How to Install a Second Hard Drive
Level of difficulty: Intermediate
A second hard drive may be needed to be installed on a computer to increase the space. The second hard drive can also act as a storage device for files and other documents that are seldom used but are still needed. Some people add a second hard drive to the computer to add more space to play games or to store a collection of movies or music.
Materials Needed:- Screwdriver
- Hard drive
- Container
Step 1
Make sure that the computer is turned off. Unplug the computer from the power source. Place the CPU (Central Processing Unit) or tower on a stable surface before beginning work.
Step 2
Remove all the cables connected to the CPU. Use the screwdriver to remove all the screws that secure the panels of the tower in place. Place the screws on a container to avoid losing them.
Step 3
There are pins that stick out of the hard drive. These are jumpers. You have to configure both hard drives in order for them to work simultaneously. The settings can be seen at the back of the hard drive. They are usually labeled. The existing hard drive is set to 'master' or 'single'. Remove the jumper and place it on 'master with slave'.
Step 4
On the new hard drive, place the jumper on the setting 'secondary' or 'slave'.
Step 5
After configuring the jumpers of the hard drives, you can now attach the new hard drive on the tower. Screw the new hard drive in place. Carefully insert the power cable. The power cable is a flat wire with wires protruding at the end. Connect the power cable to the secondary connector that is also connected to the existing hard drive.
Step 6
Locate the IDE cable. This cable is a flat gray cable with three connectors. One of which is connected to the motherboard of the computer, the other is connected to the existing hard drive. The third connector is the one that you will connect to the second hard drive.
Step 7
Make sure that the hard drives are in place. Replace the panels of the tower by using the screwdriver to screw the panels securely.
Step 8
Turn on the computer and install the driver for the new hard drive. Follow the instructions on the windows to set up the new hard drive.