How to Swap an Internal Hard Drive
Though internal hard drives are built to last several years in strenuous operating environments, they must be replaced or upgraded from time to time. As the price of computer hard drives continues to fall in the face of ever-improving technology performance, it is helpful to understand the process of upgrading the hard drive. Knowing how to swap out the hard drive also is valuable in the case of a hard drive failure.
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Instructions
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1
Disconnect the computer from any electrical sources.
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2
Remove the computer's side access panel. This may require the removal of two screws from the rear face of the computer case.
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3
Locate the computer hard drive within the computer's drive cage. The drive cage is located at the front of the computer case beneath the optical drives.
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4
Disconnect the two cables from the rear of the hard drive to be replaced. Take note of their installation position for reference when connecting the new drive.
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5
Remove the screws holding the old drive in place and slide it out of the computer drive cage toward the rear of the computer case.
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6
Insert the new hard drive into the same drive bay from which the old drive was removed and screw it in place, using care not to overtighten the screws as that can damage the hard drive.
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Reconnect the two cables removed from the old drive. These are the power and data cables for the hard drive, and the connectors are keyed to prevent incorrect insertion.
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Replace computer's side access panel and reconnect the electrical cord.
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Tips & Warnings
If possible, back up all important data from the old hard drive and wipe the drive clean of all data before removing it from the computer.
References
- Photo Credit hard drive image by Graham Lumsden from Fotolia.com
