How to Install a Hard Drive

You will learn how to install or upgrade your desktop computers hard drive

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• An IDE or SATA hard drive
• An IDE or SATA cable
• A desktop computer not laptop, notebook, or tablet computer.
• A screwdriver and time

1. Make sure the amount of space the new drive has is enough for your operating system plus all of your personal files.

2. Make sure your computer is shut down and not in stand by or hibernation.

3. Unplug all cables from the back of your computer.

4. If needed unscrew your computer case, keep in mind that your case may have clips or both screws and clips.

5. Put your screws and removed clips in a safe place so they don't get lost. My technique is to stick them on the adhesive side of some tape to make sure they do not roll around.

6. Now take the computer case off and get a good look where your hard drive is plugged in. If the cable is small and has a small black end it is a SATA hard drive. If the cable looks like a ribbon made of a bunch of wires you have IDE or PATA. If you have SATA skip to step 9.

7. 

   With your IDE/PATA hard drive make sure the jumper is set to Master. Most hard drives are different and you will have to look at the diagram on the hard drive to figure out which jumper setting is Master.

8. If you are installing an extra second or third hard drive set the jumper to the slave setting so the computer knows that is is an extra hard drive. Once again look at the jumper setting diagram on the hard drive to know what pins to put the jumper on.

9. Unplug your old hard drive take it out of its holder and put the new one in its place then plug the old cable into the new hard drive. If it is an extra Hard drive just find an extra SATA or IDE cable and plug it in to your new hard drive.

10. Now your ready to put the case back on the computer and Put the screws and clips back in place.

11. Now plug all of the removed cables back in and turn your computer back on.

Tips & Warnings

• read the article more than once and make sure you understand it prior to starting.
• have some basic computer knowledge.
• with some computer companies your warranty will be VOID if you remove the case or hard drive.

[Haunted]

on 11/26/2008 Nicely written and well explained thank you for sharing your know-how!

[Shayleia]

on 11/26/2008 Nice article, sounds easy enough and your advice about reading the article more than once is a great idea! Thanks for sharing!