Installing an additional hdd. Video review: connecting a hard drive

Today it is difficult to find a computer user who does not have a collection of media files stored on their hard drive: music, videos, etc. Undoubtedly, storing movies in good quality requires sufficient memory on your hard drive. With constant registration on HDD new video files, installing programs, games, etc. free place ends very quickly. One of the simplest solutions to increase disk space is to install a new hard drive.

Hard drives are now available in various sizes and are mainly connected via a SATA connector, less often through an IDE connector. There are also two type hard disks are solid state drive And regular hard disk. The advantages of the first are the high speed of reading/writing files, and the second - its low cost.

So you have purchased new hard disk, let's start the installation. Turn off the computer and remove the two side covers system unit. Before installing the hard drive, you must prepare it. To do this, pay attention to the back of the drive; there is a jumper next to the SATA and power connectors.

By moving the jumper, you can designate the hard drive as the primary (Master) or secondary (Slave). You can read more about setting jumpers in the manual for this hard drive model. But, if you want to install an operating system on a new hard drive, then move the jumper to the Master position. At the same time, on installed disk Move the jumper to the Slave position. Conversely, if you want to use the installed hard drive as the main one, then move the jumper on the new hard drive to the Slave position.

Let's proceed directly to the installation.

The hard drive is installed on the system unit chassis (case) on the appropriate slide and secured with four screws.

Connect the power cable to the hard drive into the appropriate connector. Also connect the SATA cable to the hard drive and the corresponding connector on the motherboard. You can read about the location of the connectors on the motherboard in the motherboard manual. The images show sata connectors on the hard drive and on the motherboard, as well as power connectors.

On the motherboard, sata connectors are usually marked with the name sata1, sata2, sata3, or they are located in a complex of several connectors.

Close the side covers of the case and start the computer. When turned on, the hard drive will be automatically detected by the BIOS and will appear as an unallocated area. For further use, you will need to format it. If you want to install an operating system on it, you need to boot from the installation disk and install Windows.

Also, the new hard drive can be divided into several logical partitions. This can be done using regular funds Windows (Computer Management) or using third party utilities, such as Partition Manager.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated about installing and connecting a hard drive (hard drive).

After purchasing a computer, as a rule, there is enough free disk space for everyone. However, sooner or later the space runs out and the question arises of how to install the hard drive. Installation is a simple process that anyone can handle.

In this article I will try to describe in as much detail as possible the installation of a hard drive with a SATA interface. All modern hard drives are equipped with just such a connection interface. Therefore we will consider.

Let us remind you that before performing any actions with the system unit, you must completely disconnect it from the power supply.

Let's start installing the hard drive

The first thing you need to do is open the side cover of the system unit. To do this you will need to unscrew several screws.

Now that the system unit is open, you can begin installing the hard drive. Carefully install your hard drive into one of the 2.5 inch bays. The video card or other components connected to the PCI slots may be interfering with your problem. Therefore, you need to be very careful not to scratch the boards with the sharp corner of the hard drive. The disk must be installed with the iron cover facing up (stickers facing up). After the hard drive is inserted, secure it with two bolts.

Hard drive bay

If the disk is inserted and secured, you can begin connecting the cable and power cable.

SATA cable and SATA connectors on the motherboard

SATA drive power cable

Because the power connector SATA drive will be closer to the motherboard and it will be more difficult to reach it; it’s better to start connecting with it. After the power cable is connected (from), you can connect the cable from the motherboard (red oblong cable). Connect the cable to the connector on and to the hard drive.

Connected SATA drive

That's it, after the hard drive is installed and connected, you can close the cover of the system unit and connect the power. Possible after installation new hard disk will have to be selected in

When you purchase a new HDD, the question arises of how to connect second hard disk to computer. This is not difficult to do, but before you get started, you need to make sure that your system unit is not under warranty. The fact is that in order to install a second hard drive, you need to remove the side cover of the computer. This will break the seal and therefore void the warranty. To avoid such a situation, you should contact a service center.

If the warranty has expired or is missing, feel free to remove the side wall. It is secured with two screws on the back of the PC. Be sure to turn off your computer and unplug it. Installation additional hard drive is performed only when the system unit is turned off. This is not a flash drive, and the HDD may simply fail.

You need to inspect the motherboard and the place where the hard drive is already installed. Most modern computers have SATA connections. Trace where the cable of the existing HDD is connected to the motherboard. There should be at least one more similar one next to this connector. This will depend on the type of motherboard you have. Large ones have up to 5-6 connectors, small ones can only have 2.

If you are the owner standard type motherboard, then you just need to select the socket to connect. If you have a combo (that is, a small one), then slight difficulties may arise. The fact is that the first hard drive and optical drive may already be connected to the slots. And it may turn out that there is no other place to connect extra hard There is simply no disk. These are budget motherboards, and sometimes they do not provide the ability to connect several hard drives. How to install two hard drives in this case? You'll just have to unplug the DVD-ROM to free up the port.

If you have an old computer with type IDE connections and there is only one slot left, you have the opportunity to install two equipment on one cable. This can be either 2 HDDs or a hard drive with an optical drive. When connecting on one loop, it is advisable to follow the sequence in which the master connector will be connected system disk, and for slave - additional. Master is the outermost connector on the cable, slave is in the middle. The instructions for the HDD should indicate in what position the jumpers should be set for a particular mode.

After we have figured out where to connect the second hard drive to the computer so that it recognizes it, we move on to the next point. This powers the device with electricity. Take a close look at the wires that come from the power supply. In older system units the connection type is IDE, in new ones it is SATA. Some PCs have both types at the same time. If the hard drive has a SATA port, and only IDE is left free in the power supply, do not worry. You need to purchase an adapter from one connection type to another.

We found out which connectors are connected to second hard disk. Now it needs to be installed and secured. Find where the first hard drive is located. Depending on the size of your case, there may be one to three drive slots nearby. If there is a lot of space, it is advisable to connect two HDDs so that they are located further away from each other. Hard drives can get very hot during operation and require ventilation. The more free space around them, the better ventilation will occur.

IN small body installing a second hard drive will mean that both hard drives will get very hot. Especially in the hot season. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase a cooling system for them. When connecting a second drive, do not forget that it must be screwed to the case. Unlike solid state drives,HDDs have mechanical parts that can be easily damaged. During transportation, the hard drive may fall out of the slot, and this will damage not only it, but also, possibly, the motherboard.

Second hard drive on a laptop

Winchesters on laptop computers do not have the same large capacity as stationary ones. And sometimes users want to increase space, but the laptop does not have a slot for an additional hard drive. in this case? This can be done by installing HDD instead optical drive.

There are special adapters for this. Without them, you won’t be able to connect another hard drive, since the DVD-ROM and HDD connectors are different. The first thing you need to do is figure out the thickness of your drive. On different laptops it may differ. The most common are 12.7 mm and 9.5 mm. You can find out this way:

Use a program to diagnose equipment like Everest or AIDA. View the optical drive model and find the specifications on the Internet. The exact dimensions must be indicated on the manufacturer's website. Unscrew the drive and take measurements manually.

After purchasing the adapter, you can begin installing the hard drive. Unplug your computer and turn it off. It can only be untwisted when not in use. Pull out the optical drive. In most cases, it is secured with 2-4 screws.

Take the adapter and remove the stop, which is located on the opposite edge from the connectors. Some people try to turn on the second drive by connecting it to the adapter at an acute angle. This can break the contacts. The support is removable and is needed to fix the hard drive. Then press the hard drive firmly against the contacts. Sometimes this requires effort.

After installation and fixation with the stop, tighten the bolts for more rigid connection adapter with disk. In order not to spoil the appearance of the laptop, you need to remove the front panel from the optical drive and attach it to the hard drive adapter. Carefully insert the device into the laptop and put all the covers back. If everything was done correctly, the BIOS will display the new hard drive.

Disk system settings

You learned how to install a second hard drive in a PC. But that's not enough for full-fledged work with him. Now you need to configure it so that the system recognizes it. After all, if the disk is new, it does not have marked areas and will not be displayed by the operating system. If you have Windows installed, you can do this by going to Disk Management. You can get to this menu by right-clicking on the “My Computer” icon and selecting “Manage”.

All connected drives and their capacity will be displayed in the lower central part. The new disk will be labeled "Unallocated". You need to right-click on this area and click “Create simple volume”. The “Setup Wizard” will appear, following the instructions of which you will determine the space of the future disk, the file system and assign a letter to it. Remember that two partitions cannot be assigned the same letters. To avoid having to deal with OS freezes and process crashes, close all unnecessary programs. Upon completion of the procedure, the system will display new hard drive.

We looked in detail at how to connect extra hard disk to computer. By watching the video below or above in the text, you will be able to understand and consider in more detail incomprehensible points.

When assembling a PC, upgrading it and repairing it, sometimes it is necessary to install a hard drive on the computer. Let's consider the basic rules and requirements that must be taken into account in order to get an excellent result, spending a minimum of time.

Basic steps for installing a hard drive

The most common reason, prompting you to install a new hard drive - failure of the previous one. In this case, the replacement process is surprisingly simple. To begin with, of course, you need to open the cover of the system unit, for which you first unscrew 2 fixing screws on each wall of the back side of the case (it is better to put the screws in plain sight so as not to lose them). Next, you need to disconnect the burnt hard drive from the power cable and data bus, free it from the mounting screws and remove it.

Having it as a sample, go to the store. And having purchased a new analogue, remove the hard drive from the packaging and inspect it to ensure there are no serious external damages or scratches. If you haven’t found one, then proceed to install it. Everything needs to be connected in reverse order. After completing this procedure once, you will already know how to install a hard drive on your computer

It is important to note that all work is performed with the power turned off; also, for convenience, disconnect all cables connected to the PC case and place it on the table.

Features of installing hard drives of different formats

Let's look at how to install a new hard drive if this is your first time doing this. Attaching a hard drive will not be much more difficult, but for those who do not have the relevant experience and are faced with this task for the first time, the information presented will be useful.

First of all, it must be remembered that different generations have hard drives and different standards connections, and accordingly, different connectors.

Installation Rules

If we rely on the opinion of most experts on how to properly install a hard drive, then first we advise you to make sure that motherboard supports the installed hard drive, and also confirm their compatibility. Some motherboards may have two types at once: SATA and IDE, but usually in such system units DVD drives are connected to IDE cables. Although they are also suitable for hard drives.

Previously, in computers, the emphasis was placed precisely on the practice-tested IDE format, which has confirmed its reliability and compatibility with many famous models. But since technologies are constantly developing, outdated ones are gradually being abandoned, and new, more modern ones are replacing them. With the introduction of the new SATA format, IDE is becoming a thing of the past, and although drives with it are no longer sold, it is still widely used.

Features of formats

The electronic-mechanical basis of both formats is identical, the differences are in the type of interface used. The IDE cable has a maximum throughput of 133 MB/sec. Existing standards SATA1, SATA2 and SATA3 provide up to 150, 300 and 600 MB/sec respectively.

The advantages of IDE include the ability to connect two devices to one cable (in this case, the total channel bandwidth is divided between them), and each SATA device is connected with a separate interface cable.

Another disadvantage of the IDE is the need to manually select and use jumpers to set the modes - Master/Slave, and also to enter into the settings in the BIOS which hard drive should be considered the main one if a second one is connected.

Features of installing a new disk in the system unit

Let's consider the question of how to install a new hard drive. First, you need to insert our hard drive into a specially designated place for it; usually you should look for it closer to the front of the case.

Select its location in the hard drive bay. The hard drive should be installed where it can best be cooled by PC coolers. Its optimal position is in the center. Install the new hard drive horizontally and securely fix it. Attach the screws well so that they are located on both sides.

Reliable fastening will prevent vibrations of the hard drive itself during operation. Vibrations for a hard drive that has moving mechanical elements are destructive. In addition, with tight contact between the disk and the case, the walls, like a radiator, remove the heat generated by the hard drive. Next, connect the power and data cables.

How to install a new SATA drive

Unlike the outdated IDE, the more advanced SATA connector is much easier to connect. As we already know, with this standard, each hard drive is connected using a separate cable.

Interface hard drive SATA also from two connectors: narrow and wide. But here the question of how to install a new hard drive lies in the presence of a different connector through which data is transferred from the motherboard, and voltage is supplied through the wide one.

The SATA cable connects to the data connector. They come in different types: straight and angular, without latches and with them. But it is impossible to mix up and plug the cable in the wrong direction, so there is nothing to be afraid of.

The hard drive can be connected to the SATA connector arbitrarily. Although there are variants of the SATA-1, 2 and 3 standards, they differ only in the speed of information transfer and are absolutely compatible both at the level physical connection, and logically.

The second end of the cable is connected to the connector on the motherboard. They can also be angled or straight and are usually colored bright colors and easily recognizable.

Connecting power to the drive

After the most labor-intensive operations have been completed, and we have figured out how to install a new hard drive, now all that remains is to connect it to power.

It is supplied to both IDE and SATA hard drives directly from the PC power supply. It is supplied to IDE drives through Molex connectors, while the SATA standard has its own connector - a wider one.

Keep in mind that SATA power is not always natively present in the set of connectors on the computer's power supply itself. It may turn out that you have a PC with a block old model, and this connector is not there. How to install a hard drive on a computer in this case?

It all depends on specific model power supply. In this case, an IDE-SATA adapter will help you. They come in different designs, and sometimes some examples act as splitters for several devices. Basically, that's all you need to know how to install a hard drive on your computer. What if you have one hard drive, but want to add a second one?

Sometimes a situation arises when, when downloading new files, you suddenly discover that your hard drive does not have the free space necessary for this. Of course, there is a way out - to delete old unnecessary documents and carry out defragmentation, but all these attempts to free up several hundred megabytes (or best case scenario gigabytes) is only a temporary success. After some time, you discover that the disk is again full to capacity, and you have no room for new films or music.

What to do in this case? There are several ways to solve the problem. You can replace your old hard drive with a new one, which has much more memory. How to install a new hard drive has already been described above. But you need to understand that this entails a lot of additional problems. It is necessary to reinstall the OS, and, accordingly, all previously downloaded drivers, applications and programs. You will also have to transfer all important information from the old disk to the new one. A lot of time will be spent on this operation.

But there is another way to solve the problem - purchase a second, additional hard drive. We'll look at how to install a second hard drive below.

Installing an additional SATA hard drive has proven in practice to increase system speed. Interacting with heavy software systems, you can qualitatively feel the superiority of the new format. Applications and programs do not slow down at all, and loading occurs instantly. In addition, the energy consumption and power of SATA drives are minimal, which practically does not lead to possible overheating of the hard drives.

How to connect a second hard drive?

The procedure for connecting a second, additional hard drive is no different from how to install a hard drive on a computer for the first time, and corresponds to the previously described process.

When connecting a second IDE hard drive, there is a small nuance - a jumper. You need to set its status using a special jumper. For the main hard drive it must be set to the Master position, and for the additional one - to the Slave position. With new SATA format drives this is no longer necessary.

Each hard drive in the system unit has its own compartment. You only need to make sure that the distance between the installed devices is sufficient to ensure good ventilation. Do not place them close to each other; it is better to leave a free span. If it is not possible to distribute two disks on different shelves, you can install an additional fan to prevent overheating of the media, which negatively affects the durability of the elements and the safety of your information.

After this, carefully secure each hard drive to the case to avoid vibration. If they still appear after turning on the second hard drive, this indicates an obvious problem. The vibrations threaten you hard mistakes disk and the possibility of losing information. Therefore, do not neglect the fasteners. This will help reduce the possibility of vibration as much as possible.

What to pay attention to after installation

IN Lately the hard drive began to come with appropriate instructions that tell you how to install the hard drive on your computer, so if you look there additionally, there shouldn’t be any difficulties in the process. After the work has been done, take care not only to connect the cables correctly, but to lay them carefully so that they do not stick out. If possible, move them further inside and, if necessary, secure them with electrical tape or plastic ties.

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Installing and preparing a new hard drive.

...With most devices everything is indecently simple: plug the board or module into the computer - and get to work! As a last resort, you will need to select drivers for the operating system, but even a beginner can handle this job! One of the few exceptions is the hard drive - we will have to tinker with it a little longer.

Installing hard disk.

The hard drive must be installed in a special compartment in the middle part of the system unit, which is located just below CD-ROM drive or DVD. You can insert the hard drive there from the inside or outside (by removing one of the plastic “plugs” on the front of the case).

TO system board The hard drive is connected using a special IDE cable (new computer models also use a thin SATA cable). And the cable, in turn, is connected to one of two rectangular IDE connectors, installed, as a rule, in the front part of the motherboard, near the front side of the system unit. Next to them there is another connector of a similar shape, but a little smaller - you need to connect a floppy drive to it. An IDE or SATA connector allows you to connect both a CD drive and a hard drive.

Let us remind you that the IDE interface, traditional for computers, allows you to connect up to four internal drives- two for each IDE channel. The motherboard has two rectangular IDE connectors, usually installed in the front of the motherboard, near the front of the system unit.

It’s worth talking specifically about connecting cables for connecting drives.

First of all, note that each IDE cable typically has three connectors, with two of them located close to each other. We will connect our IDE drives to these two connectors, and the farthest connector will fit comfortably into the socket of one of the two IDE controllers on the motherboard.

At first glance, the connectors are arranged absolutely symmetrically - two rows of identical holes. And it seems that you can plug these connectors into the socket as best you can.

But if you look closely, you will notice a red vein on one side of the cable - it indicates the so-called “zero” wire. And you need to connect the cable so that the side of the cable marked with the red vein “looks” towards the power connector. On the motherboard, this side is on the right, where the processor socket and the case power supply are located. This rule is also relevant for the other end of the cable - and here the “red” side of the cable should face the power connector.

By the way, before connecting the connecting cable, do not forget to install correct position switches on the drive itself. After all, we remember that, depending on the order of access, each of the two IDE devices connected to the controller can be either “Master” or “Slave”. There cannot be two IDE “masters” or two “slaves” on one channel, and therefore on one cable.

On the back panel of any disk drive or hard drive there are jumpers with which you can choose the “role” for the device - whether it should be in charge or pull the subordinate strap.

The main device on the first IDE channel should always be a hard drive - after all, it is from it that the system is booted. It is best to make the second, slave device on the same cable a second hard drive. Well, if there is no second hard drive, let no one bear the “slave” share.

The second mandatory drive - CD-ROM or DVD - should be made the “master” of the second IDE channel, “hung” it on a separate cable. Of course, a hard drive and a CD(DVD)-ROM can coexist on the same channel, but the data transfer speed from such proximity drops somewhat.

Definition type hard disk in BIOS. After installing the new hard drive (I hope you did everything correctly? For example, you connected the IDE cable exactly as needed - with the red wire closest to the power connector!) we need to make sure that the newly transplanted hard drive has accepted the main one, responsible for new hardware, BIOS.

It's quite easy to do this:

Turn on your computer and enter the BIOS by clicking Del button immediately after the first inscriptions appear on the screen. Just in case, press the button several times to be sure that you managed to “catch the moment.”
After entering the BIOS, go to the STANDARD CMOS SETUP menu and make sure that your hard drive is in the list of connected devices. Check whether its capacity is correctly determined, as well as the type of connection (Master, Slave). Remember that if your computer has only one hard drive, it must be defined as Primary Master. If you installed a new disk together with the old one, you can make it both Primary Slave and Secondary Master - it doesn’t matter.
For greater reliability, return to the main BIOS menu and go to the IDE HDD Autodetection item - after pressing the Enter key, the BIOS will once again check your computer for new drives.

If everything went well, exit the BIOS, remembering to save the new settings.

Preparing the disk and partitioning it. If you assembled your computer yourself or installed a new hard drive into the system, you still need to prepare it for the responsible work of storing data. So to speak, plowing the field before sowing. To do this, we will have to perform several operations - create logical partitions on the disk and format them.

If the hard drive you bought is the only one in the computer, then that's it. necessary procedures will be completed on time Windows installations

Boot from the system CD (the installation procedure should start automatically) - and install Windows normal in order. But if you are installing a new hard drive in addition to the old one, which already has a working version of Windows XP, then all procedures for preparing the hard drive can be performed using it standard utilities.

Click the Start button, go to Control Panel and select Administrative Tools. In the folder that opens, click on the Computer Management icon, and then on the Disk Management line.

At the bottom right of the Disk Management window you will see full list drives installed in your system and their status. Naturally, the new hard drive will be shown as “unallocated”. Which means that no logical partitions have been created on it yet and the disk is not formatted.

We will now start creating sections.

What is a section? This, one might say, is a piece of disk space that the computer can work with, like separate disk. Most often, large hard drives are “split” into two logical partitions for convenience (the first partition can be reserved for the operating system and programs, and the second can be used to store user documents and settings). But in fact, the tradition of “breaking” hard drives appeared in an era when many computers simply could not work with hard drives larger than a certain size.

In any case, treat the procedure of partitioning your hard drive VERY responsibly. While it is still empty, you can do whatever your heart desires with its logical space. But after information settles on the disk, changing the partition structure (say, reducing or enlarging one of them) will be much more difficult. Basically, that's why there are special programs type Partition Magic,

but their use is often fraught with loss of information. Which is something you and I wouldn’t want.

So let's begin. Right-click on the “unallocated” disk and select the context menu item Create Partition.

Here you need to indicate the amount of disk space that we allocate for the selected partition. There are no recommendations here - you can use 10 or 100 GB. Still, in my opinion, it is irrational to allocate less than 20 GB for the first partition.

Finally, the last window allows us to select the file system in which the new logical drive will be formatted.

You can choose either the universal FAT32 system or the “advanced” NTFS. The last option is considered the most reliable.

The section is ready! The system will need a few more tens of minutes to format it - and the procedure is completed. Although not entirely: after creating a new distribution, there was still a large piece of unallocated space left on our hard drive. We need to do the same procedure with it as with the first partition (we don’t even have to think about the volume - we will allocate the entire remainder of the disk space to the second partition).

Well, if you divide disk space you don’t want to create several partitions - when preparing a new hard drive, you simply create one single partition on it for the entire volume.

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How to install a new HDD SSD hard drive

Installing an internal hard drive is one of the simplest methods of upgrading a system unit and is often more the best option than use external drives, which are slower and may simply be inappropriate. This process usually does not require special knowledge or time and occurs in 3 stages:

installation,
connecting a pair of cables,
formatting the disk for use.

However, there are a few things you should know to ensure the installation goes as smoothly as possible.

Drive bays and mounting options

Desktop PCs typically use 3.5-inch hard drives. They are installed in a free compartment. The placement and orientation of compartments or clips will vary from case to case. Most often they are located in the front, above the intake fan compartment. The hard drive is located parallel to the bottom of the body.

Screws - The best way protect your hard drive from shock and vibration. A magnetic screwdriver will help hold the screw in hard-to-reach places. Most often, HDD connectors are directed inside the case, “facing” the motherboard, but recently, more and more often in home PCs, a server location is used - with outputs to the side panel. This is done for faster access to power and data cables and easy replacement of components. Some enclosures also give users the ability to remove or mount them in different positions to optimize air flow and simplify cable management.

Hard drive installation

For a beginner, installing the HDD into the bay and securing it correctly is often the most difficult part of the process. Securing the drive to the bay walls typically requires four screws on the sides or bottom of the drive. In many cases, especially newer and more expensive cases, it is common to see trays that hold the drives with simple pins and clips. The simplest is to attach it to brackets with magnetic pins. However, these brackets are often less secure than traditional screws. Using screws is a more secure method of installation, but brackets allow for tool-free installation. They are suitable for systems that will not be moved from place to place.

The photo above shows exactly how the HDD mounts and connectors are located, as well as the holes for standard and additional screws. Seven of the 10 screw holes are circled in red, while the SATA connector for power and data is circled in blue and green, respectively. Drives last longer when they are kept cold. When installing drives in a system, try to leave as many more space between them as much as possible to maximize air flow through the upper and lower compartments. Positioning the drives directly in front of the intake fan also helps.

Connecting hard drives with SATA

After installing the new HDD, all that remains is to connect it to the system. Almost all new desktop hard drives sold today use SATA interface(unless you are dealing with servers). SATA uses simple cables that are designed to fit between the drive and motherboard connector. Connect one end of the SATA cable to the drive and the other end to an available SATA port on the motherboard and you're halfway there.

Some SATA data cables come with L-shaped ends, which make connections easier and cleaner.

You may find SATA cables included with your new hard drive or motherboard. Most often they have different connectors: straight ends or right-hand corner (L-shaped). Some may have metal retaining clips while others do not. The shape of the connector makes no difference in performance.

I like to use SATA cables with angled connectors on the drive side, as long as there is enough free space between any drives in the system. Using "right corner" connectors on the motherboard side may result in port blocking because the connector may overlap adjacent ports. Try to find SATA cables with metal retaining clips as these help keep the cable very firmly in the connector. Newer SATA 3 (6 Gigabit) compatible cables usually come with clamps, but older SATA 2 (3 Gigabit) cables do not. The SATA power connection cable is similar to the data cable, but is slightly wider. The connector is designed so that it can only be inserted in one correct way. When you are done connecting the SATA cable, you will have to connect the drive to the power supply unit (PSU). Power cable The SATA from your power supply has the same shape as on the hard drive, i.e. It is impossible to insert it incorrectly without applying enormous force.

Preparing the hard drive for use

Once you have mounted and connected the drive, turn on your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI. Typically, you can access the BIOS/UEFI by pressing DEL or the F2 keys immediately after powering on the system. Typically, your system will display the message “Press DEL to enter setup mode.” Refer to your motherboard manual if the specified keys do not work. In BIOS, go to standard menu System Settings or Integrated Peripherals > SATA menu to see all drives installed on the system. If all drive controllers are enabled and the drive is connected correctly (and functional), it should be listed in the BIOS. If the drive is not listed, turn off your computer. Double check all connections, boot into BIOS and check again. If the drive still doesn't show up and all connections are secure, try connecting the SATA data cable to a different port on the motherboard.

UEFI BIOS will show all hard drives that are connected correctly and are detected by the system. BIOS and UEFI interfaces may vary depending on the brand and model of the motherboard, so it doesn't hurt to check your motherboard's manual or manufacturer's website for details. To confirm that Windows recognizes the drive, open Device Manager. On Windows 7/8/10, right-click on the window button on your desktop and select Device Manager. Check for the disk in the drives section.

When you boot into Windows after installing the drive, you may see the Found New Hardware Wizard pop up if new hard drives are detected.

The last thing you need to do is add partitions and format the drive.

After this, the disk should be available for use. If you split the disk into multiple partitions, you should see multiple logical drives in File Explorer, each with its own letter and label.

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Purchased a new hard drive. Where to start working with a new HDD?

For the second week now on our MegaReview portal we have been discussing the issues of choosing hard drives. The main hard differences disks, their operating parameters, and also recommendations on choosing hard disks for certain tasks. In today's article we would like to dwell on the issues of putting a hard drive into operation. A previous analysis of the modern hard drive market showed that there are practically no players left in it. The key players remain Seagate and Western Digital, Toshiba, which received the business after purchasing the bankrupt Fujitsu division, is playing the role of a catching up independent manufacturer. A comparison of various hard drives showed that competing models may differ in operating noise, performance, but this difference so low that it can be neglected. When choosing a universal hard drive, we recommend paying attention to the release date, which is indicated on the label, as well as its cost. The newer the hard drive, the better, since there is less chance that you will end up with a Thai drowned man or a disk with outdated, problematic firmware. There are already too many firmwares in the computer and often, not many people can take the time to update the firmware of the hard drives. At the same time, it is often hard drives that cause various lags and freezing of the operating system, which must be taken into account by all computer users, especially laptops. Some may disagree and begin to argue that hard drives are reliable. Unfortunately, using last generation hard drives for different brands we cannot confirm this - problems occur in all manufacturers, with approximately equal frequency. This is understandable, a hard drive is a mechanical nanotechnological device in which small parts carry out constant movement - this leads to the inability to eliminate the risk of defective products entering the market. For such users, we recommend purchasing a hard drive from the manufacturer that is closest to the “soul” and instills confidence.

For other rational users, we recommend taking a closer look not at the brand, but at the store where you purchase it. U manufacturers of hard There are practically no dealer warranties for discs in our country. service centers, so if the device fails, you will have to go to the store where you purchased it. Often, regional "sharashkin's offices" strike a pose. Such offices can be immediately identified by the terms of the warranty for the product sold. If instead of a two, three, five year warranty on a hard drive they offer you 6 months or one year, then you will not get any warranty from them. Fortunately, there are fewer and fewer such offices, since such network giants as Yulmart, Citylink, and CSN are opening their representative offices in almost all regions, which reduces the cost of products while simultaneously increasing the quality of warranty service. Replacement is often made faulty hard disk for a new one or a refund of the money paid.

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Few users know how to handle a newly purchased hard drive. The most experienced in this regard should be considered users who began their acquaintance with the computer from the time of the operating room. MS-DOS systems, when each operation was “felt” through command line. Today everything has been simplified to the point of disgrace. It is worth inserting a CD with the operating system into the drive Windows system 7, as soon as it detects new hard drives, it will offer to create partitions on it and will format it itself, creating the most popular file system - NTFS. But many users consider this not sufficient, since it does not allow at least a preliminary assessment of the quality and reliability of the purchased hard drive. Therefore, the following specific advice is given.

Firstly, the purchased hard drive must be carefully inspected in the delivery department for any dents, scratches, as well as signs of previous mounting in the system unit. In the latter case, as a rule, the paint flies off the screw holes. Often hard drives are shipped in anti-static sealed bags, if the package is marked as the hard drive and it is sealed - you are still responsible for any defects on the hard drive itself, so don't be lazy - print it out and inspect the device. This is due to the fact that modern hard drives are quite sensitive to mechanical influences and there are frequent cases of spindle jamming or head block displacement due to falls or impacts, which can happen in any store - people work everywhere.

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As soon as you bring the hard drive home, install it in the system unit in accordance with all the rules. It should not be cramped; it is advisable that there should be one free slot at the top and bottom, and that it is secured to the body with all four screws or latches. The rubber gaskets used to reduce the level of transmitted vibration should not interfere with reliable fixation of the device. In this case, it does not matter how you install the hard drive - upside down or with the controller unit - the hard drive will still work, the main thing is that it is securely fixed. Next, connect all the cables and make sure that the voltage along the 5 volt line of your power supply is not too high or low. An underestimation will lead to constant “stop starts” of the hard drive, and an overestimation will lead to operation at elevated temperatures.

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Well, the third one key moment- Are you going to additionally check the reliability of the selected hard drive? If not, then you can start working, but periodically doing backups contents of your new device - this will protect you from catastrophic loss of information. Many users want to immediately determine the endurance of their hard drive, even before they upload their valuable data onto it. Typically, these device runs take a long time and can only be recommended for users who actually have one.

To begin with, it is recommended to enable the S.M.A.R.T check. devices at the BIOS level. Then independently evaluate the value of the new device through special programs. It makes sense to take a screenshot of the S.M.A.R.T. values. before testing begins, so that comparison can be made after it.

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The next step is to start testing linear speed read the entire disk. Typically this is a package from Everest Ultimate, AIDA or HD Tune. After evaluating the data obtained, compare them with the data of other hard drives in this class. If +/- 10%, then this is quite normal. More high difference should make you think, and if there is a difference of more than 50%, study in more detail the reason for the poor performance of the new device and check its performance on another computer. In case of problems, replace it under warranty. Similarly, estimate the data access time on magnetic disks. Then the surface of the magnetic disks is tested. As a rule, the MHDD or Victoria program is chosen for these purposes. The first program and the second up to version 3.5 work exclusively within the operating system DOS systems, which becomes unacceptable for many users. Victoria program 4.3 works in Windows environment 7, but requires running as a computer administrator. After starting the program in random search mode, leave it for a day. The hard drive begins to crackle and crackle all day and all night. Then it is recommended to repeat the test for a similar period, but in Butterfly mode.

Almost the last test is to launch the IOMeter program. After setting small block sizes, setting up random search, read-write ratios, you start the process. It is also recommended to test for about 24 hours. It makes no sense to compare the obtained data with other hard drives, so simply evaluate the performance of the drive and look at the S.M.A.R.T table. If everything is fine, then your disk is reliable and will fail in the next 24 hours - no one can guarantee you more, but peace of mind is still worth a lot.

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How to install a second hard drive

Today, the computer contains all our memories, work, plans for the future, favorite films. Sooner or later there comes a time when there is very little space on the computer. Then the question arises, how to install a second hard drive, and what is needed for this. Let's look at this problem from all sides.

No matter how much the abundance of wires in the system unit scares you, don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as it seems at first glance. Now “we tell you how to do this in Russian,” short and clear. First, let's decide where the problem needs to be solved, on a desktop computer or on a laptop. Let's consider the first option.

How to install a second hard drive on a computer?

Installing HDD on a desktop computer

Before adding a new hard drive, you need to pay attention to the model of the old drive. They are divided into two types according to the connection interface (connector):

IDE connector (ATA or PATA). Such storage media are obsolete models and are rarely found. SATA connector. Media with this connector are sold everywhere. A standard purchase at any computer store.

The hard drive is connected with two cables. One supplies power, the second transmits information. To understand what kind of storage media is in your computer, open the side cover and look. If to hard goes to the disk flat, half a millimeter thick and a cable 6-7 cm wide, which means you have an old model connected via an IDE connector. If the cable is neat and a centimeter wide, it means modern SATA.

Does the motherboard have a connector for new purchase. Previously, there were budget motherboards with a small number of connectors, and if you have a drive connected, there may not be enough space. The problem is solved by STLab RAID SATA 2. There are also similar controllers with IDE.
Free SATA cable in the power supply. IN budget options, the number of connectors may be limited. The problem is solved by purchasing a Molex-SATA adapter. The hard drive model has been determined, it has been purchased, and we have come to the practical part of solving the question of how to install a second hard drive on a computer and do it safely.

Installation with IDE connector

The main rule for working with computer components is to de-energize the system unit, that is, simply unplug it from the outlet. Next we follow simple algorithms:

Remove the housing cover.
We install the purchase in special computer case mounts (runners).
We secure the new device with special standard bolts. If you don't have them, purchase them along with your hard drive.
Connect the power cable.
Connect the IDE cable. Here you need to pay attention to the connection nuances. The cable is connected at one end to the motherboard (usually it is painted a separate color), and at two ends to the devices. One of the connectors is marked as “Master” (main) and is located at the end of the cable, the other is labeled “Slave” (auxiliary). The hard drive also has jumpers and instructions on the case describing the positions. Therefore, if the HDD is connected to the “Slave”, then you also need to set this mode on the media itself. Otherwise, the PC will not see the new acquisition.
When everything is connected, we launch the system unit, split it and configure the new HDD to our liking.

Installation with SATA connector

This option is less complicated, since new technologies, more gentle for beginners, do not require long setup. We also make sure to turn off the power to the system unit, install the disk and screw it into the case.

We check and connect the power supply cable with a SATA plug to the HDD. If there are not enough connectors, we will use a Molex-SATA adapter.
We look where the connector is on the motherboard HDD connections and connect the new device using a SATA II or SATA III cable. The technologies are backward compatible and do not require any configuration. Plug it in and forget it.
We launch the system unit.

Here is a simple solution to the pressing problem of how to install 2 hard drives on a computer, without problems or errors.

Installing a hard drive in a laptop.

An ordinary user looking at this monolithic and elegant gadget is unlikely to decide to install it themselves and will go to a service center. And he will make a mistake. The devil is not as scary as he is portrayed. Installing an additional HDD in a laptop is even easier than in a system unit. You don't need to look for connectors, models, cables.

Here we’ll make a little reservation that installation in a laptop is possible in two cases:

You have an additional HDD slot inside your laptop. Do you have it installed on your laptop? DVD drive.

The first case is rare, and the HDD is installed in a ready-made niche in the case. The second is the most common, let's look at it in more detail. First of all, there is a ready-made solution, and it plays the role of an adapter or even a pocket. To do this, you will need a screwdriver and the device itself, which you can buy at any store.

Procedure

1. Turn off the power to the laptop and remove the battery. 2. Unscrew the bolt on the bottom cover of the laptop that holds the drive. 3. Pry up and carefully remove the DVD drive. 4. Insert the new device into the adapter for the 2nd HDD SATA. 5. Carefully place the adapter in place of the drive. 6. Tighten the bolt back.

7. Insert the battery and turn on the laptop.

If everything is done carefully, the components are working and of proper quality, you will see a new hard drive in operating system.

We have just briefly and clearly figured out how to install a second hard drive on a PC, and how easy it is even for regular user. Therefore, be careful, collected and don’t be afraid to experiment.

HDD with an IDE connector have not been sold in stores for a long time, so we will consider connecting a hard drive with a Sata connector. Before you install (buy) a hard drive, you need to make sure whether your motherboard supports the hard drive you are installing.
Example. If your motherboard has an interface Serial SATA 6Gb/s, then the hard drive must have the same interface. I think this is clear and there is no need to explain further; in worst cases, write comments in this article.
A hard drive with a SATA-II 300 (SATA 2) connector is also gradually going out of sale, and the throughput of this hard drive is 2.4 Gbit/s.
Hard drive with SATA 6Gb/s connector (SATA 3) latest hard model disk, the throughput of which reaches up to 6 Gbit/s.

So, I will install a hard drive from the Seagate manufacturer of the Serial ATA II standard.
The name of my system Asus boards P5K Pro, which has four SATA connectors.

If you look closely at the image above, you will see an already occupied connector - this is for the Pioneer BDR-206MBK Black drive.

Connecting a SATA hard drive.
First, you need to insert our hard drive into a special basket of our system unit. Many people remove the video card before this, but in vain, there is no need to remove it, it does not bother us at all, since we place the hard drive just below it.

As you can see in the picture, there is still space at the bottom where you can install a fan for cooling.
Next, we secure the hard drive with four screws. If you look at the image again, you will notice special rubber washers between the basket and the hard drive housing. Not everyone has this, but only my 6AR1 case and some others.
And here are our four SATA controller connectors on the motherboard. As I wrote earlier, connector number three is occupied by the drive, and the other three are free, let’s select the first connector.

We will not temporarily connect the SATA data cable now.
Why? This cable will interfere with us when connecting the power cable coming from the power supply to our hard drive. Connecting our hard drive and power supply!
There is a free cable from the power supply, connect it to the power connector on the hard drive. We will assume that we have connected.

If you have an older model power supply, it will not have a cable with SATA connector. In this case, you need such an adapter.

Now you can connect the data cable.