Connecting a hard drive to an ide computer. How to place a small mobile HDD in the system unit. USB connection
Every year the amount of information stored on a computer increases. As a result, the computer takes a long time to boot and freezes periodically. And this is natural, because all data is stored on a hard drive, the memory of which is limited.
Users solve this problem in different ways. Someone transfers information to various media, someone turns to the specialist and asks to increase the computer’s memory, and someone decides to connect a second hard drive to the computer. Therefore, let’s figure out how to connect a second hard drive to a computer without the help of a specialist – on your own.
To begin with, you need to completely de-energize the system unit: Disconnect all cables and power cable. Now it is necessary unscrew the side covers system specialist We turn its back towards you and unscrew the four screws on the sides. Lightly pressing on the side parts, move them in the direction of the arrow and remove.
Hard drives in the system unit are installed in special compartments or cells. Such compartments may be located in the rear of the system unit, at the bottom or in the middle; some hard drives are installed turned on their side. If your system unit has several bays for hard drives, install the second one not adjacent to the first one - this will improve its cooling.
Depending on the method of connection to the motherboard, internal hard drives are divided into two types: with IDE and SATA interface. IDE is an older standard; now all system units are designed to connect hard drives with a SATA interface. It is not difficult to distinguish them: IDE has wide ports for connecting a hard drive and power supply and a wide cable, while SATA has both ports and cable much narrower.
Connecting a hard drive via SATA interface
If your system unit has a hard drive with a SATA interface, then connecting a second one will not be difficult.
Insert the second hard drive into a free slot and attach it to the body with screws.
Now we take a SATA cable through which data will be transferred, and connect it to the hard drive on either side. We connect the second plug of the cable to the SATA connector on the motherboard.
All system units have at least two SATA connectors; they look as shown in the picture below.
To connect to the power supply, a cable is used, the plug of which is slightly wider than that of a SATA cable. If there is only one plug coming from the power supply, you need to buy a splitter. If the power supply does not have a narrow plug, you will need to buy an adapter.
Connect the power cable to the hard drive.
A second hard drive is installed on the computer. Place the side covers of the system unit in place and secure them with screws.
Connecting a hard drive via the IDE interface
Although the IDE standard is outdated, hard drives with an IDE interface are still available. Therefore, next we will look at how to connect a second hard drive via the IDE interface.
First you need install jumper on the hard drive contacts to the desired position. This will allow you to determine in which mode the hard drive will operate: Master or Slave. Typically, a hard drive that is already installed on the computer operates in Master mode. It is the main one and the operating system is loaded from it. For the second hard drive that we are going to install, we need to select Slave mode. The contacts on the hard drive case are usually labeled, so simply place the jumper in the desired position.
The IDE cable through which data is transmitted has three plugs. One is located at the end of a long piece, blue, connected to the motherboard. Another one is in the middle, white, connected to the driven disk (Slave). The third, at the end of a short segment, black, is connected to the master disk.
Insert the hard drive into a free cell. Then secure it with screws.
Choose free plug from the power supply and insert it into the appropriate port on the hard drive.
Now insert the plug that is located in the middle of the train, to the hard drive port for data transfer. In this case, one end of the cable is already connected to the motherboard, the other to the previously installed hard drive.
Connecting the second hard drive via the IDE interface is now complete.
As you can see, we didn’t do anything complicated. Just be careful, and then you will definitely be able to connect a second hard drive to your computer.
We also watch the video
Modern “hard drives” are presented in a wide range of models and technological versions. There are those that connect to the PC through motherboard slots. You can also use an external hard drive connected to the computer via a USB port. There are even more exotic media formats - wireless, working via Wi-Fi. But today we will talk about modifications of hard drives that are more or less familiar to Russian users. Let's figure out how to connect an internal or external hard drive and get it to work correctly. In the first case, we will “climb” into the PC system unit (or by opening the laptop case). In the second, we will use a USB connection.
PC hard drive: main interfaces
It will be useful to take a short theoretical excursion into “disk” technologies. What is the difference between the IDE and SATA interfaces that we just talked about?
The IDE standard appeared quite a long time ago - in 1986. But it remains relevant to this day. Its main advantages: versatility, as well as a data transfer speed that is fast enough even for most modern user tasks. SATA is a significantly newer format. It appeared on the market in the late 90s. There are, of course, other standards for connecting a hard drive to a PC - such as, for example, SCSI, which, like IDE, appeared in the mid-80s.
The most widespread today (if we talk about the desktop segment) is SATA. But on those computers that were introduced to the market in the mid-2000s (many of them are still used by their owners) IDE interfaces are installed and fully functional. The SCSI standard, due to its relative high cost, is used mainly in servers.
One of the main reasons for SATA's leadership is its high (for home-level PC) data transfer speed. As a rule, it reaches values of several hundred megabits/sec. Of course, the same SCSI interface works much faster - the typical value for it is 600 Mbit/sec or more.
There is also a separate class of hard drives connected via a USB connector. From a technological point of view, they are practically in no way inferior to the “classics” in the form of hard drives with IDE and SATA interfaces, and at the same time, connecting them is much simpler. You just need to find a free USB connector on your PC.
Inside the system unit
If we are talking about a desktop PC, then how to connect a new hard drive to it? Unlike, for example, a laptop (not to mention a tablet or PDA), “desktops” make it possible to connect not one, but several internal “hard drives” at once - the dimensions of the case allow it. And user tasks, one might say, also require it. In practice, the need to connect a new “hard drive” may arise if the current one is full (nowadays this is not uncommon, even if you have a 1 TB hard drive - modern games and HD movies consume a lot of space) or for some reason its functionality is not suits the PC owner. The steps for connecting the media are as follows.
First of all, you need to determine what data connection the new hard drive uses (and make sure that the motherboard is capable of working through this connection standard). Most modern hard drives operate via SATA technology. Legacy models may work through the IDE channel. They differ not only technologically, but also in appearance. The SATA standard involves the use of a cable with a small number of cores. IDE, in turn, is a multi-core tape. By the way, if the motherboard, as they say, is too modern and does not have a slot for outdated IDE drives, you can always buy an inexpensive adapter between the two standards.
IDE
As for IDE slots, as a rule, there are two of them on the motherboard - primary and secondary. However, each can be connected to two hard drives (or another type of device compatible with the IDE standard, such as a DVD drive). In turn, there is also a subordination between them: there will definitely be a “main” (in English master) device and a “slave” device. Thus, there are four options for connecting a hard drive to a PC: as a master (or slave) primary (or secondary). There are no problems with how to connect a second hard drive.
The width of an IDE connector is approximately twice that of a SATA connector. However, it is completely impossible to mistakenly connect to the other instead of one. What is important is the color of the IDE cable with which the motherboard and hard drive are connected. IT specialists call a gray cable less productive. In turn, the more advanced ones are yellow. It will be great if you can buy a second one if it is not available by default. The fact is that gray cables have only 40 cores, and yellow cables have as many as 80. Of course, the difference in speed will not be twofold, but an order of magnitude.
An IDE cable usually has three slots - at one end, at the other, and also in the middle. Thus, the first one connects to the controller located on the motherboard. You can connect hard drives to the second and third.
It is advisable that when connecting an IDE cable to the primary slot, the connector to be connected is marked with a small triangle. This will ensure the greatest stability of the installed hard drives. Another rule is that when connecting an IDE cable to a hard drive, you should connect the primary slot of the cable to a similar connector on the hard drive. As we said above, they are designated in English - primary.
After connecting the power cable and the IDE connector, you must also remember to connect the wire leading to the indicator lamp (which is usually located on the front panel of the system unit. It is designed to signal to the user that the hard drive is working (it is being accessed). Of course, You don't have to connect it - that's optional.
Jumpers
How to connect an additional hard drive in the most correct way from the point of view of its interaction with the previous hard drive and the hardware structure of the PC as a whole? Much depends on the correct location of the so-called “jumpers”. They regulate the mode in which the hard drive operates - “primary” or “slave”. Also, the position of the jumpers is determined by the number of hard drives connected to the PC. Exactly how they should be fixed depends on the specific hard drive model. Typically, when you purchase a new hard drive, it comes with a user manual. What should you pay attention to when reading it?
First of all, on terms such as “Drive Select” and “Slave Present”. The first one is responsible for the correct position of the jumpers relative to setting the disk to master or slave status. Usually, if the jumper is in place, the first mode is activated, if not, the second mode is activated. If we use only one hard drive, then the corresponding part must be removed from it. The "Slave Present" type switch should be installed on the disk that is supposed to be used as the main one (but provided that an additional hard drive is connected to the same controller).
SATA
If we have a modern PC at our disposal, then with a high probability our new hard drive will work in the SATA standard. Installing a new hard drive, as many IT specialists believe, working within this interface is extremely simple. All we do is find the corresponding wire on the motherboard and connect the hard drive to it (after placing and securely fixing the device in the socket provided for it using fasteners or bolts - see the figure).
The next step is to connect the wire responsible for power supply, having also first found it on the motherboard (as a rule, there are plenty of them there). It is very important to secure the hard drive - you cannot let it, say, hang on a SATA cable.
BIOS setup and additional software
Installing a hard drive, as a rule, does not end with working only with the hardware. Despite the fact that the PC is almost guaranteed to recognize the hard drive as a new device and will be able to establish communication with it at the hardware level, most likely we will need to configure some software options.
It is worth noting that, as a rule, no drivers for the hard drive are required to be installed. The basic system for working with hardware, pre-installed in a PC, almost always guarantees correct work with hard drives (provided, of course, that they are connected correctly). However, sometimes additional software still needs to be used. We are not talking about drivers - there may be a need for application applications.
The most common scenario in which additional software settings become necessary is a disk boot sequence failure. The fact is that when a hard drive is installed in addition to the current one, the basic computer management system - BIOS, may mistakenly calculate (figuratively speaking) that Windows (or the OS that is installed) should boot from the new hard drive. Since the hard drive that we connected most likely does not have any operating system, the computer will not be able to boot in this case. But this can be easily fixed by setting the required sequence of disk accesses during boot in the BIOS.
You should go into this system (DEL key at the very beginning of the computer boot), and then find the Boot Sequence option. It is important that the first place in it is to boot from the main hard drive (HDD1). If the BIOS already has HDD1 (and the OS still doesn’t load), then, on the contrary, you need to install HDD2 in the first position. Or, as an option, get inside the system unit again and swap the SATA connectors between the two hard drives - but this is a rather complicated option, despite the fact that you can get by with a simple change of settings in the BIOS. Everything should work. As a rule, no additional program for the hard drive is required.
In some cases, it becomes necessary, in addition to setting the disk boot order, to fine-tune the hard drive. For example, set parameters such as the number of heads and tracks (and in some cases, sectors) used as resources for storing data. However, this kind of settings should be left to experienced IT specialists.
Sometimes you need to format a new hard drive. What type of hard drive program is optimal for solving this problem? You can almost always get by using standard Windows tools. You can start the process of formatting the hard drive by right-clicking on it in the “My Computer” window and selecting the appropriate option. Usually this program asks you to select a file system - NTFS or FAT32. Most modern computers use the first one - we choose it. It is recommended to perform a full format.
Inside the laptop
Laptops are an equally common type of personal computing equipment when compared with the popularity of desktop PCs. Therefore, it will be useful for us to know how to connect a hard drive to a computer of this type. In this case we are talking about the internal hard drive (about the external one - a little later).
As a rule, the internal space of a laptop case allows only one hard drive to be connected to the device; a second one simply will not fit. Therefore, in this case we are not dealing with adding a hard drive, but with replacing the old one with a new one. But how to connect two hard drives to a laptop at the same time? Only in one case - if at least one of them is external. Theoretically, you can connect two hard drives if you use a SATA cable with two connectors. But this will reduce the mobility of the laptop - the second hard drive will have to be located outside the case. It is unaesthetic and inconvenient.
In a laptop space, the hard drive is usually located closer to the bottom of the case (rather than the keyboard). As a rule, the hard drive is open to view immediately after unscrewing the cover. But sometimes it is hidden behind protective panels that functionally complement the walls of the case. To remove them, you usually need to unscrew just a couple of screws.
Let us note right away: if the hard drive is installed in the laptop much deeper than in the case of protective panels (that is, it is necessary, as an option, to remove the keyboard to gain access to the desired area inside the case), then it is better to entrust the replacement of the hard drive to IT professionals. Otherwise, there is a risk of incorrectly assembling the computer, after which it will not work.
Removing the old hard drive is usually very simple. The new one also connects quite easily. In many cases, the connection to the laptop motherboard goes without cables (directly to the connector - and almost always the same SATA). Therefore, it is difficult to “miss” the required slot when connecting a new hard drive. Also, there are almost never any problems with how to connect the old hard drive back.
OS in reserve
Since the standard hard drive will most likely be connected to the laptop only in a single copy, you need to take care in advance about where the operating system will be loaded from (we remove the old hard drive with the pre-installed OS). The main difficulty here is that it is impossible to install Windows or another OS on a hard drive in advance using another laptop with a guarantee that it will work on the new computer. The selection of hardware components may be too different. There is a possibility that the operating system will not boot. Therefore, it is recommended that when planning to install a new hard drive, you obtain bootable media from which you can reinstall the OS. Or, as an option, temporarily use some portable operating system - from the Linux series, for example, which does not require installation.
Disk outside the computer
Having studied how to connect a hard drive to a computer or laptop through installation as a hardware component, we will consider the option of connecting an external hard drive. There are two main technological implementations possible here.
There is an option with connecting a hard drive, the standard purpose of which is to connect it to the motherboard, externally. To do this, you need to use a special adapter that converts SATA signals into those transmitted via USB technology. In this way, you can connect almost any hard drive to a laptop (as well as to another computer equipped with USB ports). This scheme, however, has one drawback - the relative high cost of the adapters in question. In some cases, it can be comparable to the price of a good, large hard drive that does not require additional accessories for connecting via USB.
This device reflects the second technological implementation of connecting a drive to a computer. This is a “classic” external hard drive, which is sold under this name in most digital equipment stores. It can be connected to any free USB slot on a PC or laptop - much like a flash drive.
One important nuance regarding the first technology should be noted. If we decide to connect a hard drive via USB (we are talking about IDE and SATA devices), then it is very undesirable to disconnect the device from the port while it is active. It is necessary to enable "safe removal" in Windows beforehand. Otherwise, the hard drive, whose speed is “spinned up,” may not withstand a sudden stop and fail. In turn, a “classic” external hard drive (we know how to connect it - via USB without adapters) works on slightly different principles, and is quite designed to be disconnected from the PC, even if you do not use “safe removal” in time. Although, as IT specialists note, this, if possible, should not be done. This kind of experimentation can reduce the life of the hard drive.
Precautions when working with a hard drive
Before connecting the hard drive to the computer, you should make sure that there are no sources of static electricity nearby (which could be, for example, a woolen sweater). IT specialists do not even recommend removing the hard drive from the packaging (it performs antistatic functions) until its direct installation into the system unit. When installing a hard drive, you must not touch the parts of the microcircuits that are brought out. The most important thing is that before connecting the hard drive to the computer, it is important to turn off the power to the system unit (and ideally, all devices connected to it - monitor, printer, etc.).
Hello dear visitors. In this lesson, I will show you using a real example how to connect a hard drive to your computer. I want to warn you right away that this is not difficult and it will not waste much of your time.
Let's get started right away!
First of all, prepare the system unit: turn off the power and disconnect all cables from it so that they do not interfere with us. After this, remove the side cover from the system unit by unscrewing the two screws on the back.
Now we can already see the insides of our computer. note to the lower right system unit. Here are the bays for connecting hard drives.
Pick up the hard drive and carefully insert it into the free slot. The main thing is that the connectors for connection are turned inside the system unit.
Here the holes in the hard drive and on the slot itself where the drive is connected must also match. We will use these holes for fixation. We take 4 bolts and fasten them on one side and the other.
Completed at this stage installing a hard drive into the system unit. Now you need to connect it to the motherboard. To do this, modern computers use a SATA power cable and a SATA interface cable. This is what they look like:
First of all, connect the SATA interface to the hard drive.
Be sure to connect the correct way. If you suddenly feel that the cable does not fit into the connector, then try connecting it on the other side. He'll definitely fit in.
The other side of the cable must be connected to the motherboard. We look for a suitable connector and connect it. Typically, these connectors are located at the bottom of the board and are labeled SATA.
The last step remains - supply power to the hard drive.
We take the SATA power cable and connect it to the hard drive, next to the first connector.
The other side of this cable must be connected to the power supply. Examine the wires coming from the power supply and find a connector for connection.
By the way, if you already have another hard drive is connected to the computer, then most likely the power is already leaving it and of course you can use it so as not to create new wires.
This is how it can hang unnoticeably among the wires:
After connecting the hard drive to the system unit, we proceed to setting it up in the system. Close the system cover and reconnect all the wires. Let's turn on the computer!
If you have a new hard drive, then most likely it will not be immediately detected by the system and you will need to format it.
Open the Computer section and see if a new hard drive has appeared?
Right-click on the Computer section and select Manage.
ATTENTION! The main thing here is not to mess anything up and not to delete data from the necessary disks!!!
Create a simple volume and format the new hard drive and, if necessary, assign a drive letter to it.
Well, as you can see, in modern computers connect hard drive very simple! It only remains to mention that in addition to the modern SATA interface, there is also IDE, which is used in old drives! It looks like this:
Now let's summarize briefly. So, to connect the hard drive to the computer you need to do the following steps:
1. Install the hard drive in a free slot
2. Connect the SATA interface
3. Connect SATA power
4. Set up a hard drive in Windows
That's all, good luck connecting the hard drive!
Hello! In we looked at the hard drive device in detail, but I didn’t specifically say anything about interfaces - that is, ways of interaction between the hard drive and other computer devices, or more specifically, ways of interacting (connecting) the hard drive and the computer.
Why didn't you say so? But because this topic is worthy of no less than an entire article. Therefore, today we will analyze in detail the most popular hard drive interfaces at the moment. I’ll immediately make a reservation that the article or post (whichever is more convenient for you) this time will have an impressive size, but unfortunately there’s no way to go without it, because if you write briefly, it will turn out to be completely unclear.
Computer hard drive interface concept
First, let's define the concept of "interface". In simple terms (and this is what I will express myself in, as much as possible, because the blog is intended for ordinary people, like you and me), interface - the way devices interact with each other and not only devices. For example, many of you have probably heard about the so-called “friendly” interface of a program. What does it mean? This means that the interaction between a person and a program is easier, not requiring much effort on the part of the user, compared to a “non-friendly” interface. In our case, the interface is simply a way of interaction between the hard drive and the computer motherboard. It is a set of special lines and a special protocol (a set of data transfer rules). That is, purely physically, it is a cable (cable, wire), on both sides of which there are inputs, and on the hard drive and motherboard there are special ports (places where the cable is connected). Thus, the concept of interface includes the connecting cable and ports located on the devices it connects.
Well, now for the “juice” of today’s article, let’s go!
Types of interaction between hard drives and computer motherboard (types of interfaces)
So, first in line we will have the most “ancient” (80s) of all, it can no longer be found in modern HDDs, this is the IDE interface (aka ATA, PATA).
IDE- translated from English “Integrated Drive Electronics”, which literally means “built-in controller”. It was only later that IDE began to be called an interface for data transfer, since the controller (located in the device, usually in hard drives and optical drives) and the motherboard had to be connected with something. It (IDE) is also called ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment), it turns out something like “Advanced Connection Technology”. The fact is that ATA - parallel data interface, for which soon (literally immediately after the release of SATA, which will be discussed below) it was renamed PATA (Parallel ATA).
What can I say, although the IDE was very slow (the data transfer bandwidth ranged from 100 to 133 megabytes per second in different versions of the IDE - and even then purely theoretically, in practice it was much less), but it allowed you to simultaneously connect two devices to the motherboard at once , using one loop.
Moreover, in the case of connecting two devices at once, the line capacity was divided in half. However, this is far from the only drawback of the IDE. The wire itself, as can be seen from the figure, is quite wide and, when connected, will take up the lion's share of the free space in the system unit, which will negatively affect the cooling of the entire system as a whole. All in all IDE is already outdated morally and physically, for this reason the IDE connector is no longer found on many modern motherboards, although until recently they were still installed (in the amount of 1 piece) on budget motherboards and on some boards in the mid-price segment.
The next interface, no less popular than the IDE in its time, is SATA (Serial ATA), a characteristic feature of which is serial data transmission. It is worth noting that at the time of writing this article is the most widespread for use in PCs.
There are 3 main variants (revisions) of SATA, differing from each other in throughput: rev. 1 (SATA I) - 150 Mb/s, rev. 2 (SATA II) - 300 Mb/s, rev. 3 (SATA III) - 600 Mb/s. But this is only in theory. In practice, the writing/reading speed of hard drives usually does not exceed 100-150 MB/s, and the remaining speed is not yet in demand and only affects the speed of interaction between the controller and the HDD cache memory (increases the disk access speed).
Among the innovations we can note - backward compatibility of all versions of SATA (a disk with a SATA rev. 2 connector can be connected to a motherboard with a SATA rev. 3 connector, etc.), improved appearance and ease of connecting/disconnecting the cable, increased compared to with IDE cable length (1 meter maximum, versus 46 cm on the IDE interface), support NCQ functions starting from the first revision. I hasten to please owners of old devices that do not support SATA - they exist adapters from PATA to SATA, this is a real way out of the situation, allowing you to avoid wasting money on buying a new motherboard or a new hard drive.
Also, unlike PATA, the SATA interface provides for “hot-swappable” hard drives, which means that when the computer’s system unit is powered on, hard drives can be connected/detached. True, to implement it you will need to delve a little into the BIOS settings and enable AHCI mode.
Next in line - eSATA (External SATA)- was created in 2004, the word "external" indicates that it is used to connect external hard drives. Supports " hot swap"disks. The length of the interface cable has been increased compared to SATA - the maximum length is now two meters. eSATA is not physically compatible with SATA, but has the same bandwidth.
But eSATA is far from the only way to connect external devices to a computer. For example FireWire- high-speed serial interface for connecting external devices, including HDD.
Supports hot swapping of hard drives. In terms of bandwidth it is comparable to USB 2.0, and with the advent of USB 3.0 it even loses in speed. However, it still has the advantage that FireWire is capable of isochronous data transmission, which facilitates its use in digital video, since it allows data to be transmitted in real time. Sure, FireWire is popular, but not as popular as, for example, USB or eSATA. It is used quite rarely to connect hard drives; in most cases, FireWire is used to connect various multimedia devices.
USB (Universal Serial Bus), perhaps the most common interface used to connect external hard drives, flash drives and solid-state drives (SSD). As in the previous case, there is support for “hot swapping”, a rather large maximum length of the connecting cable is up to 5 meters when using USB 2.0, and up to 3 meters when using USB 3.0. It is probably possible to make the cable longer, but in this case the stable operation of the devices will be in question.
USB 2.0 data transfer speed is about 40 MB/s, which is generally low. Yes, of course, for ordinary everyday work with files, a channel bandwidth of 40 Mb/s is enough, but as soon as we start talking about working with large files, you will inevitably begin to look towards something faster. But it turns out there is a way out, and its name is USB 3.0, the bandwidth of which, compared to its predecessor, has increased 10 times and is about 380 Mb/s, that is, almost the same as SATA II, even a little more.
There are two types of USB cable pins, type "A" and type "B", located on opposite ends of the cable. Type "A" - controller (motherboard), type "B" - connected device.
USB 3.0 (Type "A") is compatible with USB 2.0 (Type "A"). Types "B" are not compatible with each other, as can be seen from the figure.
Thunderbolt(Light Peak). In 2010, Intel demonstrated the first computer with this interface, and a little later, the no less famous company Apple joined Intel in supporting Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is quite cool (how could it be otherwise, Apple knows what is worth investing in), is it worth talking about its support for such features as: the notorious “hot swap”, simultaneous connection with several devices at once, truly “huge” data transfer speed (20 times faster than USB 2.0).
The maximum cable length is only 3 meters (apparently more is not necessary). However, despite all the listed advantages, Thunderbolt is not yet “massive” and is used mainly in expensive devices.
Go ahead. Next up we have a couple of very similar interfaces - SAS and SCSI. Their similarity lies in the fact that they are both used primarily in servers where high performance and the shortest possible hard disk access time are required. However, there is also a flip side to the coin - all the advantages of these interfaces are offset by the price of devices that support them. Hard drives that support SCSI or SAS are much more expensive.
SCSI(Small Computer System Interface) - a parallel interface for connecting various external devices (not just hard drives).
It was developed and standardized even somewhat earlier than the first version of SATA. The latest versions of SCSI have hot-swap support.
SAS(Serial Attached SCSI), which replaced SCSI, was supposed to solve a number of shortcomings of the latter. And I must say - he succeeded. The fact is that, due to its “parallelism,” SCSI used a common bus, so only one of the devices could work with the controller at a time; SAS does not have this drawback.
Plus, it's backwards compatible with SATA, which is definitely a big plus. Unfortunately, the cost of hard drives with a SAS interface is close to the cost of SCSI hard drives, but there is no way to get rid of this; you have to pay for speed.
If you are not tired yet, I suggest you consider another interesting way to connect an HDD - NAS(Network Attached Storage). Currently, network attached storage systems (NAS) are very popular. Essentially, this is a separate computer, a kind of mini-server, responsible for storing data. It connects to another computer via a network cable and is controlled from another computer through a regular browser. All this is needed in cases where large disk space is required, which is used by several people at once (in the family, at work). Data from the network storage is transferred to user computers either via a regular cable (Ethernet) or using Wi-Fi. In my opinion, a very convenient thing.
I think that's all for today. I hope you liked the material, I suggest you subscribe to blog updates so as not to miss anything (form in the upper right corner) and we will meet you in the next blog articles.
The time has come when one hard drive in a computer is no longer enough. More and more users decide to connect a second HDD to their PC, but not everyone knows how to do it correctly themselves to avoid mistakes. In fact, the procedure for adding a second disk is simple and does not require special skills. It is not even necessary to mount a hard drive - it can be connected as an external device if there is a free USB port.
Options for connecting a second hard drive are as simple as possible:
- Connecting the HDD to the computer system unit.
Suitable for owners of regular desktop PCs who do not want to have external connected devices. - Connecting a hard drive as an external drive.
The easiest way to connect a HDD, and the only one possible for a laptop owner.
Option 1. Installation in the system unit
HDD type determination
Before connecting, you need to determine the type of interface the hard drive works with - SATA or IDE. Almost all modern computers are equipped with a SATA interface, so it is best if the hard drive is of the same type. The IDE bus is considered obsolete and may simply not be present on the motherboard. Therefore, connecting such a drive may cause some difficulties.
The easiest way to recognize the standard is by contacts. This is what they look like on SATA drives:
And this is how the IDE does it:
Connecting a second SATA drive in the system unit
The process of connecting a disk is very easy and takes place in several stages:
Boot priority for SATA drives
The motherboard usually has 4 connectors for connecting SATA drives. They are designated as SATA0 - the first, SATA1 - the second, etc. The priority of the hard drive is directly related to the numbering of the connector. If you need to manually set the priority, you will need to go into the BIOS. Depending on the BIOS type, the interface and controls will be different.
In older versions, go to the section Advanced BIOS Features and work with the parameters First Boot Device And Second Boot Device. In new BIOS versions, look for the section Boot or Boot Sequence and parameter 1st/2nd Boot Priority.
Connecting a second IDE drive
In rare cases, there is a need to install a disk with an outdated IDE interface. In this case, the connection process will be slightly different.
Connecting a second IDE drive to the first SATA drive
When you need to connect an IDE drive to an already working SATA HDD, use a special IDE-SATA adapter.
The connection diagram is as follows:
- The jumper on the adapter is set to Master mode.
- The IDE plug connects to the hard drive itself.
- The red SATA cable is connected on one side to the adapter, and the other to the motherboard.
- The power cable is connected on one side to the adapter, and on the other to the power supply.
You may need to purchase a 4-pin to SATA adapter.
Initializing the disk in the OS
In both cases, after connecting, the system may not see the connected disk. This does not mean that you did something wrong; on the contrary, it is normal when the new HDD is not visible in the system. The hard drive must be initialized before it can be used. Read about how this is done in our other article.
Option 2. Connecting an external hard drive
Often users choose to connect an external HDD. This is much simpler and more convenient if some files stored on the disk are sometimes needed outside the home. And in the situation with laptops, this method will be especially relevant, since there is no separate slot for a second HDD.
An external hard drive is connected via USB in exactly the same way as another device with the same interface (flash drive, mouse, keyboard).
A hard drive designed for installation in the system unit can also be connected via USB. To do this, you need to use either an adapter/adapter or a special external case for the hard drive. The essence of the operation of such devices is similar - the required voltage is supplied to the HDD through the adapter, and the connection to the PC is made via USB. Hard drives of different form factors have their own cables, so when purchasing you should always pay attention to the standard that specifies the overall dimensions of your HDD.
If you decide to connect the drive using the second method, then literally follow 2 rules: do not neglect to safely remove the device and do not disconnect the drive while working with the PC to avoid errors.
We talked about ways to connect a second hard drive to a computer or laptop. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this procedure and it is absolutely not necessary to use the services of computer specialists.
