Making External Hard Drive

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In summary, the person is looking to repurpose three old laptops by removing their hard drives and turning them into external hard drives for their new laptop. They are unsure of how to do this and are advised to search for drive enclosures that accept 2.5" drives and support USB 2.0 or Firewire. They can also visit a physical computer shop for assistance.
  • #1
dr.pirate
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I have three laptops which no longer work. I want to take the hard drives out of them and make external hard drives for my new laptop. What do I need to do? I have no idea where to even start.
 
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  • #2
search your favourite online computer shop for drive enclosures. You will probably need ones that accept 2.5" drives (drive form factor commonly found in laptops) and support either USB 2.0, IEEE-1394 (aka Firewire) or both. Or head to your favourite brick and mortar computer shop and show them what you need. They should be able to hook you up fairly easily.
 
  • #3


To make external hard drives out of your old laptops' hard drives, you will need a few things:

1. External hard drive enclosure: This is a case that will hold your hard drive and connect it to your new laptop via USB. You can purchase one online or at a computer store.

2. Screwdriver: You will need a small screwdriver to open up your old laptops and remove the hard drives.

3. SATA to USB adapter: This is a small device that will allow you to connect the hard drive to your new laptop via USB. You can also purchase this online or at a computer store.

Once you have all the necessary tools, you can follow these steps to make your external hard drives:

1. Open up your old laptops using the screwdriver and locate the hard drives. They are usually located in a small compartment on the bottom of the laptop.

2. Carefully remove the hard drives from the laptops.

3. Place the hard drives into the external hard drive enclosure and secure them with the screws provided.

4. Connect the SATA to USB adapter to the hard drive enclosure.

5. Connect the USB end of the adapter to your new laptop.

6. Your new laptop should recognize the external hard drive and you can now access the files on it.

Repeat these steps for each of your old laptops' hard drives. You can now use these external hard drives to store files and transfer them between your laptops. Just remember to safely eject the external hard drives before disconnecting them from your laptop.
 

1. How do I connect an external hard drive to my computer?

To connect an external hard drive to your computer, you will need a USB cable. Plug one end of the cable into the external hard drive and the other end into an available USB port on your computer. Your computer should detect the external hard drive and it will appear as a new drive in your file explorer or desktop.

2. Can I use an external hard drive on multiple computers?

Yes, you can use an external hard drive on multiple computers as long as they have compatible operating systems. However, it is important to safely eject the external hard drive from one computer before connecting it to another to avoid data corruption.

3. How do I transfer files to an external hard drive?

To transfer files to an external hard drive, simply drag and drop the files from your computer's file explorer or desktop to the external hard drive's file folder. You can also use the "Copy" and "Paste" functions to transfer files.

4. How much storage space do I need for an external hard drive?

The amount of storage space you need for an external hard drive depends on your personal storage needs. It is recommended to get at least double the amount of storage space compared to your computer's internal hard drive. For example, if your computer has a 500 GB internal hard drive, consider getting at least a 1 TB external hard drive.

5. How do I safely remove an external hard drive from my computer?

To safely remove an external hard drive from your computer, go to the taskbar and click on the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" icon. Select your external hard drive from the list and click "Eject." Once the computer notifies you that it is safe to remove the device, you can safely unplug the USB cable from your computer.

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