Upgrading a Laptop Hard Disk - Page 1

For many computer users, even fairly 'tech savvy' ones, upgrading a hard disk is seen as a daunting task, as it generally involves the re-installation of their operating system, hardware drivers, software, and setting up any preferences they've configured in the past. Upgrading a laptop hard disk adds an apparent extra layer of complexity that means that most people don't ever bother (unless their hard disk becomes damaged for some reason, in which case they're forced to replace it).

So what if I told you that swapping the hard disk in your laptop wasn't actually very hard? How about if I said that you could upgrade your current hard disk to a larger and better performing model in about half an hour, and without re-installing anything - getting your laptop back the way it was, with the only difference being that your operating system is sitting on a bigger, faster disk?

If you're running out of disk space owing to that ever growing photo collection, or simply need something a little faster than the disk that originally came with your laptop, then read on, as today we're going to upgrade a laptop hard disk together.

Before going to an online store and picking the biggest laptop hard disk they sell, you need to first find out what you've got. Similar to their desktop counterparts, there are currently two main types of laptop hard disk; those that use the older 44-pin Parallel ATA data connection (IDE), and those that use the newer Serial ATA (SATA) connection.

The IDE connector used with a laptop hard disk also provides power to the disk (no additional power cable is needed). Also, this IDE connector isn't directly compatible with the much larger desktop IDE connector, so to plug the disk into your desktop, you'd need an adapter.

The SATA connector on a laptop hard disk is identical to the desktop version of the interface, so plugging it directly into a desktop machine is simple if you have a free SATA port on your motherboard / SATA add-in card. As with the desktop SATA interface, an additional power connector is required, as well as the SATA data cable.

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Article Navigation:

• Introduction
• Preparation
• Getting The Right Disk For The Job
• Shopping!
• Clone Wars
• A Disky Exchange
• Activation
• Waste Not, Want Not
• Until Next Time