Connecting hdd to laptop. Connecting a hard drive to a computer or laptop. Removing a disk from a laptop
If you need to connect a hard drive from a laptop to a desktop computer, then there are at least 2 ways to do this. The first is directly through the sata interface, and the second is through a special adapter.
Due to the fact that most of those reading this article do not have adapters and are unlikely to buy them, we will immediately consider a method without any adapters.
How to connect a hard drive from a laptop to a computer without adapters
First you need to remove the hard drive from the laptop. In most laptop models it can be easily removed. To do this, just unscrew a few bolts on the back cover of the laptop and carefully remove the hard drive.
Removing the hard drive from a laptop
For a successful connection we need 2 cables: Interface Sata and power. (We are considering the case with a Sata hard drive interface, since there is practically no IDE left).
This is what the sata interface cable looks like:
Sata Interface Cable
And here's the food:
Sata power connector
But then the question arises: where to get them? Why not go to the store for them? We look at the free power connectors coming from the power supply, shown in the figure above. There are usually several of them.
If there are no free ones, then you can disconnect the black power cable from the CD-ROM into which the discs are inserted. In 90% of cases it should also have a Sata interface.
We take cables to connect the hard drive from the optical drive
The same applies to the interface cable. It is often pinkish in color, but not always. This is the second thinner wire that comes from the CD-ROM. The same wire goes to the computer hard drive.
If you do not have an optical drive, or it has a connector other than SATA, then you can find the necessary cables to connect the hard drive from a laptop at any computer store. They are quite inexpensive.
After you have found 2 free cables (most likely taking them out of the CD-ROM), insert them into the connectors on the laptop’s hard drive. They are made in such a way that it is impossible to confuse them.
Connected hard drive from laptop to computer
Then you can turn on the computer. Very often, when you first turn on a computer with two hard drives (in our case, this is one native hard drive and one from the laptop that we connected), the operating system may not load and will appear. Or boot the OS from the laptop's hard drive.
This happens because the priority of hard drives in the BIOS settings has changed. How to fix this is described in the article.
Connecting a hard drive from a laptop to a computer via USB
This method is somewhat simpler, but it requires the purchase of additional adapters, which are not so little.
Here is an example of a USB BOX (hard drive box) for 2.5 hard drives:
Or this universal adapter for connecting any hard drives via USB:
connecting a hard drive from a laptop to a computer via a USB adapter
Everything is simple with them. Connect the hard drive to the adapter, and the adapter to the USB connectors of the system unit.
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Not many people know how to connect a hard drive from a computer to a laptop via USB or directly. The need to make an external drive from an HDD may arise for a number of reasons: you need to restore an old device and the information stored on it, copy a large amount of data, or use the internal one as an external drive.
The first step is to remove the hard drive from the PC case yourself. It's easy to do:
- unplug the cord from the outlet;
- turn off the computer's power supply;
- remove the side cover of the housing;
- disconnect the wires from the motherboard and from the HDD;
- unscrew the bolts that hold the drive in the socket;
- remove the disc.
Do not remove the device yourself if you do not have the skills to assemble and disassemble a computer. It is better to entrust the solution to the problem of how to connect a hard drive from a computer to a laptop to a professional. If a disk is damaged, it will be difficult to “cure” bad sectors and restore information.
Connecting to a computer via USB
The question of how to connect a HDD to a laptop via USB is relevant for those who have switched from using a desktop PC to its portable version.
Connecting a hard drive to a laptop is difficult; it is much easier to connect the drive to a PC via a regular cable. However, having an understanding of the structure of personal computers and their mobile version, it will not be difficult to figure out how to make an external hard drive. Thus, you will save on purchasing an expensive portable analogue.
First of all, you should think about how to make the internal hard drive external and connect your laptop PC to it. You will need a special box and a wire designed to connect the two devices. The box or pocket is selected depending on the interface: IDE or SATA. The cable used for connection comes in several types. The most convenient is SATA/IDE USB. With this method, one end of the wire should be inserted into the drive connector, and the other should be connected to a port on the laptop.
Check out your DIY removable drive. To begin, turn off the laptop, plug the USB output into the connector, press the power button and go to the BIOS settings. If the laptop does not recognize the hard drive, check whether the cable is tightly pressed to the port, then you can connect it again to the computer via USB.
It happens that instead of an HDD, a solid-state drive is installed in the case. This storage device also has USB output wires, so connecting the SSD is not difficult.
How to connect a hard drive to a laptop via the motherboard
In addition to what is described above, there are several other ways to connect a hard drive to a laptop. How to connect a hard drive to a laptop without a USB cable? Below is a detailed description.
Modern HDDs tend to become more compact every year, so they can be installed in a laptop case. This is convenient when the “native” hard drive is broken or faulty, and you have an extra one from an old PC on hand. The adapter for the board is cheaper than the USB analogue.
This method is more complicated than how to connect an HDD via USB. You will need to spend more time; you will have to disassemble not only the computer case, but also the portable device.
You need to disassemble your mobile PC step by step:
- Disconnect from power.
- Remove the battery.
- Unscrew the bolts securing the top cover and carefully remove without damaging the fasteners.
- Disconnect the keyboard cables from the board and remove it.
- Unscrew the bolts on the board and carefully remove it, after disconnecting the cables, hard drive and other components.
After this, connect one end of the adapter to the board and the other to the device. Reassemble the laptop using the reverse algorithm and insert the disk into the desired compartment. If the dimensions of the device exceed the dimensions of the socket or additional memory is needed, then you can, by analogy with the method of connecting a hard drive via USB, make an external hard drive out of it.
The general scheme is described above; in practice, each laptop computer model is unique.
Is it possible to deal with the question of how to connect a hard drive to a computer yourself without experience in repairing equipment? The answer is no! A sudden movement or an incorrectly screwed bolt can break one of the connecting cables. Subsequent repairs can cost you many times more.
Knowing the structural features of a desktop and portable PC, you can solve the problem of how to connect a hard drive from a laptop to a computer or vice versa, and how to convert an old HDD into a portable one. These skills will help you save time and money. Another advantage is that you can create a unique style for your drive: choose or order a case with an individual pattern or an interesting shape, choose a case or pouch of the right size.
Users of personal computers, laptops and netbooks are often faced with the need to connect additional external devices to their computer. One such device is an external hard drive.
The need to connect a disk may be associated with transferring a significant number of files to a laptop, exchanging information with other devices, or organizing external data storage. Sometimes a user simply has an old hard drive that they intend to continue using.
As laptops get smaller in size, today's laptops include a significant variety of different types of storage devices.
Scheme for disconnecting the hard drive from the PC
Laptops usually use 2.5-inch hard drives because... they are smaller and consume less power than 3.5-inch drives found in desktop PCs. However, a 3.5-inch drive from an old PC can be successfully used as an external drive.
Step 1. Turn off the computer and disconnect it from the 220 Volt power supply so as not to accidentally turn on the PC when removing the hard drive.
Step 2. Open the computer case, most often by removing the right side panel (viewed from the side of the PC connectors) after unscrewing the mounting screws or pressing a button and removing the panel along the case to the back and to the side.
Step 3. Find the hard drive inside the PC case. The hard drive is a rectangular metal box the size of a small book and is usually located in a special compartment of the PC case.
Step 4. The hard drive is usually connected to the PC using two cables. Carefully inspect the cables and carefully pull them out of the connectors.
Important! Dismantling actions are carried out with some, but not extremely significant, effort. Before removal, it is necessary to carefully inspect the part and make an appropriate decision on the method of its dismantling.
Step 5. Consider the method of attaching the hard drive, and, having chosen the appropriate method, remove it. The disk can be secured with screws or placed in the case on special “slides” with latches on the sides, sliding out through the removed front panel of the case.
Connecting an external drive to a laptop
To connect an external hard drive, the first thing you need to do is determine its size.
Step 1. If the size of the drive is unknown, you can measure its width. Hard drives are rectangular in shape, and its width determines its size (form factor) in the name. The width of a 3.5-inch drive is 10.2 cm, and the width of a 2.5-inch drive is 7 cm.
We measure the width of the hard drive, the width of a 2.5-inch drive is 7 cm, a 3.5-inch drive is 10.2 cm
Step 2. Next, you need to determine the type of connection of the hard drive in order to select a case compatible with it, which serves as an “adapter” for connecting the drive to the laptop. Older computers used hard drives with an IDE connection; today, drives with a SATA connection are used.
Consider the type of HDD contacts. The IDE connector consists of two rows of metal pins for data transfer, as well as a separate hard drive power connector. The SATA connector includes two small pads with flat contacts for data transfer and power supply to the drive.
Step 3. Purchase a case that matches the size and type of HDD connection, as well as the type of connection to the laptop. For example, purchase a 2.5-inch case with a SATA connection for a 2.5-inch SATA drive.
Most hard drive enclosures have a computer connection type with a USB 2.0 interface, as well as FireWire, since they are the most popular today. Some universal enclosures have a combination of both interface options.
Most USB 2.0 enclosures are compatible with any USB port on a laptop or netbook. However, USB 3.0 enclosures provide better performance when connected to a USB 3.0 port.
Reference! All personal computers sold today are equipped with USB 3.0 ports, so you can purchase a hard drive enclosure with a USB 3.0 interface, making sure that this type of connector is available on your laptop.
It's also important to consider that 2.5-inch cases typically draw power from the PC's USB plug-in port and do not have their own power adapter, making them completely portable.
That said, 3.5-inch hard drives require more power, so their cases usually come with an AC power adapter, which means they won't work in areas where there isn't a power outlet.
Step 4. Installing a hard drive in an external enclosure is very simple. Usually the most that is required in this case is a screwdriver. Most often, you need to remove the top cover of the case, position the hard drive being inserted into it parallel to its base, and carefully slide the drive onto the contact pad to connect it. Close the hard drive housing cover (see photo).
Reference! To connect the hard drive to the enclosure, please refer to the instructions supplied with the HDD enclosure.
In some cases, on older 3.5-inch drives, you may need to move or remove the jumper that sets the hard drive as a Master or Slave device in accordance with the enclosure instructions.
It is also possible to connect 3.5 and 2.5-inch hard drives to a special docking station. In this case, you need to carefully insert the disk into a suitable size connector, pressing slightly on it from above in order to securely connect the contacts of the disk to the station.
Step 5. After connecting the hard drive to the case, you need to connect the case to the laptop connector using a special cable included in the kit.
For this:
On a note! To supply enhanced power to a 2.5-inch hard drive, it is also possible to connect a second USB connector located on the cable included with the case.
In addition to special cases for connecting a hard drive, an open option for connecting the HDD through a special adapter that fits onto its connector is also possible.
Connecting an “old” drive in Windows
If the hard drive has already been used in Windows before connecting it, then it has already been formatted. In this case, when connected, it will automatically be assigned a letter in the system, and it will appear in Windows Explorer, ready for use.
If the disk does not appear in the system, you may need to install a driver for the hard disk enclosure.
Step 1. Press the “Win+R” keys on your keyboard. In the “Run” window that opens, type “devmgmt.msc” and click “OK”.
Step 2.“Device Manager” will launch. View the dispatcher for the presence of devices with exclamation marks. If there is such a device, right-click on it and select “Update drivers” from the menu with the left button.
Step 3. In the window that opens, click on “Automatically search for updated drivers.”
After the system finds the required driver, the exclamation mark from the device in the “Dispatcher” will disappear. You may need to restart your PC.
If the hard drive does not appear in the system, and a CD with drivers is included with the HDD enclosure, then you need to:
Step 1. Insert this disc into the optical drive of the laptop, opening it by pressing the button and snapping it back after inserting the CD.
Step 2. On the desktop, double-click on the “This PC” icon with the left mouse button.
Step 3. A list of Windows OS disks and devices will open. Double-click to open the CD drive.
Step 4. Find the “Run” or “Setup” file to be launched in the folders by double-clicking on it with the left mouse button.
Step 5. Install the required software in accordance with the proposed procedure. The HDD will appear in the system.
Connecting a new drive to the OS
If the connected hard drive has not yet been used in Windows, it will not appear in Explorer because it has not yet been initialized and formatted.
Step 1. Press the “Win+R” key combination on your keyboard. The Run window will open. Type “diskmgmt.msc” in the line and click “OK”.
Step 2. The Windows Disk Management utility will launch. Find the disk labeled “Not initialized” in the left column and right-click on it, selecting “Initialize disk” in the drop-down menu with the left button.
Step 3. Check the box next to the HDD you want to initialize. Check “MBR” if the HDD has a capacity of less than 2 TB, and “GPT” if more, and click “OK”.
Step 4. After the disk is initialized, it will be placed in the Unallocated state. Right-click on the unallocated HDD space and left-click on “Create simple volume”.
Step 5. In the wizard that appears, click “Next”.
Step 6. Leave the default settings and click “Next”.
Step 7 Select in the drop-down list the letter by which the drive will be identified in the system, click “Next”.
Step 8 Select the file system type (usually NTFS) and the volume label (any HDD name in the system), check the “Quick format” box and click “Next”.
Step 9 Check the entered information and click “Finish”.
The disk will be formatted and ready to use.
As soon as the connected external drive is working, you can exchange any files with it.
Find out detailed information on how to install in our new article.
Video - Three ways to make an external hard drive from an HDD (hard drive)
This question might interest you for several reasons. Firstly, you want to transfer a large amount of information from your laptop to your computer. Secondly, you hardly use a laptop or you bought a cheap laptop with a working hard drive and want to increase the amount of memory on your computer. In any case, you need to understand how to properly connect the hard drive from a laptop to a computer.
Let me note right away that if you are not eager to disassemble your computer and laptop, then you can transfer information by simply connecting them together using a cable. More information on how to do this is written in the article: how to connect a laptop to a computer.
Now let's get back to our question.
First, you need to place the laptop with its bottom facing you and remove the battery. Then you need unscrew the plastic cover, which covers the hard drive.
The hard drive may be screwed to the case; unscrew them. Then slide the disk away from the contacts as shown in the picture and remove it.
The interface for connecting hard drives in laptops is SATA. The IDE interface is already considered obsolete and is quite rare, so we will not consider it further.
After removing the hard drive from the laptop, let's move on to the system unit. We remove the side cover from it: you need to unscrew the screws from the back, then slide the cover towards the back of the system unit with a sliding movement.
Now we are looking for a free SATA port on the motherboard.
We connect the plug from one end of the cable to the motherboard, and connect the other end of the cable to the laptop’s hard drive. The cable plugs are the same on both sides, so you cannot mix them up or connect them incorrectly.
Then we look for a free plug on the cable coming out of the power supply and connect it to the hard drive.
We connected the hard drive from the laptop to the computer. Now turn on the computer, the hard drive will appear as a regular local drive, and copy all the necessary information.
If you want the laptop hard drive to be installed in the system unit, you will need to buy special slides to be able to secure it there. The sleds are needed because the size of the laptop hard drive is 2.5’’, and the standard size of the cells in the system unit in which the drive is installed is designed for computer hard drives, the size of which is 3.5’’.
We screw the laptop hard drive to the internal sides, then insert it into the system unit's hard drive bay and secure it there.
You can also connect a hard drive from a laptop to a computer using special box.
It looks like a small container for a hard drive. Just insert the disk into it, connecting it to the contacts, and close the box. It connects to the computer via a USB cable. Sometimes a power supply is also included with the box. It can be useful if the hard drive does not have enough power received through the USB port. Such hard drive “cases” are very convenient. Now it can be used as a regular external hard drive.
I think after reading the article you will succeed connect the hard drive from the laptop to the computer. Just choose the method that suits you.
And also watch a video on the topic:
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When a user needs to increase the amount of space for storing files, if the old hard drive is broken or if a lot of information needs to be copied to a laptop, it becomes interesting: how to connect a hard drive to a laptop? In fact, the connection is made using various methods.
How to connect a hard drive to your laptop with an adapter?
Today you can purchase adapters of various types, with which you can easily connect a hard drive to a motherboard with other types of connectors: SATA-USB, SATA-IDE, IDE-USB. They are sold in specialized retail outlets for computer accessories.
To connect a standard hard drive to a laptop, you need to do the following:
- laptop disconnects from power supply
- battery is removed
- connect the adapter connectors to the connector on the laptop and hard drive
- insert the battery and turn on the device
- you enter the BIOS to check that the disk is working correctly
When connecting the hard drive directly to the motherboard, the data transfer speed increases more than when connecting the drive to a USB port.
How to connect a hard drive to a laptop using a USB pocket?
In the store you should purchase a pocket container that connects the hard drive to the laptop via a USB port. A hard drive is inserted into it and connected to the USB port on the laptop. The operating system recognizes the hard drive as a removable storage device, and then the user can start working with it.
Conclusion
These are the options for connecting a hard drive to a laptop. In this case, no special specialized knowledge is required. It is enough to have an idea of which side to approach the laptop from and what to do so as not to harm the laptop.
It is important to understand that the connected hard drive cannot be disconnected during operation, otherwise the drive can easily fail.
Instead of adapters, you can purchase a compact hard drive with the required amount of memory (selected depending on your needs). A special feature of such a device is its protective housing, which protects the media itself from mechanical damage. Many companies are now engaged in the production of hard drives, so choosing the best option is not difficult.
The connection operation is not difficult; no special skills are required. Of course, for novice users who have no idea about the basic structure of a computer, it is better not to deal with this issue on their own.
Now, knowing the principles of operation when connecting a hard drive to a laptop, you can be calm about the safety of information and will definitely not make fatal mistakes that lead to loss of information and other problems. Good luck!
