How to install hard drive as slave

Find an available 4-pin Molex power connector attached to the power supply unit. Plug the other end into the 4-pin socket on the ATA drive. Slide the drive into an available enclosure. Screw the drive to the case and reassemble the PC before powering it on. Ruri Ranbe has been working as a writer since This will prevent you from accidentally harming your computer's delicate internals with static electricity.

You can ground yourself by touching something metal or by purchasing static wrist bands that you wear while you work on your computer. Remove the battery if possible. Most laptops will allow you to remove the battery, which will prevent you from inadvertently shocking yourself during the hard drive installation. Open the hard disk panel if present. On some laptops, the hard drive may be housed inside a special panel. The panel can usually be identified by the hard drive logo printed next to it.

You will usually need a small Phillip's head screwdriver in order to remove the screws and the panel. Unscrew the hard drive. Depending on the laptop, the hard drive may be secured in place with screws. Remove all screws holding the laptop in place. Remove the existing hard drive if necessary. Slide it out from the connection port that it is attached to. There may be a release latch or ribbon you pull to disconnect the hard drive.

The hard drive will pop back about half an inch, allowing you to remove it from its housing. You may also need to disconnect your hard drive from a wire or cable. It's best to place your old hard drive somewhere safe in case you need to retrieve data off of it. Insert your new hard drive. Ensure that you insert it with the correct side facing out, then press it firmly into the connectors.

Do not force the hard drive, or you may damage the connectors. If you had to remove screws to remove the original hard drive, screw them back in as well. Use a screw to secure the SSD to the motherboard. Connect any wires that you unplugged. If you had to detach any wires or cables from the original hard drive, reattach them to the new hard drive. Close back up your laptop.

Replace the bottom of the case and any screws holding it in place. If you needed to disconnect any ribbons or cables to remove the bottom panel, be sure to reconnect them before closing the laptop. Do hard drives come with the needed cables or will I need to purchase them separately? They don't. You either get the cables with the motherboard or you buy them separately.

Not Helpful 1 Helpful Can I take an old hard drive out of one computer and put it in as a backup storage drive in a new computer with a different operating system?

You'll have to reformat your hard drive, but yes, you can use that hard drive as extra storage for almost any PC. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 5. Talking to a tech professional like a specialist at a store selling computers and related items would be best. However, the word 'need' is misleading, as you can use a lot of different hard drives in some laptops.

Not Helpful 6 Helpful 9. I have replaced a hard drive that's fully loaded, but my PC cannot recognize it. I am told to reboot, but either the screen is blank or I am told to replace my battery, which doesn't help either.

What should I do. If by "fully loaded," you mean that you have taken out a hard drive from a different computer that had the operating system already installed on it and put it into a new computer, this unfortunately will not work. The drivers that were installed with the operating system on your older computer are almost certainly not compatible with the drivers needed for your new computer. You will have to back up all of your stored data desktop, documents, downloads, music, photos, videos, etc.

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 4. Try to find screws that will match the necessary size, either in a shop or online. A friend or colleague might also have some spare ones you could use. You can also connect the laptop's hard drive without any screws.

The connection is quite firm, but it's still safer with screws since they ensure that the connection between the drive and laptop doesn't come loose. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 3. Try to fix it. However, if it doesn't load Windows then it's best you take it in to a specialist, most have programs that run from a disk that can check for errors, or they can fix mechanical faults or tell you to buy a new one. If you still have a receipt, maybe ask for a new one.

Not Helpful 9 Helpful 8. Install Old Hard Drive as Slave. Thanks Debbie. All forum topics Previous Topic Next Topic. Replies 4. I have the SATA data cable I think as there is a slot and 2 data cables for both hard drives but not the power cable. Is there a cable that I can get that would split to allow for both to plugged in???? Forgive my ignorance on this matter as the only thing I have ever installed on a computer is DVD and Floppy drives.

How do I find out about this Raid array???? Datavac 2 Bronze. This article has been viewed , times. This wikiHow teaches you how to determine which of your Windows computer's two hard drives is the primary and which is the secondary.

In order to configure master and slave settings for hard drives, your computer's motherboard must support multiple internal hard drives and you must have the second hard drive installed. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account.

Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article Steps. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Make sure that your second hard drive is attached.

Before you can determine which hard drive is the "Master" and which is the "Slave", you'll need to have both drives attached to your computer. While the "Master" drive is usually your computer's built-in hard drive, the second one must be attached manually to your computer's motherboard. If you haven't yet done so, you'll need to install the hard drive before proceeding.

Click Restart. This option is at the top of the pop-up menu.