Just want to plug and play? Look for a model without an external power supply. Frequently backing up your data? Some models come with automatic backup software. Pay attention to USB speeds! Newer versions of USB will transfer data faster, but your computer must have a corresponding port. Luckily both port and cables are backwards compatible!
Plug in the network drive to an outlet if it requires external power. Connect the drive to the network. This can be done via the router or modem - usually with an ethernet or USB cable.
Navigate to This PC > Map Network Drive. Select a drive letter and press Browse. Select the network drive from the list and press OK.
Both hard drives and optical drives can utilize either an IDE or SATA interface cable(two alternates to USB). Most hard drives will come bundled with the cables they need, but you may need to purchase them separately as well.
The expansion bay is the space that holds the drive. Both mounting brackets and bay adapters will allow you to fit your smaller hard drive into the larger space.
The power cable typically has a white tip attached with black, yellow, and red wires. The data cable has a wide tip attached to a ribbon cable.
Power on the computer, and press the necessary key during the startup screen. Look for a tab named “Hardware”, “Setup” or something similar. Navigate using the keyboard. You should see your newly installed hard drive listed. If not, power off the computer and double check the cable connections. Look for an option labeled “Auto-detect” and make sure it is enabled. Save and Exit. This usually has a specific key bound to it in BIOS. Your computer should restart automatically.
Press Windows Key + R to bring up the run menu. Type diskmgmt. msc and press OK. This launches the disk management tool. Right-click the new hard drive in the list and select ‘Format…’ Select your desired filesystem and press OK. Formatting a disk can take some time depending on the storage size of the disk. Once formatting is complete you can use your new hard drive to store data!
