modification.
The iHP-140/H140
The 140 utilizes Toshiba's 1.8" double platter 40 gigabyte MK4004GAH/MK4006GAH hard drive (once again, the 4 and 6 only designate model years). It can be replaced by the double platter MK6006GAH or Toshiba's new dual platter 1.8" 80GB drive, the MK8007GAH, which also uses PMR technology. The 140 can only be upgraded to these drives without modification. You can also, of course, replace an MK4004GAH/MK4006GAH with another MK4004GAH/MK4006GAH.
Installing the new drive
Should you replace the hard drive of your player, you will first need to open it. A T5 Torx wrench (or a tiny flathead screwdriver) is required to open the player. I had trouble finding a T5 Torx wrench when opening my player, but if you don't have one, they are available at
MisticAudio.net 
.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN, MAKE SURE THE PLAYER IS TURNED OFF. The hold switch is your friend here...
The 1xx series is held together by 10 screws, 4 on each end, and one on each side (the side screws are easy enough to find). Take out the eight screws pictured, and the two on the sides.
Now carefully remove the silver end caps. They are actually made of plastic.
Once the black side screws are removed from the sides, you'll be able to pull the player apart (always be gentle!)
The hard drive is under a loose piece of rubber padding. remove the padding.
Now, carefully slide out the hard drive. It may require a bit of gentle wiggling. This is perfectly fine as long as you are
gentle.
Replace the drive with the new one, once again gently wiggling it in. There is a piece of black padding underneath the drive as well. This may fall out at some point. Simply replace it as shown in the photo.
Replace the padding and screws you're done!
Apple Branded Hard Drives
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding Apple branded hard drives. Apple uses the same brand/model of hard drives as iRiver has in it's 1xx/3xx lines. Thus, they come up on ebay. It's been rumored that Apple drives are partitioned/altered in a certain way that makes them compatible only with ipods. Mind, this isn't fact, but it is supported by the fact that apple drives have an apple logo on the bottom left corner of the labeled side of the drive. This is a way to tell that the drive is an apple drive.
Some users have been able to partition apple branded drives so that they work. On the other hand, others have been unsuccessful. So far the procedure seems to be to use the
Swissknife Utility to repartition the drive.
Ultimately, it's best to stay away from Apple drives, as they're not guaranteed to work one way or another.
Link to the discussion thread
Drive Technology
Recently, drive technology has improved with the introduction of Perpindicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) from several manufacturers. This technology allows for larger capacity drives while retaining the same physical size. Toshiba has announced a single platter 40GB drive (MK4007GAL) and a dual platter 80GB drive (MK8007GAH), both of which utilize PMR.
IDE vs. ZIF Connectors
After some investigation, it seems that drives ending in "08" (MK2008GAL, MK3008GAL, MK4008GAH and MK6008GAH) have ZIF connectors. Drives ending in 04, 06 or 07 use IDE connectors, and it appears that IDE connectors and ZIF connectors are not cross compatible (do correct me if I'm wrong). So unless proven otherwise, stay away from drives with ZIF connectors, as they will not work.
Drive Sources
Ewiz.com is [so far] the least expensive retailer, US based.
Their site
Span.com, UK based.
Their site
Dabs.com, Also UK based.
Their site
ServerPartsWarehouse .com, US based.
Their site
PCUpgrader.co.uk, UK based.
Their site
VTec.co.uk, UK based.
Their site
Memorylabs.com (US based) has the 60GB drive for $142, the cheapest price so far.
Their site
Prices
The following prices* are roughly the average price to look for. If the drive you are purchasing costs significantly more, you are being ripped off. Shipping/Handling and/or other duties are not included in these estimates, and generally vary by area.
MK2006GAL: ~$85-$110
MK3006GAL: ~$100-$120
MK4006GAH: ~$130-$140
MK4007GAL: MR member wikiriver claims that in an email from a Toshiba employee, he was told that the MK4007GAL's release date is some time in October. For now, we'll just have to take his word for it...
MK6006GAH: ~$185-$200
MK8007GAH: At the moment, it seems as though there are no MK8007GAH drives available. aso, you can expect that when they are available again, they
will not be cheap.
*All prices are in USD
Links
Several users have now upgraded their hard drives.
*
the_winch first proved that the stock firmware will support the extra hdd capacity by upgrading his H140 with a 3.5" 80GB drive. Obviously the drive does not fit in the case, but all the same it proved that hard drive upgrades could be done.
Link to the thread
*
Paperman23 upgraded his H140 to a 60 gigger.
Link to the thread
*
gibson upgraded his 140 to 60GB, and includes instructions to format on a Mac.
Link to the thread
*I upgraded my iHP-120 to an iHP-130.
Link to my thread
*
Mike upgraded his '140 to a '160.
Link to the thread
*
Adam917 upgraded his H140 to a 160.
Link to the Thread
*
michael.conner upgraded his H120 to an H130.
Link to the thread
*Hard drive upgrade discussion thread.
Link to the thread
*
Wiki guide to H1xx Hard Drive Replacement
*
Toshiba's website
*
3xx HDD Upgrade FAQ
Note
If you have upgraded the drive in your player, and want me to include a link to your thread, please PM me, and I'll gladly accomodate you!
Updated 2006.12.18