Hard Drive Install Process Essay Essay, Research Paper
How to Install a Hard Drive
I. As you accumulate software, you may find your hard drive is running out of space.
A. Bloatware
B. Here I will help you gather the needed equipment,install,andtroubleshoot a new hard drive.
II. What will you need to complete this task?
A. Needed tools
B. Purchase cost
C. Benefits
III. We are now ready to begin installing the hard drive installation.
A. Installation preparation
B. Removing the case
C. Removing the old hard drive and installing the new hard drive
D. Closing the case
E. Preparing to start the computer with the new hard drive
IV. Most of the difficulty in replacing your hard drive is simply hoping that your new drive will get along with your system’s BIOS and operating system.
A. Your system’s BIOS and operating system
B. Mis-configuration of the hard drive jumper
C. Connecting the data cable
V. All this is time-consuming, but you’ll be enjoying your new drive’s extra space when you’re through.
A. Technical support
B. Load files faster
As you accumulate software, you may find your hard drive is running out of space. Today, feature-rich applications and massive operating systems, which are derisively termed “Bloatware”, take up a large amount of file space. A more insidious culprit is undeleted E-mail and its attachments. Add in the movie trailers you have been downloading and all those scanned photos that are too cute to delete, and you may find yourself looking for a bigger hard drive. Here we will help you gather the needed equipment, install, and troubleshoot a new hard drive.
What will you need to complete this task? The tools needed are as follows: Phillips screwdriver or a nut driver set, small pliers, paper, and pen. It will also take approximately two hours to install the drive but it could take longer. The cost of hard drives vary but plan on spending $50 to $1,500, depending upon the capacity and type of hard drive you desire.
We are now ready to begin installing the hard drive installation. Read your new hard drives documentation thoroughly. Back up your entire old hard drive to an appropriate medium, such as tape or a Zip or LS-120 disk. If the hard drive or computer manufacturer offers relevant information, such as jumper settings on its Web site, you may want to print these off now while your system is still operational. If your drive has no installation software or you are installing a second-hand drive, the drive manufacturers site will offer setup software and documentation. It’s time to open your computer’s case. Find your present hard drive inside your PC. Computer layouts vary, but the hard drive should be easy to spot. It is a thin metal box about 6-inches long, 1-inch thick, and 3.5- or 5.25-inches wide. It will not have an opening accessible from outside the computer, like a diskette or CD-ROM drive, but it will have a flat gray data cable and a squat four-pin power cable. You will need to install the new hard drive in exactly the same position as the old drive. Make a diagram or take some notes about how things are connected so you can reassemble them when you’re finished. The rear of your old hard drive probably has a jumper, which is a small plastic block that fits over two metal pins of a six-pin group. Configure the drive by pulling out the jumper and pressing it gently over two specific pins. For example, if the hard drive is the only one in your computer, the primary of two drives (the master) or the secondary of two (the slave), set the jumper accordingly. The new hard drive’s label or documentation will indicate its ju
Most of the difficulty in replacing your hard drive is simply hoping that your new drive will get along with your system’s BIOS and operating system. Major hard drive manufacturers include installation software that reconciles your hard drive with your BIOS, partitions the drive, and formats it without much help from you. A second common problem is mis-configuration of the hard drive jumper. The jumper must be set correctly. If the hard drive is the only one in your computer, it must be allocated as the master drive. If it is the secondary of two (the slave), set the jumper accordingly. Another common problem occurs when connecting the data cable to the new drive. The power cable will only fit in one way, but you will have to attach the data cable with the red stripe facing the power connection. If the drive’s documentation says something different, though, take its word over mine. Don’t force any connector or bend its pins but be sure the connections are fully engaged. Loose cables can cause strange errors later.
All this is time-consuming, but you’ll be enjoying your new drive’s extra space when you’re through. Of course, don’t be afraid to call the drive manufacturer’s technical support line. New hard drives should include free technical support for a period of time. This task is difficult but the benefits are a larger hard drive which means you can install more applications. It may even save and load files faster than your old hard drive resulting in greater enjoyment.