How to connect two sata hard drives at the same time. How to install a second hard drive in a laptop? We will now deal with the creation of sections

Today we want to tell you how to properly connect a hard drive to a computer. In particular, we will look at how to install a new hard drive in a computer, we will also talk about installing a second hard drive, and at the end we will superficially consider installing an external hard drive.

In fact, there is nothing complicated in installing hard drives. By the way, we talked about that in our last article. So, now let's talk about everything in order.

How to install a new hard drive

If you are building a computer or want to replace an old hard drive, then the procedure for installing it is as follows. First you need to remove the hard drive from the package, to do this, carefully cut off its edge with scissors. Remove the hard drive and check for damage and scratches - if everything is fine, then proceed to install it. It is important to note that any work must be done with the computer powered off.

Unscrew the fixing screws and remove the cover from the system unit. If you are installing a new hard drive, choose its position in the hard drive bay. Its most optimal position is in the center so that it is well ventilated. So, when you have chosen a place for the hard drive, you need to fix it.

To date, there are two options for mounting a hard drive: on bolts and on special rack brackets. The first type of fastening is that the hard drive is inserted into the bay and fixed on the sides with special bolts. The second option is a little easier: to do this, you must pull out the hard drive brackets, and use the latches to secure them to the sides of the hard drive. Then we insert the strips into the grooves and drive the hard drive there until it clicks.

Now we need to connect power to the hard drive, it will not be difficult to do this, be guided by the L-shaped corner on the edge of the connector. Check if the power cable is fully inserted. Next, connect the SATA cable. One end of the cable is connected to the connector on the motherboard, the other - to the hard drive. It is worth noting here that if your hard drive does support SATA III, then you need to connect the SATA cable to the corresponding motherboard connector, as a rule, there is a corresponding marking next to these connectors.

When installing a hard drive, try not only to connect the wires, but to route them in such a way that they do not stick out or possibly lead inward so that they are not visible. If necessary, fasten the wires with plastic ties so that they do not stick out.

How to install a second hard drive

To install a second hard drive, you need to follow all the same steps as described above, with the exception of a few points. First of all, you will need to choose a place to install the hard drive in the system unit. We would like to note that it is best to install the second hard drive not near the first one, but so that there is a distance of 2-3 openings between them. In this case, we recommend installing a cooler for better cooling of hard drives. When a place is selected, according to the instructions above, insert a second hard drive into the system unit.

As for the connection, then do everything as described above. When connecting a second hard drive, there is one caveat - a jumper. In some hard drives, mostly old modifications, when connecting to a computer, you must set its status using a special jumper. Therefore, for the main hard drive, the jumper must be set to the “Master” position, and for the second hard drive, to the “Slave” position. In modern hard drives, this is no longer necessary. Please note that it is better to make the main hard drive a more powerful and larger HDD by installing an operating system on it.

How to install an external hard drive

And finally, it is worth saying a few words about connecting an external hard drive to a computer. To install an external hard drive, it must be connected to a USB port. If your external hard drive supports USB 3.0, then it must be connected to this port on the motherboard connector panel, there should be a corresponding designation opposite these ports. If your external HDD has a USB 2.0 connection type. then connect it to the most convenient port for you.

When a new HDD is purchased, the question arises of how to connect a second hard drive to a 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 this situation, you should contact the service center.

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

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

If you are the owner of a standard type of motherboard, then you just need to choose a socket for connection. If you have a combo (that is, a small one), then some 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 simply no other place to connect an additional hard drive. These are budget motherboards, and sometimes they do not provide for the ability to connect multiple 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 an IDE connection type and only one slot remains, you have the opportunity to install two equipment on one cable. It can be either 2 HDDs or a hard drive with an optical drive. When connecting on one cable, it is desirable to follow the sequence in which a system disk is connected to the master connector, and an additional one to the slave. Master is the last connector on the cable, slave is in the middle. The instructions for the HDD should indicate in which position the jumpers should be set for a particular mode.

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

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

In a small case, installing a second hard drive will mean that both hard drives will get very hot. Especially during the hot season. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase a cooling system for them. When connecting a second disk, do not forget that it must be screwed to the case with screws. Unlike solid state drives, HDDs have mechanical parts that can easily be 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

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

For this, there are special adapters. Without them, it will not be possible to connect another hard drive, since the connectors for DVD-ROM and HDD are different. First of all, you need to find out the thickness of your drive. It may vary on different laptops. The most common are 12.7 mm and 9.5 mm. You can find it out like this:

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

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

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

After installation and fixing with an emphasis, screw the bolts for a more rigid connection of the adapter with the 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 back all the covers. If everything was done correctly, the BIOS will display a new hard drive.

Disk system settings

You have learned how to install a second hard drive in a PC. But this is not enough for a full-fledged work with him. Now it needs to be configured 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, this can be done by going to the Disk Management section. You can get to this menu by right-clicking on the "My Computer" icon and selecting "Manage".

In the central lower part, all connected drives and their volume will be displayed. The new drive will be labeled "Unallocated". You need to right-click on this area and click "Create Simple Volume". The “Settings Wizard” will appear, following the instructions of which you will determine the space of the future disk, the file system and assign it a letter. Remember that two partitions cannot be assigned the same letter. So that you do not have to deal with OS freezes and crashes in the process, close all unnecessary programs. At the end of the procedure, the system will display a new hard drive.

We have examined in detail how to connect an additional hard drive to a computer. After watching the video below or above in the text, you can understand and consider in more detail the incomprehensible points.

Additional;

Select which of the hard drives will be the main one, that is, the active one from which the operating system will be loaded. Determine the order by setting the small jumpers to the appropriate positions in accordance with the diagrams depicted directly on each hard drive.

Turn on your computer and go to BIOS settings. If the hard drives are not detected automatically, manually identify them using the appropriate command. Then save the changes and exit the BIOS.

Related videos

Sources:

• how to install a second hard drive
• How to connect a second hard drive

To connect to computer as a second hard disk an external device designed to work via a USB port, you just need to insert the connecting cable into the corresponding connectors on the cases of both devices. The process of installing a stationary hard disk as the second main drive in the system unit of your computer. The sequence of actions for this option is described below.

Instruction

Shut down the operating system, turn off the computer, and unplug its network cable. Position the system unit in such a way that you have free access to both of its side surfaces.

Remove both side panels. As a rule, to do this, it is enough to unscrew two screws connecting them to the rear panel, and then move them 5 centimeters back and put them somewhere not very far away.

Install the new hard drive in one of the free slots in the chassis. Do this carefully so as not to accidentally disconnect the wires, which are abundant inside the case. Connectors for power supply should be on the side of the motherboard, and the hard drive is fixed with four screws - two on each side of the system unit case. Use an already installed hard drive as a sample for placing and securing.

Connect the power cable and data cable (“flex cable”) to the new hard drive and motherboard. These wires differ depending on the type of hard drive being installed (IDE or SATA), but in any case, their connectors are asymmetrical and there is only one way to insert the connectors, so you cannot make a mistake. An already installed hard drive will help you find the right slots on the motherboard - the connectors you are looking for should be located next to those used to connect it. On hard drive cases using the IDE bus, there are jumpers that set the hierarchy of disks installed in the computer - one of them must be designated as primary, and all the others as secondary. However, in most cases there is no need to use them, since the BIOS is able to figure out the configuration of devices on its own with the jumpers set by default.

Make sure that you did not break anything inside the case of the system unit during the installation process and did not forget the tools in it. Do not rush to close the case - you should first check the result of the operation. Connect all the necessary wires, the last of which should be the network cable. Then turn on the computer and go into the BIOS settings to make sure it can recognize the new device. After that, turn off the computer and replace the side surfaces of the system unit.

Sources:

• how to connect a disk to a computer in 2019

Installing a second hard drive in your computer can improve system performance and generally increase the amount of storage space you need. Most serial computers have built-in IDE (PATA) or SATA (Serial ATA) support for connecting hard drives to the motherboard.

Modern operating systems support any type of hard drive, regardless of the type of hard drive already installed on the computer. Contrary to popular belief, installing a second hard drive does not require professional technical training, but requires minimal skills to disassemble the computer and replace its components.

In fact, to install a second hard drive, you only need an additional cable (if one is not available) and a screwdriver. In the event of a malfunction, professional assistance may be required. Remember, it is always possible to refer to the help manual.

To install a second hard drive on your computer, follow these steps:

1. First of all, back up the data stored on the primary device.

2. Turn off the computer and disconnect all power cords from it. Before opening the case, you must touch something metallic to remove the static charge.

3. Before buying a second hard drive, find out what type of drives your computer supports. IDE drives use 2-inch flat cables with three or more connectors. SATA drives use thin and round cables.

4. Refer to the instructions printed on the hard drive label for instructions on how to properly set the jumpers. Jumpers are tiny connectors that can be found on IDE drives. They help identify the primary drive. Set the jumper to "Slave (ide2)" on the second drive. Also, don't forget to jumper the main hard drive to set it to "Master (IDE1)." If you purchased a SATA drive, skip to step 5. SATA drives do not require a jumper.

5. Locate an empty bay to accommodate the second hard drive. Carefully slide the new hard drive into the bay. Use the two mounting screws on both sides to secure the new hard drive to the metal case. Connect the IDE drive to the second connector located on the main cable. For SATA, connect one connector to the main drive and the other end of the cable to the SATA connector on the motherboard.

6. Replace the computer cover. Connect the power cords to it. Turn on your computer. Press F1, F2, F10, or the Delete button to enter the BIOS menu. Check if they are detected by the system. If not, then check again that all cables and loops are connected correctly.

After that, configure the hard drive to work with the operating system. If it is new, then first of all it is necessary to assign a letter to it. You can also perform partitioning. Using a second hard drive as the primary for installing applications and storing virtual memory is one way to improve system performance. This will also free up space for the operating system to run.

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Installing a second hard drive on an Acer AX3910 computer.

Before this model, I used the same desktop computers, of the same brand, only less powerful and with a smaller hard drive. As they were used, there was a need for a faster processor and a larger hard drive. I have been using this model for more than two years and I do not intend to change yet. Except that there was not enough space on the hard drive.

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Computer settings:

For additional storage space, I have been using an external hard drive “WD Elements” for a year now. I do not know the brand, it is made in Thailand.

This HDD with USB3 connector, the data transfer rate is very high, I didn't even need to increase the built-in hard disk.

The process of adding an internal hard drive is somewhat more complicated. Install the internal hard drive into the computer case as described in the documentation that came with the hard drive. The steps may vary slightly depending on the type of hard drive and your computer's hardware and chassis configuration. In the Tips section. If you are installing an internal hard drive, make sure to ground yourself first to prevent static damage to your computer's damaged internal hardware. Once you are grounded, turn off the computer, unplug the power cord, and open the case. Connect one of the available power cables from the computer's power source to the power port on the hard drive.

• Mount the new hard drive in an accessible hard drive bay.
• Close the computer case and reconnect the power cable.

And I wouldn't worry if at one point he didn't work slowly. The time to load files into my programs from this external drive has increased dramatically. And energy-intensive programs - Adobe Premier Pro, Adobe Muse. The brake has become concrete.

And there was anxiety. When checking the disk, Windows announces a system error on the disk, but cannot fix it. And on it is “my whole life”! Archival photos, work for many, many months. Even thinking was creepy, if suddenly ... I don’t even want to pronounce this word! I handle it very carefully, I blow off the dust.

First, determine if the computer system has room for an additional hard drive. Following the instructions in your computer's user manual, open the computer case and locate the hard drive. If there is room above or below this hard drive for another device of the same size, you probably have room for a second hard drive.

Then look at the cables connected to the existing drive. One will be the power connector and the other will be the data connector. The power connector goes to the computer's power supply, while the data connector goes to the motherboard. Also check if there is free space to connect a second drive on the same ribbon cable. If not, you will need to install a second ribbon cable in the second controller controller socket on the motherboard, assuming one is available.

How to install a second hard drive

What to do? I decide to urgently install an additional 1 TB hard disk, leaving the native disk of the same manufacturer under the system, without reinstalling the system and without changing anything. Bought for 3820 rubles. And knowing that in this compact case there is no , I decide to put it instead of a CD / ROM, and use an external CD / ROM, connected via a USB connector. It's not often needed now. And on the motherboard, besides, there are only two SATA connectors for disks.

Installing software on an external drive

• Make sure your original drive and your new drive are connected at the same time.
• The automatic installation will now begin.
• Run all available software updates.

How to determine the thickness of the device

I know of two types of optical drives used on laptops, which differ in thickness. "Thick" has a height of 12.7mm and "thin" has a height of 9.5mm. You can determine the thickness of the device you have installed without disassembling the laptop. To do this, first look into the device manager and see the product model.

All you do is look for the location option during the installation process. By this point, it's too late to install them on another hard drive unless you want to go through and uninstall and reinstall the programs individually. However, you cannot simply drag and drop program folders to another drive. What you have to do is to create a so-called symbolic link. It's a bit like shortcuts to programs, folders, and websites that clutter your desktop, but they're more powerful.

There is no need to resort to complicated commands, although there is a simple and free utility that does everything for you. Select "Custom Setting" and let go of all advanced features. When you install any software, it always asks where you want to save it. It has two halves and divides them in the middle - a column of icons.

I have this Optiarc AD-7580S. Now let's visit any popular Internet resource selling similar products or Yandex.market and see the characteristics of the device.

As you can see, the thickness of the device, according to the description, is 13 mm (taking into account rounding, in reality 12.7 mm).

We need to select source folders and destination. Make sure they are all checked. Programs now run from the hard drive. At some point, hard drive space becomes scarce and it is time to transfer data to an external hard drive. Or maybe you need an external hard drive for backups?

Connecting an external hard drive

Before buying a drive, please contact your computer to connect external media. Pay attention when buying which connections the plate has. Depending on the application, you need a plate with a higher or lower transfer rate.

Unpack and prepare the plate

If in doubt, you can measure yourself with an ordinary ruler. You can distinguish drives 12.7 and 9.5 with the naked eye.

Where to buy an adapter for HDD to ODD bay

It is a plastic box with a small board with connectors and a microcircuit, as well as a USB cable for connection and a decorative strip on the front side. For some reason, a mini-CD with drivers was included, but Windows 7 saw the device without installing additional software. Moreover, the device is detected from the BIOS, so it can be used as a bootable CD-ROM.

Plug in the power supply and plug it in. Then connect the hard drive to your computer. If you want to be safe, turn off your computer beforehand. If the drive is connected, turn it on and, if necessary, turn on the computer. The operating system should now recognize the drive and map it to the file system. If necessary, you must use.

However, the supplied cables usually have two plugs on one side. The reason for this is very simple: the second plug has power lines, but no data lines. In this case, just replace the plug and it should work. If you want to replace an existing drive, use data migration software to move old files from your existing drive to the new drive.