How to Replace a Corrupt Hard Drive

Replacing a corrupt hard drive.

Over time a hard drive may become corrupt and need to be replaced. Replacing a corrupt hard drive is the same as replacing a functional hard drive except for one very important thing-saving the data on the corrupt disk. If your personal data has been backed up on another medium, this will not be an issue. If not, recovering important data on the disk will be the biggest challenge.

Things You'll Need

• 2 Desktop PCs
• PC Owner's Manual
• Data Recovery Program
• New Hard Drive
• Operating System

Instructions

1. Open the computer cases. Remove any metal rings, watches or bracelets you may be wearing. Unplug the computers, then touch one of the metal casings to eliminate any static charge. You can also use an anti-static wrist strap if you prefer. Refer to the owner's manuals if necessary to determine how to open your particular computer cases.

2. Remove the corrupt hard drive. Typically the hard drive will be connected to a flat 2 1/2 inch wide IDE cable and a power cable. Hard drives are often housed in removable metal cages which are secured to the case with one or more screws. If not, the hard drive will be attached directly to the computer case.

3. Connect the corrupt hard drive to the other computer. Adjust the jumpers on the corrupt hard drive to make it a slave device. Carefully connect the IDE and power cables to the hard drive then reboot the computer. After the operating system has loaded, make a backup of the corrupt drive, then use a data recovery program to recover the data. Turn off the computer, remove the corrupt hard drive, then replace the case.

4. Connect the new hard drive to your computer. Carefully connect the IDE and power cables to the new hard drive. Screw the drive into the metal cage or secure it directly to the case. Replace the cover, plug the computer in, then turn it on.

5. Format the new hard drive. Follow the instructions in your owner's manual to enter the system BIOS. If the hard drive is installed properly, it will be recognized by the BIOS. Load your operating system CD into the CD ROM, reboot the computer, then follow the instructions on the screen to install your operating system. Once your operating system in installed, restore your system backup or any data recovered from the corrupt hard drive.

Tips & Warnings

• Placing the corrupt hard drive in another computer as a slave helps to protect data by minimizing disk activity. Also, a corrupt hard drive may work perfectly fine in another computer.

• Sometimes it's not possible to recover data from a corrupt hard drive. Back up your important data regularly to avoid disaster.

• Hard drives are very sensitive to cold, heat, and jarring. Be careful not to hit, bump or drop the new hard drive when installing it. Also, do not bend any of the pins when connecting the cables.