An old SATA hard drive can give your new computer several terabytes of additional storage without the cost of buying another drive. This guide explains how to safely remove a hard drive from an older PC, install it in a new desktop computer, connect the SATA data and power cables, and format the drive in Windows.
Computer storage prices can make a new PC build or upgrade more expensive than expected. If you have an older desktop computer sitting unused, its hard drive may still be useful as secondary storage. Reusing the drive can provide room for videos, photos, downloads, games, archived files, and backups.
The video demonstrates the process with a traditional 4 TB hard disk drive. The same basic installation process also applies to a SATA solid-state drive. Both types of drives require a SATA data connection to the motherboard and a SATA power connection from the power supply.
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Old SATA hard drive or SATA SSD | Provides the additional storage capacity. |
| SATA data cable | Connects the drive to a SATA port on the motherboard. |
| SATA power connector | Supplies power to the drive from the computer's power supply. |
| Available drive bay or mounting tray | Secures the drive inside the new computer case. |
| Screwdriver | Opens the computer case and secures the mounting tray when required. |
Before opening the old computer, confirm whether the drive contains files you want to keep. The drive will later be initialized or formatted, which may permanently remove the existing data.
If the old computer still works, copy valuable documents, photos, videos, and other files to an external drive, cloud storage account, or another computer. It is also wise to check the health of an older drive before relying on it for important storage.
Shut down the old computer, turn off the power supply, and unplug the power cable. Press the power button briefly after unplugging the computer to help discharge any remaining power.
Remove the side panel and locate the storage drive cage. A SATA drive normally has two connections:
Disconnect both cables carefully. If the SATA data cable is still in good condition, it can be reused in the new computer. Release the drive from its mounting tray, cage, or screws and remove it from the case.
Completely shut down the new computer before installing the drive. Turn off the switch on the back of the power supply and unplug the power cable. Disconnect the remaining cables if necessary so the computer can be moved to a stable work surface.
Locate an available drive cage, tray, or mounting position inside the new computer case. Many modern cases include removable trays that make installation easier.
A traditional 3.5-inch hard drive normally fits in a standard desktop hard drive bay. A 2.5-inch SATA SSD may require a smaller tray or mounting adapter.
Find an available SATA power connector from the computer's power supply. The connector is wider than the SATA data cable and has an L-shaped design that prevents incorrect installation.
Align the connector carefully and push it into the drive until it is fully seated. Do not force the connection. If it does not fit easily, check the orientation and try again.
Connect one end of the SATA data cable to the drive. Route the other end to an available SATA port on the motherboard. Many motherboards have four or more SATA ports, although the number varies by model.
Press the connector into the motherboard port until it is seated securely. Some cables make a small clicking sound when the locking tab engages.
Route the cable away from cooling fans and other moving parts. Use the case's cable-management openings and tie-down points when available.
Confirm that the drive is secure and that both cables are connected. Replace the side panels, reconnect the external cables, plug in the power supply, and turn the computer back on.
Windows may recognize the drive immediately. However, an old drive may contain previous partitions, operating system files, or other information that you no longer need. In that case, you can use Disk Management to prepare it as a clean storage volume.
Use one of the following methods to open Disk Management:
Identify the correct drive by its capacity. Be extremely careful during this step. Deleting a volume from the wrong drive can cause permanent data loss.
If the reused drive contains old partitions that are no longer needed, right-click each unwanted volume and select Delete Volume. Confirm the warning only after verifying that you selected the correct drive.
After the volume is deleted, the space should appear as Unallocated. This means the space is ready for a new partition and file system.
When formatting is complete, the new volume should appear in File Explorer. You can then move files onto the drive and use it to free space on your other storage devices.
Traditional hard drives are slower than modern SSDs, so they may not be ideal for your operating system or performance-sensitive applications. However, they remain useful for inexpensive mass storage.
An older drive should not be the only place where important files are stored. Mechanical drives wear over time, and a drive removed from an older computer may already have thousands of operating hours.
Use the recycled drive for secondary storage and keep backups of anything you cannot afford to lose. Warning signs of a failing hard drive can include clicking noises, slow file transfers, corrupted files, disappearing folders, or repeated Windows errors.
0:05 Over the last 12 months, we have seen PC component prices increase by approximately 15% to 20%. This includes GPUs, RAM, and now SSDs. These price increases can make building or upgrading a computer expensive.
0:18 Today, I am going to show you how to save money by recycling an old hard drive and installing it in your new computer. This can potentially save you hundreds of dollars.
0:26 Before we get started, make sure to like, share, and subscribe. Help me reach 100,000 subscribers. Thank you.
0:32 Let us get started. The first thing you will need is an old computer. You may already have one sitting around somewhere, so pause the video, find it, and then come back.
0:42 The first step is to remove the hard drive from the old computer. The drive we are recycling is a traditional hard disk drive, or HDD.
0:49 These drives are excellent for mass storage. They may not be as fast or as reliable as newer SSDs, but they can still be useful.
0:57 If you are recycling a SATA SSD instead, the process is essentially the same. You will need a SATA data cable and a SATA power connection.
1:14 Let us go ahead and remove the drive.
1:27 The drives are located near the bottom of this computer. There are two drives, and both have a capacity of 4 TB.
1:39 First, unplug the SATA data cable. Then disconnect the power cable.
1:46 I am also going to reuse the old SATA cable in the new computer.
1:52 Let me turn the computer around and show you how to remove the SATA cable. We need to remove this cover first.
2:03 This older PC was previously used as a Plex media server. I recently replaced it with a smaller NAS system from Link Plus and now use SSDs in that system.
2:23 The SATA cable is located here. Pull it out carefully, and it can be reused.
2:32 That is all there is to it. I am also going to remove the second 4 TB drive because I may use it later.
2:44 Here are both hard drives. We will install only one for now, but the installation process is the same for either drive.
Each drive needs two connections:
2:53 Let us turn off the new computer and install the drive.
2:56 Shut down the computer completely. Once it has powered off, unplug the power supply so there is no power going to the computer.
3:04 The fans have stopped. Turn off the switch on the power supply and unplug the power cable.
3:16 Disconnect the other cables from the back of the computer. We will reconnect them later.
3:23 Move the computer to a position where you can clearly see and access the inside of the case.
3:36 The case is a little dusty. The hard drive will be installed in this available drive bay.
3:41 This computer case includes a convenient mounting cage that holds the hard drive securely.
3:59 There is already an available SATA power connector nearby. We will connect that to the drive.
4:04 First, connect the SATA data cable to the hard drive.
4:11 Next, connect the SATA power cable. The drive is now installed in the mounting cage.
4:28 Tighten or secure the mounting hardware so the drive cannot move.
4:37 I need to remove this panel so I can route the SATA cable to the back of the case.
4:51 The cable is now routed, so the panel can be reinstalled.
4:56 Now, remove the front or side cover so the SATA cable can be connected to the motherboard.
5:08 Let me show you where the motherboard SATA ports are located.
5:14 One SATA port is currently in use, but the motherboard has four SATA ports in total. That leaves three available ports.
5:20 Plug the SATA data cable into one of the available ports. You may hear a small click when it locks into place.
5:28 Tuck the cable away from the fans and any other moving parts.
5:34 Everything is connected, so the side panel or glass panel can now be reinstalled.
5:44 The case has collected some dust over the last few months, even though it is relatively new.
6:02 The drive is now physically installed.
6:08 Reconnect the computer, turn it on, and then format and reinitialize the drive. After that, we can create a new storage volume.
6:31 Open Windows Disk Management.
6:36 The old drive contains several files and existing information that I no longer need, so I am going to delete the existing volume.
6:41 Confirm that you want to delete the volume and allow Windows to complete the process.
6:48 The drive now appears as unallocated space.
6:51 Right-click the unallocated space and select New Simple Volume.
6:55 Follow the New Simple Volume Wizard. Select Next, choose the volume size, assign a drive letter, select the formatting options, and then select Finish.
7:01 Windows is now formatting the drive.
7:05 The newly formatted drive now appears in Windows as a new volume.
7:10 The drive is empty and ready to use. We can now create folders and move files from the other drives onto this new volume.
7:19 Moving files to the reused drive will free up space on the computer's other storage devices.
7:24 Adding more storage was the main reason for installing this drive. The other drives are nearly full, as shown by the red capacity indicators in Windows.
7:38 That is how you remove an old hard drive from one computer and reuse it in a newer computer.
7:44 Reusing an existing drive can provide additional storage and save you the cost of purchasing a new one.
7:51 Make sure to like, share, and subscribe. Thank you for watching, and I will see you next time.
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