Upgrading and Replacing Hard drive for your laptop

It is a simple matter to upgrade or replace a faulty hard disk drive in most laptops, provided a few simple preparations are taken, and the correct type and size of laptop hard disk drive is used. Once a new one has been installed then the old data, Windows and software drivers will no longer be accessible so preparations for the upgrade should be made before starting the process.

Before purchasing a new hard drive, you should locate and remove the old one from the laptop. This in itself might be difficult; most makes of laptop have an inspection door to access the drive, although some manufacturers locate it within the body of the laptop. The only way to change the drive in this instance is to completely remove the back cover from the laptop; this may be a daunting task for a novice. Assuming you have removed the drive you should make a note of its size and type. Most laptops have 2.5" hard drives; however, some have 3.5" and 1.75" units. Older laptops have IDE type hard drives; modern laptops have SATA hard drives. Its make is not important but the size and type is very important.
Provided the old hard drive is still functions, then you should start by backing up any important data to either a DVD or DC disk. Backing up the software drivers for Windows may also be important especially if you have lost or did not get a drivers disk with your laptop.


Drivers are not always easy to find but are usually located in a folder on the laptop. This is dependant on the manufacturer and version of Windows, but can usually be found after a bit of hunting around the desktop or setup folders within the laptop. If found backup all the drivers to a DVD or CD disk. Usually, it will be necessary to completely install Windows, from an original software disk, to the new drive. You will need the CD key number usually found on the base of the laptop; if it is missing or torn then you may need to purchase a new copy of Windows to complete the installation. For an advanced laptop user, it should be possible to completely mirror the whole of the hard drive to the new hard drive; however, this requires special software and usually with access to an extra pc to link the old and new drives together.

Once you have installed your new hard drive and turned on your laptop you should see a message indicating that Windows is missing, unless you were able to completely mirror the old one where it should power up and run exactly as before the upgrade. Assuming Windows has not been installed then you should insert your Windows DVD into the laptop's optical drive and power up from this drive; you may have to press a function key to achieve this. You should now reinstall Windows, drivers and your old data etc. You will probably have to activate Windows and install your favorite virus checker. Now your laptop will be ready for use.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Graham_Joh_Kelly