Two identical hard drives. How to connect a second hard drive. Installing a hard drive in a laptop

Hello.

Almost all new laptops (and computers, too) come with one partition (local disk) on which Windows is installed. In my opinion, this is not the best option, because. it is more convenient to split the disk into 2 local disks (into two partitions): install Windows on one, and store documents and files on the other. In this case, in case of problems with the OS, it can be easily reinstalled without fear of losing data on another partition of the disk.

If earlier this would have required formatting the disk and partitioning it again, now the operation is quite simple and easy in Windows itself (note: I will show you using Windows 7 as an example). At the same time, the files and data on the disk will remain safe and sound (at least if you do everything right, if you are not sure of your abilities, make a backup copy of the data).

1) Open the disk management window

The first action is to open a window disk management. This can be done in different ways: for example, through windows control panel, or you can through the line "Run".

To do this, press the button combination Win and R- a small window with one line should appear, where you need to enter commands (see screenshots below).

Win-R buttons

Enter the diskmgmt.msc command and press Enter (as in the screenshot below).

2) Volume compression: i.e. from one section - we make two!

The next step is to decide from which disk (more precisely, a partition on a disk) you want to take free space for a new partition.

Free space - not in vain underlined! The fact is that you can create an additional partition only from free space: let's say you have a 120 GB disk, 50 GB is free on it, which means you can create a second local disk of 50 GB. It is logical that on the first partition you will have 0 GB of free space.

To find out how much free space you have, go to "My Computer" / "This Computer". Another example below: 38.9 GB is free on the disk, which means the maximum partition we can create is 38.9 GB.

Local drive "C:"

In the Disk Management window, select the disk partition that you want to use to create another partition. I chose the system drive "C:" with Windows (Note: if you "split" space from the system drive, be sure to leave 10-20 GB of free space on it for the system to work and for further installation of programs).

On the selected partition: right-click and select the "" option in the pop-up context menu (screen below).

Request space for compression.

In the next window you will see:

1. The space available for compression (it is usually equal to the free space on the hard disk);
2. The size of the compressible space is the size of the future second (third ...) partition on the HDD.

After entering the partition size (by the way, the size is entered in MB) - click the "Compress".

If everything was done correctly, then in a few seconds you will see that another partition has appeared on your disk (which, by the way, will not be distributed, it looks like in the screenshot below).

In fact, this is the section, but you will not see it in " My computer"And the explorer, because. it is not formatted. By the way, such an unallocated area on the disk can only be seen in specialized programs and utilities. ("Disk Management" is one of them, built into Windows 7) .

3) Formatting the resulting partition

To format this section - select it in the disk management window (see screenshot below), right-click on it and select the "" option.

In the next step, you can simply click “Next” right away (because you already decided on the size of the partition at the stage of creating an additional partition, a couple of steps above).

The next window will ask you to assign a drive letter. Typically, the second drive is the local drive "D:". If the letter "D:" is occupied, you can choose any free one at this stage, and later change the letters of drives and drives in a way that is more convenient for you.

The next step is to select a file system and set the volume label. In most cases, I recommend choosing:

• file system- NTFS. Firstly, it supports files larger than 4 GB, and secondly, it is not subject to fragmentation, as, say, FAT 32 (more on this here:);
• cluster size : default;
• Volume label: enter the name of the disk that you want to see in Explorer, which will allow you to quickly sort out what you have on this disk (especially if you have 3-5 or more disks in the system);
• Quick Format: It is recommended to check the box.

Finishing touch: confirmation of the changes that will be made to the disk partition. Just press the "Done" button.

Actually, now you can use the second partition of the disk in normal mode. The screenshot below shows the local drive (F:) that we created a few steps earlier.

The second drive is the local drive (F:)

PS

By the way, if "Disk Management" does not solve your aspirations for disk shattering, I recommend using these programs: HDD). That's all for me. Good luck to everyone and a quick breakdown of disks!

The question of how to merge two disks into one is one of the most frequently asked questions among computer users. This can be useful in many situations, including even issues related to installing a single file system for all partitions, converting GPT or RAW formats that may not be accepted by the operating system, installing software that requires a lot of disk space, etc. the user can be offered two main methods of combining, which will be discussed further in as much detail as possible. The proposed solutions work equally well when performing such actions with logical partitions, and when working with RAID arrays, when two or more independent hard drives are installed on the computer.

Benefits of merging hard drives or partitions

It goes without saying that the first and main factor influencing the adoption of a positive decision in favor of merging partitions is the increase in available disk space on one disk, which is extremely necessary when installing some programs.

On the other hand, as already mentioned, if different types of file systems are installed on disks or partitions, you can often observe problems with installing certain types of software. Bringing them, so to speak, to a common denominator, eliminates the problem entirely. Finally, if the system has unreadable RAW partitions or the GPT format for hard drives larger than 2 TB, which may not be recognized by the operating system, such a tool is simply indispensable.

Combination options

Now a few words about how to merge two drives into one in Windows 7 and above. First you need to decide how exactly the partitions will be merged. First of all, we can distinguish methods of combining with the loss of information or with its preservation. Secondly, the use of standard system tools or third-party software.

It should be said right away that the solution to the question of how to merge two disks into one, using the built-in Windows toolkit for preserving data that was originally in one of the partitions, does not imply (this is not provided at all). Therefore, before doing such things, all information from the partition being deleted (and it will actually be deleted, and only then attached to the main disk or partition) must first be transferred to another partition or to removable media. As it is already clear, there is no need to talk about the performance of installed programs. When solving the problem of how to merge two disks into one, but so that both the information is preserved and the applications work, it is necessary to use additional third-party tools. They will be discussed separately.

How to merge two disks into one in Windows 7 and above using standard tools?

First, let's look at the system's own tools. This is the disk management section. You can access it through the administration menu, but it's easier to use the Run console, in which you need to write the diskmgmt.msc line.

Here, a partition is selected, due to which it is necessary to merge, and the item for deleting a volume is called through the RMB menu. The system will immediately issue a warning that all information on the selected disk will be deleted. We agree.

We repeat a similar operation, but for the section. After that, the so-called unallocated area will appear.

Now you need to use RMB on the partition to which it will be attached, and select the volume extension line.

At the disk selection stage, most likely, free attached space will be immediately added to the list. If this does not happen, you should use the add button yourself. After that, the continue button is pressed, and in the next window - the end. If you look at the state of the disks and partitions after the operation is completed, you will see an increase in the space of one of the partitions at the expense of the other.

How to merge two disks into one using third-party programs

To manage disks and partitions, when you need to merge with data preservation, you can also use third-party utilities that seem to be much more powerful than the system's own tools. This includes software packages like Partition Assistant from AOMEI, Disk Director from Acronis, Partition Master from EaseUS, and many others.

Consider the merge process based on the last mentioned utility. For example, we need to merge drive E and drive F, but so that after that only one partition E remains. In the main window of the Partition Manager section, use the Merge button, check the boxes for the specified disks (partitions) and click the OK button. After the merge is checked, the process will be in pending status. Click the Apply button and confirm the action. After that, the merging process will begin.

When it finishes, only one partition (E) will be visible in Disk Management. Explorer will show two hard drives in the same hard drive or partition. Only drive F in partition E will be shown as a local directory (Local Disk F) with all the information that was previously present on it.

Brief conclusions

As a result, it can be noted that if the user needs a quick merge, and there is no critical information on the attached disk or partition, you can use the system tools. If data storage is mandatory, third-party programs will be needed. And further. Please note that if there is a second operating system on the combined disks in the attached partition, it will not be possible to start it.

Question from user

Hello.

Tell me, how can I connect another disk to the laptop (or is it impossible)? It's just that my 500 GB disk is no longer enough, now I'm thinking about increasing the space ...

Svetlana.

Good day!

Yes, these questions are not uncommon. In general, recently laptops have gained great popularity and are slowly replacing ordinary PCs. Laptops have a lot of advantages, but upgrading is a tricky business. Add another disk or change the memory - in some cases it is not possible at all...

It is a pity that the author of the question did not paint more specifically the essence of the problem. In this article, I will consider several ways to connect another drive to a laptop (in some cases, you may have 3 of them at once!). Many connect another disk not only for the sake of increasing space, but for the sake of increasing the speed of the system (they install an SSD drive and transfer Windows from the HDD to it).

Ways to connect 2 drives to a laptop

Option number 1: install the disk in the second slot in the laptop

Some laptops have two slots for hard drives (however, I want to say right away that the configuration of such laptops is quite rare). Basically, these laptops are classified as gaming and are quite expensive.

To find out how many slots you have - just look at those. laptop characteristics (if you do not have documents for the device, you can look on the Internet), or simply remove the protective cover from the back of the laptop and take a look for yourself (Important! Do not open the lid if the laptop is under warranty - this may be the reason for the refusal of warranty service).

Because the chance that you have two slots is small, I don’t focus on this option. An example of such a device, by the way, is in the photo below.

Toshiba Satellite X205-SLi3 - inside view (2 hard drives installed)

If you want to buy a disk for a laptop, but don’t know where to stop, then I recommend that you read this article:

Option number 2: install the SSD in special. connector (M.2)

If you have a new modern laptop, it is possible that you have an M.2 connector (a connector for connecting an SSD, present in many new (usually the more expensive ones ☺)). Created as a replacement for mSATA. Allows you to get maximum performance from installing an SSD drive.

In order to find out if you have such a connector, you can:

1. knowing the laptop model (about), look at its tech. characteristics (the Internet is full of sites with all models of mobile devices ☺);
2. you can simply open the back cover of the laptop and look for the right connector with your own eyes.

Important!

By the way, this M.2 connector is quite "treacherous" (even many experienced users get confused) ... The fact is that it has a lot of varieties. Therefore, even if you have a similar connector, before ordering a new drive, check out this article:

Option number 3: connect an external HDD / SSD drive to a USB port

An external hard drive can significantly expand the space. It is a small box, the size of a regular phone. Connects to a regular USB port. Such a disk, on average today, is capable of holding about 1000-4000 GB (i.e. 1-4 TB).

If you are considering models with additional power (the adapter is usually included with some drives), then the capacity can reach up to 8 TB! I think that over time it will be even higher.

Note! You can buy external hard drives cheaper than in a regular store on AliExpress - .

There is truth in this option, certain disadvantages: extra wires on the table, lower speed of interaction with the disk (if HDD - then on average up to 60 MB / s via USB 3.0), and inconvenience when carrying a laptop (it's one thing to take a laptop in one hand and go, and another thing to additionally fiddle with an external drive ...).

True, there are undeniable advantages: such a disk can be connected to any laptop or PC, you can transfer information from one PC to another on it (it won’t take up much space in your pocket), you can buy several of these disks and use them one by one.

Option number 4: install another disk instead of a CD / DVD drive

Well, the most popular option is to remove the CD / DVD drive from the laptop (available in the vast majority of models) and instead insert a special adapter (some call it a "pocket") with another disk (HDD or SSD). I'll elaborate on this one a little more...

What adapter is needed? Deciding...

First you need to correctly find and select this adapter. It is rarely found in our ordinary computer stores (you need to order it in some Chinese online store, for example, in AliExpress -).

Note: in English, such an adapter is called "caddy for laptop" (that's how you ask a query in the search line of stores).

Universal adapter for installing a second disk in a laptop instead of a CD drive (2nd HDD Caddy 12.7 mm 2.5 SATA 3.0)

There are 2 important points:

• adapters are available in different thicknesses! Actually, as well as discs and CD / DVD drives. The most common are 12.7 mm and 9.5 mm. Those. before buying an adapter - you need to measure the thickness of the CD / DVD drive(best with a compass rod, at worst - with a ruler)!
• discs and CD/DVD drive may come with different ports (SATA, IDE). Those. it is necessary, again, to look live at the installed CD / DVD drive. Most often, modern laptops have drives that support SATA (they are most popular in Chinese stores).

How to remove the CD / DVD drive from a laptop

In general, of course, a lot depends on the design of your laptop. The most common case: there is a special protective cover on the back of the laptop, removing which you can see the fixing screw that fixes the drive in the laptop slot. Accordingly, by unscrewing this screw, you can freely remove the drive.

Some laptop models do not have a protective cover - and in order to get to the insides, you need to completely disassemble the device.

Note: before removing the protective cover (and indeed, carrying out any manipulations with the laptop), unplug it from the mains and remove the battery.

Most often, the drive is fixed with one screw (see photo below). To remove it, in most cases, you need a Phillips screwdriver.

After the screw is removed, it is enough to slightly pull on the drive tray - it should “come out” of the tray with a little effort (see photo below).

Installing an SSD / HDD drive in an adapter, and an adapter in a laptop

Installing an SSD / HDD drive into the adapter is not difficult. It is enough to put it in special. "pocket", then insert into the internal port and fix with screws (the screws are included with the adapter).

The photo below shows an installed SSD drive in a similar adapter.

If the thickness of the adapter and the disk was chosen correctly (no more than the thickness of the CD / DVD drive), then it can also be easily pushed into the slot and fixed with a screw (if the adapter has a similar mount).

If the thickness of the disk/adapter is chosen correctly, but there are problems with insertion into the slot, pay attention to the compensating screws on the adapter: some models are equipped with them (located on the side walls of the adapter). Just take them off (or drown).

After the drive adapter is installed in the drive slot, place a neat socket on the adapter so that it looks like a real drive and does not spoil the look of the laptop. Such sockets, as a rule, always come with adapters in the kit (in addition, you can remove it from the removed CD drive).

Checking if the drive is visible in the BIOS

After installing the second disk, I recommend that after turning on the laptop, immediately go into the BIOS and see if the disk is detected, if it is visible. Most often, the determined disks can be found in the main menu: main , information etc. (see photo below).

Note!

1) If you don’t know how to enter BIOS, I recommend this material:

2) You may find the article on how to transfer Windows from a hard disk (HDD) to an SSD drive (without reinstalling the system) useful -

Results (which is important)

1. first, check if you have another hard drive slot in your laptop, or a new M.2 SSD slot;
2. now on sale there are many external drives connected to the USB port - perhaps this is the best way to expand the free space;
3. before buying an adapter to install a disc instead of a CD drive - find out how thick your CD / DVD drive is and what ports are used (the most popular thicknesses are 9.5 and 12.7 mm);
4. do not open the protective cover if your laptop is under warranty (this may be the reason for refusing warranty service);
5. it is possible that after installing a new disk, your Windows will refuse to boot. In this case, you need to check the BIOS settings (whether the new disk was detected and put it in the correct boot queue), and in some cases you may have to restore the bootloader. About it here:

That's all, for the corrections and additions - I thank you separately.

All the best!

When you run out of hard drive space, you can either remove or add more space. While an external USB hard drive is easy to plug in and as an option for extra storage, it's not really a good fit - they take up disk space, possibly an extra power connector, need to use a valuable USB port, and tend to be slower than internal drives. Today let's look at a more complex option for adding a second internal drive.
It's time to get familiar with the basics of your computer. Today we'll only be focusing on the hard drive, but the guide will give you a great overview of all the random connectors and ports you'll see on the motherboard after you open the computer case.

Step 1: Determine if you can add another internal drive or not

Unfortunately, not all computers are built equal. If you have a laptop, or an all-in-one machine where the internal systems are hidden in the monitor, then your only option is to go to a USB drive and you don't have to open it. If you have a system unit, then read on, as there is a chance that you will have enough space to install a second drive. If you have a full tower size, then you can easily add a second drive, or 2, or 3! But, if you are not sure, refer to the table below.

Step 2: Backup

While we don't anticipate any issues, it's good practice to back up important data before making any hardware changes. Here we have looked at some options for backup.
The best backup software for Windows.
The best backup programs for Windows.
Your data is fragile - and it only takes one small accident to lose all data. The more copies you make, the better. Here we present the best free backup software for Windows.

Step 3: Open the Case

Before continuing, turn off power to the system unit and all peripheral devices.

In most cases, the system unit may have covers on each side that need to be removed with just two screws. You need to remove the side cover that doesn't have the motherboard, so look at the back of the system, find the USB/mouse ports and remove the cover, so look at the back of the system, find the USB/mouse ports and remove the opposite side.

Step 4: Get Rid of Static Electricity

When touching the inside of a computer, technicians use a grounded wrist strap to reduce the risk of damage to any sensitive component from static electricity that remains in the human body. For our purposes, touching the heatsink will suffice.

Step 5: Find your hard drive and its slots

The internals of all computers are very similar. A hard drive is a fairly large piece of metal like this:

You have to find it, it is usually in some kind of metal box. Check now to see if you have a box to fit another hard drive in. The chassis tower usually has room for 3 or 4 drives, but a small desktop system may only have room for one drive, in which case you're out of luck and will either have to consider upgrading the case or using an external USB drive.

Step 6: Determine if you have a SATA or IDE drive

Take a look at the following image and compare it with your drive. If you have a disk type like the one at the top, a wide ribbon cable, then this is a very old type of connection called IDE. Ideally, your new drive will be SATA. If it turns out that you have an IDE disk, then you are completely out of luck, but this is already beyond the scope of this article. IDE drives are getting harder and harder to buy, which is a sign that your PC has really gotten old.

Check ALL connected devices. There are two possible types of power cables, and you will of course need to find a spare in your system that you can use. It might be hidden somewhere, so keep an eye on other power cables carefully and try to find a spare.

Some hard drives can accept any kind of cable, but the SATA type is easier to connect, so I use those if available. If you have a spare power cable, but it's not SATA, then you can still install a second drive, but you need to make sure it can accept the Molex type of power cable, or you can buy a Molex to SATA adapter.

Next, plug in the SATA data cable on the motherboard, and see where it's plugged in. Different motherboards have different SATA port numbers, and older machines may even only have one. Obviously, if you can only find one SATA port, then you can only connect one SATA disk drive. If you can see some spare connectors, then congratulations - you can now go out and buy a second drive!

Step 7: Buying a Disc

There is very little difference between hard drive manufacturers. On the technical side, you should look for "3.5" SATA hard drive", and make sure you pick up another "SATA cable" while you're in the store, the salesperson should be able to help you with that if you can't find the right one. you hard drive" and make sure you pick up another "SATA cable" while you're at the store and the salesperson should be able to help you with that if you can't find one.

Step 8: Installation

Putting the hard drive into the box is the hardest part, as it can sometimes get blocked by the graphics card or other cables. You'll need to identify the cables before you actually go any further, noting the side of the cable facing up (SATA data cable and power cables all have a notch on one end, which means it's nearly impossible to insert it incorrectly).

With the drive in place, use the screws that came with the drive to secure it - you'll need to align the holes on the drive with the holes in the box or tray. Next, find the spare power cables and SATA cable and connect them.

In my next article, I'll be covering software and configuration when adding a second drive - so stay tuned. As always, feel free to ask any questions in the comments and I will try to answer them quickly.

The time has come when one hard drive in a computer is no longer enough. More and more users decide to connect a second HDD to their PC, but not everyone knows how to do it right on their own in order to avoid mistakes. In fact, the procedure for adding a second disk is simple and does not require special skills. It is not even necessary to mount the hard drive - it can be connected as an external device if there is a free USB port.

The options for connecting a second hard drive are as simple as possible:

• Connecting the HDD to the computer system unit.
  Suitable for owners of conventional stationary PCs who do not want to have external connected devices.
• Connecting a hard drive as an external drive.
  The easiest way to connect an HDD, and the only one possible for a laptop owner.

Option 1. Installation in the system unit

Determining the type of HDD

Before connecting, you need to determine the type of interface with which the hard drive works - SATA or IDE. Almost all modern computers are equipped with a SATA interface, respectively, it is best if the hard drive is of the same type. The IDE bus is considered obsolete, and may simply not be on the motherboard. Therefore, with the connection of such a disk, some difficulties may arise.

The easiest way to recognize the standard is by contacts. This is what they look like on SATA drives:

And like this in the IDE:

Connecting a second SATA drive in the system unit

The process of connecting a disk is very easy and takes place in several stages:

SATA boot priority

The motherboard usually has 4 connectors for connecting SATA drives. They are designated as SATA0 - the first, SATA1 - the second, etc. The priority of the hard drive is directly related to the slot numbering. If you need to manually set the priority, you will need to go into the BIOS. Depending on the type of BIOS, the interface and management will be different.

In older versions, go to the section Advanced BIOS Features and work with parameters First boot device and Second boot device. In new BIOS versions, look for the section Boot or Boot Sequence and parameter 1st/2nd Boot Priority.

Connecting a second IDE drive

In rare cases, there is a need to install a disk with an outdated IDE interface. In this case, the connection process will be slightly different.

Connecting a second IDE drive to the first SATA drive

When you need to connect an IDE drive to an already working SATA HDD, use a special IDE-SATA adapter.

The connection diagram is as follows:

1. The jumper on the adapter is set to Master mode.
2. The IDE plug is connected to the hard drive itself.
3. The red SATA cable is connected on one side to the adapter, the other side to the motherboard.
4. The power cable is connected on one side to the adapter, and the other side to the power supply.

You may need to purchase a 4-pin (4 pin) power to SATA adapter.

OS disk initialization

In both cases, after connecting, the system may not see the connected drive. This does not mean that you did something wrong, on the contrary, it is normal when the new HDD is not visible in the system. To be able to use it, initialization of the hard disk is required. Read about how to do this in our other article.

Option 2: Connecting an external hard drive

Often, users choose to connect an external HDD. It is much easier and more convenient if some of the files stored on the disk are sometimes needed outside the home. And in the situation with laptops, this method will be especially relevant, since there is no separate slot for a second HDD.

An external hard drive is connected via USB in exactly the same way as another device with the same interface (flash drive, mouse, keyboard).

A hard drive designed for installation in a system unit can also be connected via USB. To do this, you need to use either an adapter / adapter, or a special external case for the hard drive. The essence of the operation of such devices is similar - the required voltage is supplied to the HDD through the adapter, and the connection to the PC is via USB. Hard drives of different form factors have their own cables, so when buying, you should always pay attention to the standard that sets the overall dimensions of your HDD.

If you decide to connect the drive using the second method, then literally follow 2 rules: do not neglect the safe removal of the device and do not disconnect the drive while working with the PC in order to avoid errors.

We talked about ways to connect a second hard drive to a computer or laptop. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this procedure and it is absolutely optional to use the services of computer masters.