After choosing & purchasing your new laptop hard drive and transferring the old data onto the new hard drive; the only thing left to do is remove the old drive and install the new hard drive in it's place. The actual swap of the laptop hard drives is probably the easiest task of all. Since you've gotten hard drive removal instructions from the manufacturer or the manual supplied with the laptop (you do have instructions, right?) all that's really necessary is to follow them carefully. Nonetheless, what follows is a generic, step-by-step, set of instructions for performing a laptop hard drive R&R:
- By means of your preferred method; transfer data from your old laptop drive to the new drive.
- Be certain, absolutely certain, that all power is disconnected and remove the battery from the laptop before you begin the installation!
- If applicable; disconnect modem and/or network cables.
- Disconnect peripheral devices and remove any PC cards.
- WARNING! A hard drive may be easily damaged by ESD (Electrostatic Discharge). Avoid, as much as possible, touching the interface connector pins and the surface of PCB. Use an ESD proof wrist strap and grounding cord, if at all possible, when handling the hard drive and perform the process on a surface not likely to create an ESD.
- Remove the outer screws holding the laptop hard drive in place. Their number and location vary from one laptop to another so...either consult the manual or make a really good guess.
- Lift and slide the hard drive assembly out of the drive bay. The hard drive slides into the interface so chances are better than even that the assembly slides nearly straight out or that there's an indentation next to the bay indicating the side to be lifted. After lifting slightly you can pull the drive assembly out.
- Remove the screws securing the old hard drive to the caddy and take the old drive out.
- Insert the new hard drive into the caddy and secure it with the screws.
- Carefully slide the new hard drive assembly back into the laptop hard drive bay and replace the screws securing it.
- Replace the battery.
- Reattach any modem, network or AC cables that you previously disconnected.
Once the swap is complete you can boot the system and enjoy! Windows may detect the upgraded hard drive as a new device, install it and then ask you to reboot. No sweat.
