In most cases, yes you can save the hard drive from your old computer and doing so has many benefits. A hard drive is the storage device where the data you save on your computer is saved to. They are similar to floppy disks except they live inside the computer tower and store much more data. However, just like floppy discs they can be removed from one computer and used in another. There are several reasons why you might want to save your hard drive from your old computer: Security-selling or throwing out your old hard drive can represent a security risk. Unless you have used a good erasing program your old files can often be recovered even after you have deleted them and reformatted your drive.Most computer towers have room to store several hard drives, so even if your new computer has a new hard drive you can install your old hard drive to give you more space to save to. It can also be a great handy back up drive or used as a place to store all your files whilst reformatting your computer. It makes transferring all the data from your old computer to your new computer simple and easy. Once your hard drive is correctly hooked up and recognized in your new computer you can move all your old files to a new drive by simply copying and pasting like moving from one folder to another. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SAVING THE HARD DRIVE FROM YOUR OLD COMPUTER: Warning this process does require a reasonable amount of computer literacy as it involves opening up your computer tower and knowing your way around inside. If you don’t have this knowledge it may be a wise idea to pay a computer technician to perform the task for you. -Remove the cover of computer tower (normally they just have thumb screws you can unscrew). -When you have located the hard drive you will most probably find that it will be held in place by 4 screws. You will need to unscrew these using a small screwdriver. However, some manufacturers use release tabs which you press and then can just lift the hard drive out. Some manufacturers use both screws and release tabs. -You will need to unhook two cables-one is for the power and one is for the data. -You can now lift out your hard drive and replace the cover on your computer tower. To insert the hard drive into a new computer follow the steps in reverse: -Open the cover of your new computer. -Place the drive in the appropriate assembly point. Instructions on connecting the drive in the new computer vary from computer to computer andby Whaley the type of drive you are using.(There are many diagrams showing this for different computer models) -Secure the drive with the screws/tabs. Notebook/Laptop computers are a different story. Removing the hard drive from these portable devices is a far more complicated and rarely carried out process. If you are getting a new Laptop and want to transfer all the data from your old hard drive to your new laptop this can be performed in several ways. Hook the two computers together over a network-this is done by connecting the computers via a network cable. It would be a very slow process wirelessly.Use an external drive-there are external hard drives which plug straight into the USB point on your computer. After installing the device you simply connect the external hard drive by plugging the USB cable into your old computer. Then you will be able to copy all your files to this device. Then remove the USB cable from the old computer and plug it into your new computer. You will now be able to copy all the old files to your new computers hard drive.One of the traditional ways was to burn all your computers data to CDs and DVDs. This has become less popular as file sizes have grown bigger, meaning dozens of CD’s and DVD’s are required to transfer the information.Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society
