Install a second hard drive - a quick guide

If there is a notorious lack of storage space, you should install a second hard drive in your PC. We want to show you here what you need to consider and how to proceed.

Which hard drive is the right one?

A look into the device manager or better inside your computer tells you whether you have enough space for another hard drive. You can tell which standard this has to meet from the connected data cables. A wide cable is connected to an ATA (IDE) hard disk and a narrow cable is connected to the Serial ATA. You don't need to worry about your guarantee. This does not go out when you open the side panel of your computer.

It goes without saying that you shut down your computer and disconnect it from the power supply before opening it. If you ground yourself, you avoid possible damage to your PC due to static discharge. When you look into the case, there are a few more things to check.

• Do you have space for another hard drive?
• Are there connections for the power supply?
• Is an IDE or Serial ATA slot free on the mainboard?

Retrofit a second IDE hard drive

IDE hard drives belong to the older generation, but are still installed and sold. Since two HDDs are connected to one ATA / ATAPI cable with this standard, you have to determine the order of the disks.

1. Now use the jumper, a small component with metal clips, to set up the new drive as a "SLAVE". You will find this next to the cable connection for the data connection. In this way, you determine the order in which your PC accesses the hard drives. The "MASTER", your first HDD, will boot.
2. Screw the plate into the corresponding shaft with the housing. if you have enough space, make sure you are at a sufficient distance from the other hard drive. Since the devices become warm during operation, heat could otherwise build up.
3. Connect the cables for the power supply and data transfer.
4. Start the PC and go to the BIOS. You can usually find your new hard drive in the BIOS under the "Main" tab. You may have to activate the HDD there.
5. After the operating system has started, you can format and partition the HDD.

Install a Serial ATA hard drive

With these hard drives, there is less for you to do. You install the device and connect the appropriate cables for the power supply and data transfer. You're done. Since each SATA HDD has its own connection on the mainboard, you do not need to set a jumper. A release in the BIOS is also not necessary. You only have to format the hard disk and partition it if necessary.