Add an Extra Hard Drive

Need more storage on your computer? This article will show you some simple steps to help you add a new hard drive and more storage space to your computer.

Steps

  1. Check if you need the IDE (parallel ATA) or Serial ATA. While older computers support IDE (Parallel ATA), new ones may only support Serial ATA. If you are not sure, open the computer case and try to determine the type of the used drives from the view. It is safer to use the same type that is already installed, even if the sockets for another type also appear to be present.
    • IDE drives use a wide, flat ribbon cable and may have jumpers that need to be set.
    • SATA drives have a thinner cable and no jumpers to worry about.
  2. Make sure you have room for an extra hard drive, here's one way to do this:
    1. Restart your computer and go into the BIOS menu.
    2. Go to the "Standard CMOS Settings Or IDE Config."
    3. In this menu, you will find four settings labeled as follows: PRIMARY MASTER:, AUTO/PRIMARY SLAVE:, SECONDARY MASTER:, SECONDARY SLAVE:. Change all fields to auto detection.
    4. Reboot your computer
  3. Find the area where all the flat ribbon cables (or SATA cables, which are smaller and usually red) connect to the main board. (fig. 3) Find the cable that corresponds to the free drive that was detected in step 1-6, either primary or secondary.
  4. Get the actual hard drive. Go to your local computer store or buy online from Newegg or another retailer. Make sure that the type (SATA or IDE (PATA)) matches. If you plan on replacing your existing hard drive (see warning on replacing drives), be sure to get one with enough space to compensate for what you're losing.
  5. Shut down your computer.
  6. Unplug all of the cords from the back of your computer and pull the computer out from the desk.
  7. Remove the case screws. If you have a Dell, you only need to push down on the release latch(es) on the back or sides. If you're having difficulty, it's a good idea to consult your manual on how your particular case is removed. Put the screws in a safe place so you don't lose them. Remove the side panel and place it out of the way.
  8. Find the area where all the flat ribbon cables (or SATA cables, which are smaller and usually red) connect to the main board.(fig. 3) Find the cable that corresponds to the free drive that was detected in step 1-6, either primary or secondary.
  9. Set the jumpers so the drive knows whether to act as a master or slave (IDE only). The jumpers are the set of pins on the back of the hard drive. They'll have a couple of rubber or plastic blocks covering some pins. Find the diagram or instructions for your new drive on to set the jumper for the master/slave. Note that if both the master and the slave are available on the slot you are using (primary or secondary), set the hard drive to master. (fig. 4)

    Note that if you are using a SATA drive, the jumpers do not need to be changed, because each SATA device uses its own cable, and multiple IDE devices can share a cable.
  10. Find the empty bay in your computer case. Using the screws that came with the drive or computer case, mount the drive. (fig. 5)
  11. Connect the cable that you found in step 6 to the hard drive. If it won't go in, make sure that the safety bump is aligned with the hole.(fig. 6)
  12. Connect a Molex power cable, (a smaller connector with red, yellow, and black wires.)(fig. 7) A SATA drive will have a different type of power cable on the power supply.
  13. Put the side panel back on the computer and put the screws back in.
  14. Plug all of the cables back into the rear of the computer, and connect them to their power sources if you unplugged them.
  15. Boot up the computer. Go into your BIOS at startup (most likely by pressing F10 or DEL as the computer starts). Check the BIOS auto detect to ensure the second drive is detected. On the screen that shows that primary master/slave, secondary master/slave, you should see the name of your new hard drive.



Tips

  • Try to use SATA drives instead of IDE because they are usually faster and the wide ribbon cable for IDE drives blocks airflow.
  • If there is a BIOS problem indicated, make sure the original hard drive (HD) is set to "Master"; or if the original HD is set to CS (cable select), make sure it is at the end of the IDE cable (make sure you have a cable select ribbon cable. They will be labeled on each connector). Also make sure that you did not insert the cable upside down.
  • Try to position the drives with some space in between each other to make room for air to flow and improve cooling.
  • Consider buying (or making, see Build an External Hard Drive) an external hard drive if you have USB support on your computer. They plug directly into the USB port and work like any other hard drive, except you have to take extra steps if you would like to boot from it.
  • SATA hard drives work pretty much the same. Read the instructions in the package to install these. Be careful, though. Only SATA-enabled motherboards will accept these drives.

Warnings

  • This guide is not intended for Macintosh computers. Also, clamshell cases (such as small form factor Dells) may work differently.
  • Do not make any other changes in the CMOS settings. Each setting changes how your computer operates and you can inadvertently make your computer inoperable.
  • Although it is possible to change the hard drive that contains the root file system (the C: drive), it is difficult. Do not use these instructions to replace a system drive. Data drives, however, can be replaced (if they are not in the root drive's hard drive). Note that you may need to leave the old one in temporarily to transfer your data onto the new one. If this is not possible (e.g. all the slots are currently filled), you may need to get a USB to IDE (PATA) or USB to SATA adapter to transfer your files.
  • Most hard drives are sensitive to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). Properly ground yourself while performing this procedure, (or, ideally, any kind of electronic work.) If that is not possible just don't attempt it after walking barefoot on a carpet or other similar conditions. Also, to reduce the risk, handle your hard drive as little as possible; pick it up and put it in, don't fool around with it.

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