How do I install an extra hard drive into my pc?

[samz90]

How do I install an extra hard drive into my pc? is it as simple as connecting it, switching it to be a slave and then formatting it?? Please Help!!

Thanks.

[mattfox]

Simple answer is yes :D But select slave before you connect it 'cos it's too fiddly afterwards!

[vehelpfulguy]

You need to be aware of IDE.

IDE devices are things like hard disks and CD drives.

Most computers have 2 IDE "slots" called IDE0 and IDE1 and each will have one cable.

You can connect two devices to each IDE cable, so a maximum of 4 IDE devices overall.

Now it depends what your PC already has installed.

It may have a hard disk as IDEO master and a CD as IDE0 slave. In that case it will probably not have an IDE1 cable at all and you need to buy one.

Or it may have the hard disk as IDE0 master and the CD as IDE1 master. It will then have two cables.

You can then add the hard disk as IDE0 slave.

It may be best to go into your BIOS and see what that tells you you already have installed and on what IDE slots.

You can then plan from there.

[commoner]

Not an expert in this and someone will know about such things, but I have heard of Plug and Play USB external hard drives........look at that option maybe.....commoner.

[samz90]

The only thing is with external ones is that they are much more expensive. I have a a grey cable with a conecctor on it and a spare molex. Is this ok?

[BillyNoMates]

samz is right - they are more expensive. So if you do go for an external drive, - buy a regular hard drive and a separate caddy. It saves considerably.

[marshman]

Buy an normal hard drive from your computer shop,open the case of your computer,you will see a wide cable connected from your motherbaod to the hard drive already inside,read the back of the new hard drive and set the "jumper"to "slave",slot in the new hard drive and screw tight,connect the second port on the hard drive cable,put the side back on,boot up and your computer will reconise the second hard drive.One can then drag and drop or "send"to the second drive.

[foulecamp]

I did this a while ago without too much difficulty: I used this site as my guide;
www.harddriveupgrade.com
Don't worry about the BIOS: just check your slave setting: your HD website should show you which jumper settings to use.