It's time to say good-bye to your old hard drive. For some reason or another it has stopped working or you've diagnosed it with a problem for which there is no fix. 1. Before you replace hard drive units you may be able to salvage some information. If you are lucky enough to have warning signs that your hard drive is going to fail make sure that you back up all the files you want to keep. Head over to the Maintenance Section and read up on Backing up your files. 2. Make sure the computer is turned off, remove the cables from the back of the system and remove the cover from the case. Click Image to Enlarge * Make sure that you follow the guidelines for working within an open computer case and use a grounding strap or at least touch the metal chassis before coming into contact with internal components. When you replace hard drive units you may come into contact with other components and cables. 3. The Hard Drive is located near the front of the computer chassis. It has two connectors on the rear, one small connector for the power and a ribbon connector for data transfer. Be sure not to confuse it with a CD/DVD ROM or a floppy drive. There will be no door or slot on the front of the computer. Remove the screws (usually four) that hold the drive in place inside the chassis. Disconnect the ribbon cable from the rear of the hard drive. 4. Carefully take the replacement hard drive out of its anti-static packaging. Avoid contact with the motherboard. 5. Reconnect the existing cables to the back and replace hard drive making sure the orientation is correct. Push the connectors in gently but firmly. It is important here to exercise some caution here, you don't want to bend any pins over. 6. Installing the hard drive in the same position that the original one was removed from. When in position, screw it back into place. 7. Replace the computer cover and turn the system on. 8. Now that you had to replace hard drive units. The computer will prompt you to install the operating system. At this point use your Windows disk or the recovery disk that was provided by the computer's manufacturer. 9. Install your programs and if you were lucky enough to back up your personal files and folders copy these back to your new hard disk drive. You should now have a working hard drive and won't experience any of the annoying crashes, freezes or other symptoms of a failing hard drive. Remember to always back up as often as necessary to prevent loss before having to replace hard drive units. Replace Hard Drive by PC Apprentice 2009 “In the future, computers may weigh no more than 1.5 tonnes.” – Popular mechanics, 1949