Installing a new  hard drive in your desktop computer is afairly straightforward task that an intermediate user can typicallyaccomplish in about 20 to 30 minutes. Follow these simple directionsto get your new hard drive up and running quickly.First, be sure to obtain a new drive that uses the same connectorinterface as your existing drive. In most current models, this willbe a SATA connector. With your new drive in hand, disconnect yourPC’s power supply, and open up the case.If the new drive is going to be your system’s only hard drive, re -move the old one by detaching the power and data cables from it,unscrewing the screws (usually two or four) that mount it to thecase, and then sliding the drive out of its cage. Once the old drive isout of the way, screw the new one into the drive cage and attach the power and data cables just as they were on the old drive.

If the new drive is an addition to the existing one, leave the old drive in place and screw the new drive into an empty spot in the cage. Then use the SATA cable that came with your new drive to connect the drive to the motherboard’s SATA port, according to the motherboard maker’s instructions. Finally, attach an appropriate hard-drive power connector from your power supply to the drive. Once you have connected your new hard drive to your motherboard and power supply, boot up the PC to confi rm that the system BIOS recognizes the new drive. If it doesn’t, recheck your connections and consult your drive and motherboard manuals. As soon as the system BIOS recognizes everything, close up the case and follow the advice in the story above to confi gure your drive.