A1200 Hard drive location in case prob

[watchtower]

I have of recent picked up a A1200 very cheaply at a boot sale (£5) with other bits - see post in welcome announcements. It's been some years (10?) since I used an Amiga so was rusty on what was what. I turned the machine on and it booted fine - showing that a 200 mb scsi drive was in the machine. The keyboard although physicaly fine did not seem to work.
SO - opened the case and rumaged inside. The keyboard connector had come away from the M/B, the H/D was floating against it and had pulled it out. Question is: Is the hard drive supposed to sit over the M/B or further away, like in the gap near the 'escape hatch'?

The lead on the H/D as is will not reach the 'escape hatch' so the H/D must have been sitting on the M/B in this machine.(possibly easing the keyboard connector from its slot over the years - wonder if that was the reason the guy sold it, thinking it was a dead keyboard)?

Thanks in advance or any help

[watchtower]

It's a PC size drive - did the guy just squeeze it in?? There is no cage. I thought the case was 'bulging' a bit - LOL

[watchtower]

Thanks for the input. Couple of questions if I use a new thin IDE the samsung 20GB comes to mind as it's cheap! what size will I be able to make a partition and what prog to use?

Is there a PC prog I can use to format and partition in my PC before fitting to the A1200?

(please don't fry me - I have multiple copies of this game (legal) Mind you! the guy left a copy of elite with a fantastic commander on the drive at a level I would never have the patience, skill or social inneptitude to reach.

What can I use to transfer files from the installed drive to another? Thanks

[watchtower]

Thanks for all the advice: So will any (1-3 GB) IDE 2.5" harddisk work in the machine if I use Winuae to partition it?

[watchtower]

I found that by budging the H/D up against the back of the case on top of some rubber washers and taping down the keyboard cable I could screw the case back up with no bulging. Booted up and all fine and dandy. Think I might just see how it goes. Want this as a retro game machine mainly.

[watchtower]

The bad reports on the Samsungs is a bit worrying as I recently put one in my PC after two Western Digitals died on me in quick succession - I do keep regular back ups of important stuff on CD though as rubbish ATI drivers for my 9700 pro tend to force me to reformat the drive about once a month (tends to be the only reliable way of clearing old ones out!!) - Still trying to find stable drivers for it.