How to Use an Old Hard Drive in a New Computer
- 1). Power down your old computer and remove all of the cables connected to it.
- 2). Remove the screws on the back side of the computer holding the case in place with a Phillips screwdriver. Slide off the case to reveal the interior of the computer.
- 3). Remove the wide ribbon wire running from your hard drive to the motherboard. Take the cable off of the motherboard also. You need it for installing the hard drive into your new computer.
- 4). Disconnect the smaller power cable from the hard drive and the motherboard.
- 5). Power down the new computer and remove the cables from the system. Remove the screws on the rear of the computer tower so you can open the case.
- 6). Slide the old hard drive into the available slot underneath your current computer's hard drive. Plug the ribbon cable back into the hard drive, then look to see where your current computer's ribbon cable connects to the motherboard. There is a second slot open for a second ribbon cable. Insert the other end of the ribbon cable into this slot.
- 7). Connect the power cable to the hard drive and plug it into the motherboard, next to the new computer's hard drive power cable.
- 8). Look at the back of the new hard drive. There is a small switch on the back, aligned to a number. Now look down at the old hard drive. Move the switch on the old hard drive to the opposite number of the new one. This makes the old hard drive a "Slave" drive. This means the operating system does not load from the hard drive, but you can use it to save content to.
- 9). Close up the computer, reconnect the cables, and power on the system.
