How to install an additional SATA Hard drive in your Windows XP PC

Need more storage space? Don't be intimidated by your PC, adding a new hard drive is easy!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Appropriate sized phillips head screwdriver
• Appropriate screws to mount hard drive to cage
• New SATA hard drive
• SATA cable
• Available spot in your hard drive cage
• Available power connector in your PC
• Windows XP PC

1. Turn off your PC and open the case.

2. If your hard drives are mounted in a cage, disconnect any current drives. Make a mental note of which SATA connector went to which drive. If they are mounted using "tool-less" hardware, any spare hardware is probably screwed to the hard drive cage. Unscrew them and remove them.

3. Mount the hard drive in the cage using the appropriate screws. If your cage uses tool-less hardware, screw the hardware onto the hard drive and slide it into the cage.

4. Reinstall the cage back into your PC case and reconnect your old drive. Connect 1 end of the SATA data cable to any free SATA port on the motherboard or SATA controller card, and connect the other end to your new drive. Connect the appropriate power connector.

5. Power on the PC and load Windows.

6. Right click My Computer in the start menu and go to Manage. On the left under "Storage" select "Disk Management."

7. In the bottom half of the Disk Management window it will list all disks. There should be a disk that is not initialized and has a size close to the size of your new hard drive - this is the disk you just installed. If the drive you are adding is your second hard drive, it's ID should be Disk1. Right click this and select "Initialize." It will ask you things like how you want to partition the drive and what drive letter you want. Change these if you want to, but default values should be ok.

8. After the disk has initialized, right click the partion graphic to the right of the disk info and select "Format." Choose the default options and format it.

9. After your disk has finished formatting you are ready to go. Enjoy your new storage space!

Tips & Warnings

• Quick formatting is much faster than full formatting, but to be safe I always full format any new drive.
• Some SATA drives have regular 4-pin Molex connectors, but most use SATA power connectors. If you do not have SATA power connectors and that's all your PC has, you can buy an adapter cable for a few dollars.
• Make sure you have a SATA cable to use if your drive did not come with one.
• You can save money by purchasing an OEM hard drive - all you get is the hard drive in a static bag (not even screws). Why pay extra for packaging and manuals if you're just going to throw them away? Screws should be available at any good computer store if you do not already have them.
• Your Windows login must have administrative rights.
• Full formats take a LONG time! My 1TB drive took nearly 4 hours.
• Be VERY careful not to format the wrong hard drive!!! Formatting will erase ALL data!