When a new HDD is purchased, the question arises of how to connect a second HDD to the 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 point is that in order to install second hard disk, 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 an existing HDD is connected to 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 another place to connect an additional hard drive simply no. These are budget motherboards, and sometimes they do not provide for 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 old computer with type IDE connections and there is only one slot left, 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 loop, it is desirable to follow the sequence in which the master connector will be connected system disk, and to the slave - additional. 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 which connectors are connected second hard disk. 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

Winchesters on laptop computers do not have the same large capacity as 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. You can only spin it in out of order. 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 appearance 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 new hard disk.

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 access this menu by clicking right click click on the "My Computer" icon and select "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 an OS freeze and a crash in the process, close all extra 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.

The question of how to merge two disks into one is one of the most frequently asked questions among computer users. This can be useful in many situations, including even issues related to installing a single file system for all partitions, converting GPT or RAW formats that may not be accepted by the operating system, installing software that requires a lot of disk space, etc. the user can be offered two main methods of combining, which will be discussed further in as much detail as possible. The proposed solutions work equally well when performing such actions with logical partitions, and when working with RAID arrays, when two or more independent hard drives are installed on the computer.

Benefits of merging hard drives or partitions

It goes without saying that the first and main factor influencing a positive decision in favor of merging partitions is an increase in the available disk space on one disk, which is extremely necessary when installing some programs.

On the other hand, as already mentioned, if disks or partitions have different types file systems, quite often you can observe problems with the installation of certain types of software. Bringing them, so to speak, to a common denominator, eliminates the problem entirely. Finally, if the system has unreadable RAW partitions or the GPT format for hard drives larger than 2 TB, which may not be recognized by the operating system, such a tool is simply indispensable.

Combination options

Now a few words about how to merge two drives into one in Windows 7 and above. First you need to decide how exactly the partitions will be merged. First of all, we can distinguish methods of combining with the loss of information or with its preservation. Secondly, the use of standard system tools or third-party software.

It should be said right away that the solution to the question of how to merge two disks into one, using the built-in Windows toolkit for preserving data that was originally in one of the partitions, does not imply (this is not provided at all). Therefore, before doing such things, all information from the partition being deleted (and it will actually be deleted, and only then attached to the main disk or partition) must first be transferred to another partition or to removable media. As is already clear, about the performance installed programs and you don't have to speak. When solving the problem of how to merge two disks into one, but so that both the information is preserved and the applications work, it is necessary to use additional third-party tools. They will be discussed separately.

How to merge two disks into one in Windows 7 and above using standard tools?

First, let's look at the system's own tools. This is the disk management section. You can access it through the administration menu, but it's easier to use the Run console, in which you need to write the diskmgmt.msc line.

Here, a partition is selected, due to which it is necessary to merge, and the item for deleting a volume is called through the RMB menu. The system will immediately issue a warning that all information on the selected disk will be deleted. We agree.

We repeat a similar operation, but for the section. After that, the so-called unallocated area will appear.

Now you need to use RMB on the partition to which it will be attached, and select the volume extension line.

At the disk selection stage, most likely, free attached space will be immediately added to the list. If this does not happen, you should use the add button yourself. After that, the continue button is pressed, and in the next window - the end. If you look at the state of the disks and partitions after the operation is completed, you will see an increase in the space of one of the partitions at the expense of the other.

How to merge two disks into one using third-party programs

To manage disks and partitions, when you need to merge with saving data, you can also use third-party utilities that seem to be much more powerful than the system's own tools. This may include software packages like Partition Assistant from AOMEI, Disk Director from Acronis, Partition Master from EaseUS and many more.

Consider the merge process based on the last mentioned utility. For example, we need to merge drive E and drive F, but so that after that only one partition E remains. In the main window Partition Manager, use the Merge button, check the boxes for the specified disks (partitions) and click the OK button. After the merge is checked, the process will be in pending status. Click the Apply button and confirm the action. After that, the merging process will begin.

When it finishes, only one partition (E) will be visible in Disk Management. Explorer will show two hard drives in the same hard drive or partition. Only drive F in partition E will be shown as a local directory (Local Disk F) with all the information that was previously present on it.

Brief conclusions

As a result, it can be noted that if a user needs a quick merge, and the attached disk or partition is critically important information No, you can use the system tools. If data storage is mandatory, you will need third party programs. And further. Please note that if the attached section contains the second operating system it will not be possible to run it on combined discs.

Question from user

Hello.

Tell me, how can I connect another disk to the laptop (or is it impossible)? It's just that my 500 GB disk is no longer enough, now I'm thinking about increasing the space ...

Svetlana.

Good day!

Yes, these questions are not uncommon. In general, recently laptops have gained great popularity and are slowly replacing ordinary PCs. Laptops have a lot of advantages, but upgrading is a tricky business. Add another disk or change the memory - in some cases it is not possible at all...

It is a pity that the author of the question did not paint more specifically the essence of the problem. In this article, I will consider several ways to connect another drive to a laptop (in some cases, you may have 3 of them at once!). Many connect another disk not only for the sake of increasing space, but for the sake of increasing the speed of the system (they install an SSD drive and transfer Windows from the HDD to it).

Ways to connect 2 drives to a laptop

Option number 1: install the disk in the second slot in the laptop

Some laptops have two slots for hard drives(however, I want to say right away that the configuration of such laptops is quite rare). Basically, these laptops are classified as gaming and are quite expensive.

To find out how many slots you have - just look at those. laptop characteristics (if you do not have documents for the device, you can look it up on the Internet), or simply remove the protective cover from the back of the laptop and take a look for yourself (Important! Do not open the lid if the laptop is under warranty - this may be the reason for the refusal of warranty service).

Because the chance that you have two slots is small, I don’t focus on this option. An example of such a device, by the way, is in the photo below.

Toshiba Satellite X205-SLi3 - inside view (2 hard drives installed)

If you want to buy a disk for a laptop, but don’t know where to stop, then I recommend that you read this article:

Option number 2: install the SSD in special. connector (M.2)

If you have a new modern laptop, it is possible that you have an M.2 connector (connector for SSD connections, present in many new products (usually the more expensive ones ☺)). Created as a replacement for mSATA. Allows you to get maximum performance from SSD installations drive.

In order to find out if you have such a connector, you can:

1. knowing the laptop model (about), look at its tech. characteristics (the Internet is full of sites with all models of mobile devices ☺);
2. you can simply open the back cover of the laptop and look for the right connector with your own eyes.

Important!

By the way, this M.2 connector is rather "insidious" (even many advanced users) ... The fact is that it has a lot of varieties. Therefore, even if you have a similar connector, before ordering new disk check out this article here:

Option number 3: connect an external HDD / SSD drive to a USB port

Significantly expand the place can help external hard disk. It is a small box, the size of regular phone. Connects to regular USB port. Such a disk, on average today, is capable of holding about 1000-4000 GB (i.e. 1-4 TB).

If you are considering models with additional power (adapter usually comes with some drives), then the capacity can reach up to 8 TB! I think that over time it will be even higher.

Note! Buy external rigid discs are cheaper than in a regular store, you can on AliExpress - .

There is truth in this option, certain disadvantages: extra wires on the table, more low speed disk interactions (if HDD - then on average up to 60 MB / s via USB 3.0), and inconvenience when carrying a laptop (it's one thing to take a laptop in one hand and go, and another thing to additionally fiddle with an external drive ...).

True, there is undeniable advantages: such a disk can be connected to any laptop or PC, you can transfer information from one PC to another on it (it won’t take up much space in your pocket), you can buy several of these disks and use them one by one.

Option number 4: install another disk instead of a CD / DVD drive

Well, the most popular option is to remove the CD / DVD drive from the laptop (available in the vast majority of models) and insert a special adapter instead (some call it a "pocket") with another disk (HDD or SSD). I'll elaborate on this one a little more...

What adapter is needed? Deciding...

First you need to correctly find and select this adapter. It is rarely found in our ordinary computer stores (you need to order it in some Chinese online store, for example, in AliExpress -).

Note: in English, such an adapter is called "caddy for laptop" (that's how you ask a query in the search line of stores).

Universal adapter for installing a second disk in a laptop instead of a CD drive (2nd HDD Caddy 12.7 mm 2.5 SATA 3.0)

There are 2 important points:

• adapters are available in different thicknesses! Actually, as well as discs and CD / DVD drives. The most common are 12.7 mm and 9.5 mm. Those. before buying an adapter - you need to measure the thickness of the CD / DVD drive(best with a compass rod, at worst - with a ruler)!
• discs and CD/DVD drive may come with different ports (SATA, IDE). Those. it is necessary, again, to look live at the installed CD / DVD drive. Most often, modern laptops have drives that support SATA (they are most popular in Chinese stores).

How to remove the CD / DVD drive from a laptop

In general, of course, a lot depends on the design of your laptop. The most common case: there is a special protective cover on the back of the laptop, removing which you can see the fixing screw that fixes the drive in the laptop slot. Accordingly, by unscrewing this screw, you can freely remove the drive.

Some laptop models do not have a protective cover - and in order to get to the insides, you need to completely disassemble the device.

Note: before removing the protective cover (and indeed, carrying out any manipulations with the laptop), unplug it from the mains and remove the battery.

Most often, the drive is fixed with one screw (see photo below). To remove it, in most cases, you need a Phillips screwdriver.

After the screw is removed, it is enough to slightly pull on the drive tray - it should “come out” of the tray with a little effort (see photo below).

Installing an SSD / HDD drive in an adapter, and an adapter in a laptop

Installing an SSD / HDD drive into the adapter is not difficult. It is enough to put it in special. "pocket", then insert into the internal port and fix with screws (the screws are included with the adapter).

The photo below shows an installed SSD drive in a similar adapter.

If the thickness of the adapter and the disk was chosen correctly (no more than the thickness of the CD / DVD drive), then it can also be easily pushed into the slot and fixed with a screw (if the adapter has a similar mount).

If the thickness of the disk/adapter is chosen correctly, but there are problems with insertion into the slot, pay attention to the compensating screws on the adapter: some models are equipped with them (located on the side walls of the adapter). Just take them off (or drown).

After the drive adapter is installed in the drive slot, put a neat socket on the adapter so that it looks like a real drive and does not spoil the look of the laptop. Such sockets, as a rule, always come with adapters in the kit (in addition, you can remove it from the removed CD drive).

Checking if the drive is visible in the BIOS

After installing the second disk, I recommend that after turning on the laptop, immediately go into the BIOS and see if the disk is detected, if it is visible. Most often, the determined disks can be found in the main menu: main , information etc. (see photo below).

Note!

1) If you don’t know how to enter BIOS, I recommend this material:

2) You may find the article on how to transfer Windows from a hard disk (HDD) to an SSD drive (without reinstalling the system) useful -

Results (which is important)

1. first, check if you have another hard drive slot in your laptop, or a new M.2 SSD slot;
2. Now there are many external drives on sale that connect to the USB port - maybe this best way out to expand free space;
3. before buying an adapter to install a disc instead of a CD drive - find out how thick your CD / DVD drive is and what ports are used (the most popular thicknesses are 9.5 and 12.7 mm);
4. do not open the protective cover if your laptop is under warranty (this may be the reason for refusing warranty service);
5. it is possible that after installing a new disk, your Windows will refuse to boot. In this case, you need to check BIOS settings(whether a new disk has been identified and put it in the correct boot queue), and in some cases it may be necessary to restore the bootloader. About it here:

That's all, for the corrections and additions - I thank you separately.

All the best!

When you run out of hard drive space, you can either remove or add more space. While the outer USB hard the disk is easy to connect and as an option for additional volume, this is not entirely suitable - they take up space on the disk, perhaps an additional power connector, you need to use a valuable USB port, and they tend to be slower than internal drives. Today let's look at a more complex option for adding a second internal drive.
It's time to get familiar with the basics of your computer. Today we will concentrate only on the hard drive, but the manual will give you great review on all random connectors and ports that you will see on the motherboard after you open the computer case.

Step 1: Determine if you can add another internal drive or not

Unfortunately, not all computers are built equal. If you have a laptop, or an all-in-one car, where internal systems hidden in the monitor - then your only option is to go to a USB drive and you don't have to open it. If you have a system unit, then read on, as there is a chance that you will have enough space to install a second drive. If you have a full tower size, then you can easily add a second drive, or 2, or 3! But, if you are not sure, refer to the table below.

Step 2: Backup

While we do not anticipate any problems, it is good practice to create backup important data before making any changes to the equipment. Here we have looked at some options for Reserve copy.
The best software backup for Windows.
Top Programs backup for Windows.
Your data is fragile - and it only takes one small accident to lose all data. The more copies you make, the better. Here we present the best free programs backup for Windows.

Step 3: Open the Case

Before continuing, turn off the power system block and all peripherals.

In most cases, the system unit may have covers on each side that need to be removed with just two screws. You need to remove the side cover that does not have the motherboard, so look at the back of the system, find USB ports/ mouse and remove the cover so look at the back of the system, find the USB/mouse ports and remove the opposite side.

Step 4: Get Rid of Static Electricity

When touching the inside of a computer, technicians use a grounded wrist strap to reduce the risk of damage to any sensitive component from static electricity that remains in the human body. For our purposes, touching the heatsink will suffice.

Step 5: Find your hard drive and its slots

The internals of all computers are very similar. A hard drive is a fairly large piece of metal like this:

You have to find it, it is usually in some kind of metal box. Check now to see if you have a box to fit another hard drive in. A chassis tower usually has room for 3 or 4 drives, but a small desktop system may only have room for one drive, in which case you're out of luck and will have to consider either upgrading the chassis or using external USB disk.

Step 6: Determine if you have a SATA or IDE drive

Take a look at the following image and compare it with your drive. If you have a disk type like the one at the top, a wide ribbon cable, then this is a very old type of connection called IDE. Ideally, your new drive will be SATA. If it turns out that you have an IDE disk, then you are completely out of luck, but this is already beyond the scope of this article. IDE drives are getting harder and harder to buy, which is a sign that your PC has really gotten old.

Check ALL connected devices. There are two possible types of power cables, and you will of course need to find a spare in your system that you can use. It may be hidden somewhere, so keep an eye on other power cables carefully and try to find a spare.

Some hard drives can accept any kind of cable, but the SATA type is easier to connect, so I use those if available. If you have a spare power cable, but it's not SATA, then you can still install a second drive, but you need to make sure it can accept the Molex type of power cable, or you can buy a Molex to SATA adapter.

Next, plug in the SATA data cable on the motherboard, and see where it's plugged in. Various motherboards have different numbers SATA ports, and older machines may even have only one. Obviously, if you can only find one SATA port, then you can only connect one SATA disk drive. If you can see some spare connectors, then congratulations - you can now go out and buy a second drive!

Step 7: Buying a Disc

There is very little difference between hard drive manufacturers. On the technical side, you should be looking for "3.5" SATA hard drive" and make sure you pick up another "SATA cable" while you're in the store, the salesperson should be able to help you with this if you can't find the hard drive you need", and make sure you pick up another "SATA cable ” while you are in the store and the salesperson should be able to help you with this if you cannot find such a cable.

Step 8: Installation

Installing the hard drive in the box is the hardest part, as it can sometimes get blocked by the graphics card or other cables. You'll need to identify the cables before you actually go any further, noting the side of the cable facing up (SATA data cable and power cables all have a notch on one end, which means it's almost impossible to insert it incorrectly).

With the drive in place, use the screws that came with the drive to secure it - you'll need to align the holes on the drive with the holes in the box or tray. Next, find the spare power cables and SATA cable and connect them.

In my next article, I'll be covering software and configuration when adding a second drive - so stay tuned. As always, feel free to ask any questions in the comments and I will try to answer them quickly.

Instruction

Second Winchester allows not only to get additional space for files, but also to significantly increase the reliability of data storage by duplicating important files on . Before you start installing the hard drive, be sure to make sure that the computer is disconnected from the network! Then unscrew the screws holding the left (when looking at the front) side cover with a screwdriver. Let us note that different models cases, the procedure for removing the cover may differ - for example, you may need to remove the bezel first. Loosen the screws and carefully remove sidebar. You may need to pull it back a little to do this.

Having removed the panel, you will see the computer motherboard, power supply, various wires and cables. And, of course, the hard drive, usually located at the front of the computer. Pay attention to how it is installed - second the hard drive will need to be installed in the same way, in a free niche. Such niches can be found above or below the main disk. If possible, do not place discs immediately one above the other - you should leave a gap between them, this will help them better cooling. Important point: Hard drives have special jumpers that set the operating mode. On the main disk, it must be set to the "Master" position. On the second - to the "Slave" position. The jumpers are very small, you may need tweezers to install them. After placing the jumper, carefully install the disk in the place chosen for it, tighten the retaining screws. Together with Winchester ohm, they are usually not there, so a couple of short screws should be found in advance - they should fit the threaded holes on the left and right sidewalls Winchester a.

The disk is installed, it remains to connect power and a data transfer cable to it. To connect the power, you may need an adapter to a SATA drive. Best before you buy Winchester but to open the computer and see if the adapter is worth it on the existing disk, and if so, buy the same one. When connecting, pay attention to the shape of the connectors and the color of the wires of the main disk suitable for them - the new disk must be connected in the same way. To connect the adapter, use any free connector with wires of the desired colors. The power is connected, the whole process is very simple. And most importantly, do not apply force - all connectors are equipped with special protrusions that do not allow them to be installed incorrectly.

The power is connected, now you need to connect the data cable. When buying a disc, make sure that the cable is included in the kit. If not, then purchase it. Usually it is a flat red wire with connectors at the ends, its width is within a centimeter. One end of the cable is connected to Winchester y, you can easily find the right connector. The second is connected to the corresponding socket system board. To find it, look where the cable of the main drive is connected - the socket for the second (and often also the third and fourth) should be nearby.

Everything, the disk is connected. We put the cover back in place, turn on the computer. If everything is connected correctly, the computer will start to boot. After loading, open "My Computer" - a new disk should appear in the list of hard drives. If you don’t like the letter assigned to it by the system, go to: Start - Control Panel - Computer Management. In the "Storage Devices" section, select "Disk Management". By clicking on the new drive with the right mouse button, select "Change drive letter or drive path." A window opens, select "Change" and set the desired drive letter.

Useful advice

If you have to disconnect any cables when installing a drive, draw a picture of the connection on a piece of paper. This will allow you to connect them correctly in the future.

Sources:

• how to put a second hard drive on a computer
• How to connect a second hard drive

Modern hard discs very reliable and can work for a very long time. But no one is immune from the breakdown of any equipment. If a hard drive fails, there is little chance that it can be repaired. Then you will have to purchase and install a new hard drive. This process is not complicated, but there are some nuances associated with the type of interfaces of hard drives and motherboards. You need to choose a hard drive that fits the interface of your motherboard.

You will need

• computer, hard drive with SATA or IDE connector, screwdriver.

Instruction

First, find out what interfaces your motherboard is equipped with. This can be done by looking at the technical documentation for your computer. See if the motherboard has a SATA interface. If you do not have technical documentation, you can look at the connection interfaces on the motherboard itself. Indeed, in any case, the system unit will have to be opened.

Unplug your computer. Loosen the screws that secure the system unit cover and remove the system unit cover. Now look for the inscription SATA on the motherboard. Nearby are the SATA connection interfaces. Typically, these interfaces are located in the lower right corner of the motherboard. Please note that SATA interfaces may not be available on fairly old motherboards.