How to Use a Laptop Hard Drive Enclosure
A hard drive enclosure is an external device that allows you to access and use hard drives that is not installed in your computer. Some enclosures are designed for use with 2.5" laptop hard drives, allowing them to be used with either a laptop or desktop computer. Depending upon the specific model used, a laptop enclosure allows you to connect a laptop hard drive to your computer using a USB, FireWire or external SATA connection.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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1
Open the hard drive enclosure case. Depending upon the specific model used, the case may be held together with a clip, a screw or some other locking mechanism.
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2
Align the data and power ports on the hard drive to the ports on the enclosure. Press the two components together. Close the cover of the enclosure.
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3
Plug the enclosure's data cable into the appropriate data port on the enclosure. USB, FireWire and external SATA cables use different ports, so make sure that you use the appropriate cable for your enclosure.
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4
Connect the other end of the data cable into a USB, FireWire or eSATA port on your computer. Wait while your operating system recognizes the drive as an external storage device and installs necessary drivers. Once driver installation is complete, you can use the laptop hard drive in the enclosure as you would any other hard drive on your computer.
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5
Disconnect the enclosure's data cable from your computer when you want to remove the hard drive. You do not have to remove the laptop hard drive from its enclosure.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You can format your laptop hard drive inside the enclosure in the same manner that you would format an internal hard drive.
Purchase a laptop hard drive enclosure that is compatible with the drive that you want to put in it. SATA hard drives will not work with PATA hard drive enclosures, and vice versa.
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References
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