Putting a Used Hard Drive Into a New Computer

Install an old hard drive on your new computer to increase storage space.

When you buy a new computer, there is no need to scrap all the hardware from the old one. It is still possible to use old devices, such as CD/DVD drives and hard drives. Removing an older hard drive and installing it onto your new computer can give you more storage space and save you the money of buying a new second hard drive. You just need to remove the hard drive and the connection cables from the old computer.

Things You'll Need

• Old hard drive
• Ribbon cable
• Power cable
• Phillips screwdriver
• Driver installation CD
• Internet access

Instructions

1. Power down the new computer system. Disconnect the power cord and all the cables. Remove the Phillips screws from the back of the computer case.

2. Slide open the case, then look toward the front for the current hard drive. Slide the old hard drive into the secondary slot, directly under your current drive.

3. Look at your cable ribbon. It has three connection ports, one on each end of the cable and one in the middle. The middle connection port is used when creating a "slave drive." A slave drive is the hard drive that doesn't contain the operating system, which is what you are installing in this case. Insert the middle connection port into the cable ribbon plug on the back side of your old hard drive.

4. Check to see where your current hard drive's cable ribbon connects to the motherboard. There is an opening for another connection. Plug one of the free ends of the old ribbon cable in here.

5. Connect the power cable into the back side of the old hard drive, then insert the other end into the motherboard directly next to the current drive's power cord.

6. Close up the computer. Tighten the Phillips screws, and reattach the cables. Power the system on.

7. Insert the driver installation CD for the old hard drive and follow the brief set of prompts to install the drivers. However, if the old hard drive came preinstalled on its computer, you might not have a driver installation CD. If not, open a Web browser and navigate to the old hard drive's manufacturer's website. Choose the "Support" option and select "Driver Downloads." Select your hard drive model and the operating system you are running. Download the driver, then double-click the downloaded file to launch the installation wizard. Follow the prompts to install the drivers. You can now begin using the old hard drive on your new computer.

References

• Ease US: A Guide to Installing a Hard Drive