How to Install an Old Hard Drive Into a New Computer
If your current hard drive is on the fritz, or you have an older drive with data you need to retrieve, it's a fairly short process to swap out an existing drive with an old unit lying around the house. To replace the hard drive you need to be comfortable taking apart your computer and working inside its case. The hard drive is located in the series of metal drive bays located underneath the computer's side access panel.
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Instructions
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Shut down your computer's operating system. Disconnect the power cable from the back of the computer case and unplug any other cables, such as for the monitor and mouse.
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Set the computer case gently on its side on a stable work area such as a desk or table. Check the far left end of the case to determine if the side access panel uses screws or a release button.
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Remove the two screws with a Phillips screwdriver, if they are present. Instead press in the plastic release button, if one is present. Push down the side panel and slide it off the computer. With some models you may need to instead lift the panel to the right until it locks at 90 degrees.
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Check the metal drive bays near the front end of the case and locate the one containing the rectangular metal hard drive. Unplug the data cable and the power cable from the ports on the back end of the hard drive.
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Remove the screws holding the hard drive to the metal drive bay. Set the screws aside in a container so they don't become lost. Grip the back of the current hard drive and slide it out of the drive bay.
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Slide the old hard drive you want to use into the drive bay, and ensure the power and data cable ports are facing into the computer's case. Plug the power and data cables you removed earlier into the corresponding ports on the back end of the old hard drive.
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Replace the screws removed earlier to hold the old hard drive to the metal drive bay. Replace the computer's side access panel and tighten the screws in place, if it used them.
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Reconnect the computer's power cable and the other cables you removed earlier. Press the computer's power button.
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Tips & Warnings
Your computer may use either an IDE data cable or a SATA data cable, which are not compatible with each other. Check the documentation that comes with your computer or the hard drive to determine which type of cable your computer uses and which type of port the old hard drive has.
IDE hard drives have a series of plastic pins known as "jumpers" located next to the IDE cable port. The jumpers need to be set to the "master" configuration if you are only using a single hard drive. Check the drive's manual to see which configuration is the "master" setting.
You may want to use the old hard drive as a secondary drive, instead of replacing the current hard drive. In that case, install the old hard drive into any of the available metal drive bays. Acquire a new SATA or IDE cable and connect it from the port on the back of the old hard drive to the corresponding port on the motherboard. Locate the square metal power supply at the back end of the case. Connect one of the power cables running from the power supply to the power cable port on the hard drive. A secondary IDE hard drive needs to have its jumper pins set to the "Slave" setting.
With some computer models, the hard drive is easier to remove through the front. Push in both sides of the plastic cover on the front of the case and pop the cover off the computer. After removing the hard drive's cables and screws, slide it forward and out the front end.
If the old hard drive doesn't have an operating system installed you need to insert an operating system installation disc in the computer's disk drive and follow the on-screen instructions.
References
- Photo Credit hard drive interior image by Curtis Sorrentino from Fotolia.com
