Connect the hard drive from laptop to laptop. Connecting a hard drive from a laptop to a computer via USB

Useful tips

Today, many people know how to connect HDD to the laptop. But there are also those who do not yet know this.

There is absolutely nothing complicated in this procedure, and now we will look at it all step by step.

After reading of this description any user can easily replace a hard drive in just a few minutes.

Before that, let's say that there are only two ways to connect - as a replacement for an existing hard drive and as external storage.

Although it is interesting that many do not even know whether it is possible to connect the drive so that it is located outside the laptop case. So, let's begin!

As internal storage

Let's start with the most difficult thing - connecting the hard drive as hard drive, that is, as a replacement for what already exists.

IN in this case you need to do the following:

Turn off the laptop. All operations are performed exclusively with the power turned off. Otherwise, you can simply “kill” your device and nothing can bring it back to life. Of course, this doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.
Remove the battery. Most often, this is done as shown in Figure 1 - first you need to press the fastening locks (just move them to the side), and then remove the battery from the laptop case.

At the bottom of the laptop panel you need to find a cover measuring approximately 13x7 cm (it could be a little larger or smaller, but in any case it will be a rectangle). This cover must be removed by unscrewing the screws. This is done using a regular shaped screwdriver as shown in Figure No. 2.

Note: In some cases, laptops will have a single back cover, and it will not be divided into any compartments. In this case, you need to remove it entirely. Then you will need to immediately find out where they are hard disks. You can recognize them by their characteristic appearance and size (approximately 10x7 cm). Their appearance is shown in Figure 3.

Accordingly, it needs to be removed. The hard drives are always in a small mount, which is also held on by small screws. Accordingly, you need to unscrew them with the same screwdriver and remove the hard drive from the mount with your hands.
First, the mount itself is removed, and then the hard drive itself is removed from it. Figure No. 2 shows the discs in the mounts. But we need to take them down.
You can understand that the mount has been removed by one simple sign - you will see the board itself, that is, its physical appearance, without any insulation or additional coatings. Its appearance is shown in Figure No. 4.

In some cases, the hard drive is in a box that insulates it on all sides. Then it also needs to be disassembled.

This is not difficult to do, because it is attached to the hard drive on all sides with screws.

After the box or mount is removed, you need to install it there too. new hard disk. It is worth noting here that there are two types of hard drives - SATA and IDE. Appearance each is shown in Figure 6.

As you can see, they have completely different mounts. It's good if you replace old hard disk on new one same type. Then you just need to paste everything as it was.

The vast majority of laptops use SATA.

Otherwise, you will have to buy an adapter from SATA to IDE or vice versa. They look something like what is shown in Figure 7.

But it is highly not recommended to use such adapters in laptops, because there is simply nowhere to insert them.

There are short adapters, which are a regular board with a SATA contact on one side and an IDE contact on the other.

The appearance of one of them is shown in Figure No. 8.

These are used in laptops, but in most cases it is recommended to just take one hard type disk that is already in the laptop.

That's all! Now the new railway is in place.

If your computer has a free slot for second hard disk, you can install it in exactly the same way in the appropriate place.

You may also be interested in:

Hard drive cloning: 5 best programs for your PC

What may be difficult?

The main difficulties during installation may arise with the fastenings of an existing hard drive.

The fact is that different companies they make different mounts or even full-fledged boxes, and often users simply do not know how to remove them and what to do with them next - how to remove the hard drive itself from the computer.

For example, some Toshiba models have a small, one might say “auxiliary” compartment that needs to be removed before removing the main cover.

This process is shown in Figure 9.

After this, you will also need to remove the mount on the disk itself. This mount is shown in Figure 10.

As for the above adapter, it is usually called a connector in the literature. The process of removing it is shown schematically in Figure 11.

Some models by default have such a simple element in their design. And you don’t always need to remove it. There shouldn't be any problems with the rest.

It is worth saying that replacing a hard drive on a regular personal computer is much more difficult, because there the corresponding wires and buses are connected to the IDE and SATA interfaces.

Often people confuse some of these and then problems arise.

On laptops everything is much simpler. Although, of course, everything also depends on the computer.

It’s not uncommon that after a laptop crashes, what’s left behind is a fully functional hard drive. I don’t want to throw it away at all, so users are often interested in how to connect a hard drive from a laptop to a computer. In this short article we will talk about how you can solve this problem.

Connecting a hard drive from a laptop to a computer using SATA

Connecting a hard drive from a laptop to a computer using USB

If the above method of connecting a hard drive from a laptop to a computer seems too complicated to you, or you want to be able to quickly disconnect such a hard drive, then you can. This can be implemented in several ways.

Method No. 1. Adapter from SATA to USB.

The simplest option is a small compact adapter from to 3.0. On one side, such an adapter has a SATA interface, with which it connects to the hard drive, and on the other side, a USB 3.0 cable that connects to the computer.

Method number 2. Pocket for 2.5 inch disks.

A pocket for 2.5-inch drives is something like a case into which a 2.5-inch hard drive is installed. Inside this case there is a SATA connector to which the hard drive from the laptop is connected, and outside USB cable to connect to a computer.

Method No. 3. A docking station that supports laptop hard drives.

You can also use a hard drive docking station. The docking station is small device, which connects to a computer via USB and into which you can install hard drives.

A docking station is probably the most expensive way connecting hard drives from laptop to computer. Since models supporting 2.5-inch drives are rare and cost above average.

Users of personal computers, laptops and netbooks are often faced with the need to connect additional external devices. One such device is external hard disk.

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 external hard disk, 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 IDE connection, nowadays drives with SATA connection.

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 HDD connections, 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, buildings having USB interface 3.0, provide better performance when connected to USB port 3.0.

Reference! All on sale today personal computers equipped USB ports 3.0, 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.

However, 3.5-inch hard drives require more power, so a power adapter is usually supplied with their cases alternating current, which means they will not work where there is no power outlet.

Step 4. Installing hard drive into an external enclosure is very simple. Usually the most that is required in this case is a screwdriver. Most often it is necessary to remove top cover 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 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, it is also possible open option connecting the HDD through a special adapter that fits onto its connector.

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, already 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, click on it right click mouse, and select “Update drivers” from the menu with the left button.

Step 3. In the window that opens, click on “ Automatic search updated drivers."

After finding the system the required driver The exclamation mark from the device in the Manager 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 drive optical disks laptop by opening it with the press of a 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. Open the CD drive double click mice.

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 required software in accordance with the proposed course of action. 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. Will start Windows utility"Disk Management". 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. Click on Unallocated HDD space right-click 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 volume label (any HDD name in the system), check the “ Quick formatting" 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 How to install in our new article.

Video - Three ways to make an external hard drive from an HDD (hard drive)

If your laptop cannot be restored, and its hard drive is intact, then you can transfer information from it to a regular desktop PC. To do this, you need to know how to connect a laptop hard drive to . First of all, you need to determine its type, and then decide whether it will be used on your stationary system permanently or act as a temporary option. Based on this there is different ways connections, let's talk about them in order.

What storage media (hard drives) are used in laptops?

SSD M2

Modern laptops assembled with two types of storage devices for information - HDD and SSD. The former are similar to standard PC hard drives, only smaller, while the latter look like small fee. The most common types of drives found in laptops are:

IDE (PATA) - used on laptops built more than 10 years ago. Its main difference is its bulkiness and a long connector for the data exchange cable. Power is connected via a 4-pin pad. Nowadays it is already very difficult to find a motherboard that supports IDE interface, so to connect such a drive you need to use an adapter for SATA.
SATA is the most popular interface. A pad with 7 pins is used for power connection, and for data transfer it is slightly longer with 15 tracks. Modern motherboards in most cases support this interface, so you can use this HDD as a second one, connect it to permanent basis won't be difficult.
mSATA – miniature SSD used on modern laptops. Its connector is similar to mini PCI-e, but they are not power compatible. In most cases, such a hard drive can only be connected to a stationary device using an adapter for the motherboard, since desktops began to be equipped with such memory devices relatively recently. They became in Lately increasingly common, so it's worth learning how you can use such storage.
M 2 is another miniature version of SSD used in ultrabooks. There are three types of connecting such drives. They are distinguished by the notch on the contact pad:
- B – the cutout is located on the left edge, the small platform has 6 contacts;
- M – the cutout is located on the right, the small platform has 5 contacts;
- B&M – universal option with two notches.

The latter type of SSD can be used for any connector on the motherboard of an ultrabook, but it can be connected to a desktop PC via an adapter. Slots for the M2 interface are not found on motherboards for desktop systems.

The disk connection type is selected based on its interface. It also affects the type of use of the media - permanent or temporary. It is recommended to choose SATA or PATA for permanent storage. The remaining options are only suitable for temporary file transfer.

How to place a laptop hard drive inside a desktop case?

If you will connect an HDD as a second one, then you need to find the right place for it inside the case. Remove the side cover and look inside. Find one of the suitable options for HDD placement:

Install it in a 2.5" basket. It is located in the front compartment of the case, in its middle part.
Use an adapter for 2.5" drives to fit them into a standard 3.5" drive cage. Inside the case, the adapter is secured with screws that prevent damage to the disk from vibration. Now there are adapters for more modern compact 1.8” media.
If your PC does not have drive cages (removed or not provided for by design), then you can place the media on the bottom system unit. But first place a rubber mat under the HDD, for example part of an old one. computer mouse. This method is not suitable for permanent use, so after a while you will need to assemble a standard basket.

Let's figure out how to connect a second laptop hard drive to a computer, if it has compact size, that is, it is a small die. SSD to motherboard connected via adapters, which most often have a USB interface. This type of connection allows you to use additional storage only when needed, turning it into a mobile storage device. On the one hand, such use is an absolute advantage of hard drives, but on the other hand, it is a big drawback; if you decide to save a program on it and then forget to connect the media, you will not be able to run it, an error will occur.

Before connecting any storage media to the motherboard, you must turn off the power to the PC. If you use e-SATA or USB mobile ports that do not require disassembling the case, then you do not need to turn off the power to the PC.

Connecting HDD with the same interface as PC

SATA connector

Before connecting your hard drive to your computer, decide how you will use it - permanently or temporarily. SATA and IDE are permanently connected inside the case. This is the most difficult option installing additional storage, you need to know the motherboard structure and understand where to connect the wires.

Prepare two cables for the hard drive - wide and thin. Data transfer occurs through thin. If you have outdated version motherboard, then use a Molex-SATA adapter. Plug one end of the thin cable into the corresponding connector on the HDD, and place the other on the motherboard. Finding the right socket for it is not difficult: usually there are 3-4 rectangular contact pads in a row, next to which there is the inscription SATA and speed indicators 3 Gb / s, 6 Gb / s. Choose any of them; the data transfer speed does not affect compatibility.
The older hard drive is connected via a power cable and a 40-pin IDE cable. It also requires Molex adapters and adapters. Interesting feature This disk is that it can be made slave in advance, that is, the PC will not boot from it, but will simply display information. This is done using jumpers on one of the contact pads. It is necessary to install jumpers on certain contacts to instruct the PC to read the information correctly. You can also set jumpers so that the master and slave drives are determined by the cable. In this case, the disk that will be connected to the middle pin plug will not participate in booting the desktop computer.

Top IDE, bottom SATA

Other hard drive options can be connected to a PC only through adapters. If you have a modern motherboard, then it may have additional connectors for SSD and M2. In this case, the connection is simple, just place the storage plate in the slot suitable for it.

To install a hard drive permanently, you can use a SATA to IDE adapter. It allows you to establish a storage connection over old model to the motherboard, and also establish a reverse connection. You will be able to read information from this medium and also use it constantly.

Which hard drives can be connected via adapters to the motherboard?

There is another class of adapters - USB adapters. They turn an SSD or HDD into a regular flash drive. The first such adapters appeared for SATA drives, they are also called external hard disks. They were boxes with a hard drive mounted inside. It connects to the PC using a cable. Now part external hard disks works according to the same scheme. If you have such a device, you can disassemble the case and replace the HDD used there with the version from your laptop. This is enough to read information or download the files you need for remote storage. This method is also used to check the performance of laptop disks.

You can also find adapters in computer stores:

mSATA – USB;
mSATA - USB
You can also find adapters that allow you to connect modern SSDs to SATA. Every day, computer parts manufacturers are becoming more inventive, they are helping to find a solution for those who have older computer configurations. This is very important for many users, because office and home systems are often very outdated, and HDDs with old interfaces are gradually disappearing from sale.
Now you know how to connect a hard drive from a laptop to a computer. Any questions you can ask in the comments and also share there useful information and their stories. Invite friends to discuss.

Currently undergoing global development information technologies, the volumes of information available to each user are increasing, and over time there is a need to transfer their data from one computer to another. The reasons for this may be different:

saving information on a new hard drive due to natural wear and tear of the old one;
transferring information from disk with smaller volume to a larger disk;
solving PC problems due to the impossibility of resolving them on a working hard drive.

HDD interface

Before you get started connecting hard disk, you need to determine what kind of HDD you have (Hard disc drive, aka “hard drive”, aka “hard”). Currently, SATA HDDs are used almost everywhere, but IDE HDDs are also found (usually for laptops). It is very easy to distinguish between hard drive interfaces - the IDE connector is a set of metal contacts (40 in total), while SATA has only 7 of them.

Connection method

IDE-SATA

If one hard drive is with IDE, and the second is with SATA, then you will need an IDE⇔ SATA adapter, which can be bought at every computer store for 200-300 rubles. So, let's start connecting:

First of all, turn off the power to the PC and remove the side cover of the system unit. It is recommended to secure the HDD from the laptop so that it does not hang in the air.
We monitor which connector (controller) of the motherboard the hard drive of the desktop computer is connected to. For IDE HDD, as a rule, the connection is to Master, for SATA HDD - to SATA.
Find where the connection to the PSU (power supply) goes.
We connect the hard drive (narrow side of the adapter) of the laptop with motherboard(wide side of the adapter) of the stationary PC through the adapter and connect the second connector of the cable to the output of the power supply in the same way as the connected hard drive of your PC. For IDE it is recommended to use SLAVE.
Once the connection is secure, you can turn on the computer's power.
When booting the PC, you will need to go into the BIOS (press the F2 button) - specify boot HDD(the one installed in desktop computer) so that the OS boots as usual.
Save (F10) and exit (Esc,Y, Enter). The OS loading will continue automatically.
After downloading, you may need to restart your computer to configure the system.

SATA-SATA

If on both computers hard disk with SATA interface, then everything is simple: we connect the hard drive from the laptop to the PC motherboard via the existing connector in the same way as described above.

With external housing

In addition to the IDE⇔SATA adapter, you can connect a hard drive to a computer using an external enclosure. The HDD from the laptop is placed in a “container” and connected to the PC via a USB interface. This method simpler and more convenient, but a little more expensive and has a lower speed of information exchange.

After finishing working with the external hard drive Remember to safely remove it from your computer to avoid damaging it.

Depending on the current situation, you can use any of the listed methods, having minimal knowledge of the structure of any computer.