External hard drive disks (HDDs) are useful for storing files you need to take with you or upgrading the storage capacity of a laptop PC, but if you own a desktop PC, you will be able to install an internal HDD. An internal HDD has several advantages over external drives because it is faster and does not take up extra space on your desk. Although the thought of installing a second HDD may seem intimidating at first, the installation is simple process and shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes to complete it.
- A screwdriver
- SATA HDD
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- SATA cable (usually included along with the HDD)
- 2x 15-pin SATA power connector
- Empty bay within the computer case to mount the drive
Hardware Installation
Step 1: Turn off the Power Supply
Shut down the computer, unplug the cables you see in the back, and press the power switch to off.
If your computer has been turned on, you will have to wait a few minutes to allow the components to cool down before opening the case.
WARNING! Computers always contain some electricity, even after you cut off their power supply. Make sure you are properly grounded while touching the components – avoid standing on the carpet and touch the power supply occasionally to release excessive static charge.
Step 2: Open the Case
Locate the screws on the back of your computer case. Remove the screws and pull the side panels to open the case. If you don’t see any screws, your computer case has release latches that are located on the back or sides of the case. Push down the latches to remove the side panels.
Once the case is open, the first thing you will do is locate the SATA interfaces on the motherboard. SATA interfaces look like slots with an L-shaped construct placed in the middle of the slots, but they sometimes lack the plastic casing surrounding the connectors:
You will also want to check your power supply has a free SATA power connector. Most power supplies have two separate SATA power connectors on the same cord. Just follow the power connector from your first HDD to find the location of the cable on the power supply. If your power supply has only one 15-pin SATA power connector, you will need to replace it with a dual SATA power connector.
Step 3: Mount the HDD in an Empty Bay
Find an empty bay in your computer case. Before you mount the HDD in the bay, you may want to check whether the cables are long enough to reach the SATA ports on your motherboard
Step 4: Connect the Cables
Connect the HDD and the motherboard with the SATA cable. Connect the HDD and the power supply with the power connector.
Step 5: Close the Case
Once the HDD is connected to the motherboard and the power supply, slide the side panels back to close the case and screw them in place. Plug in the power supply cable and turn on the power supply switch. You are now ready to turn your computer on, but you will still need to configure your new drive.
Configuration
SATA HDDs do not require a lot of configuration because they do not need to be in a master-slave relationship. There is no master HDD from which the computer boots the operating system, and the BIOS will attempt to boot from both drives in order if it fails to detect an operating system on the . However, you might want to check your BIOS configuration to ensure the computer is booting from the correct disk to reduce boot time.
Step 1: BIOS configuration
Turn your computer on and wait for the first screen to show. To enter the BIOS setup, press the Delete key several times. Delete is the most common key for entering the BIOS setup, but some PCs may use the Esc key or some of the function keys (F2, F10, F12, etc.). Some computers will also tell you which keys to press when they show the first screen, but to get it right the first time, you can always check your PC’s user manual.
When you enter the BIOS, find the “Boot order” or “Boot priority” menu. Place the drive on which your operating system is installed at the top of the list. Save changes and exit the setup.
Step 2: Disk Management Configuration
Start Windows, log in with an administrator-level account, and open the Disk Management utility (Start – Control Panel – System and Security – Administrative tools – Create and format hard disk partitions). You will notice a box labeled “Unallocated.”
Right-click that box and select “New Partition.” When the New Partition Wizard opens, select “Primary partition,” specify the partition’s capacity, assign a drive letter to it, select “Format this partition with the following settings,” and choose the NTFS file system. Leave the rest of the settings unchanged. Finally, once the partition is formatted, right-click the new drive and click “Mark Partition as Active.”
