Changing hdd to ssd in laptop. How to replace HDD with SSD in Asus laptop
Welcome to the site! When it's time to change hard drive to a more capacious and faster one, beginners simply install the system from scratch. You have to reinstall programs and games. Copy documents to a flash drive in advance, and so on. All this is certainly good, the new one works better and is more pleasant. The disadvantage of this solution
- you have to spend additional time restoring your contacts, mail programs for work, bookmarks, access to instant messengers or social networks. For those who want to learn how to save absolutely all data, today's release.
How to replace the hard drive on a computer without uninstalling Windows yourself?
Indeed, replacement hard drive shouldn't take much time. If time plays a role, then everything needs to be done so that the process takes no more than an hour and a half. The result should be like this - you replaced the hard drive with a new one, turned on the computer and continued to work as before the replacement, with full preservation of your system and data.
Where do we start on the computer? First, download the program from the Acronis package for HDD cloning; it is included in the image for repair and recovery. You need to write it down on the image and put it aside for now. Disconnect the computer from electricity and remove the side cover on the system unit:
We need to install a new HDD in the system unit. Do not forget about spare data cables and you need to check the availability of additional power connectors on:
Hard drives can be motherboard in different ways, it all depends on the model and age of your computer. Only the disk size matters - new disk must be larger in volume than the old one or at least the same, otherwise you will lose data.
After completing all the manipulations with cables and connectors, we connect the computer to a power outlet and boot from our stored flash drive. If you just purchased the disk, you must first initialize it using the program Acronis Disk Director:
Select the desired disk, right-click to open the menu, select “Initialize disk”, and then at the very top click “Apply pending operations”:
The next stage is cloning. Let's launch our Acronis True Image. I used it, but you can use another similar program. Go to “Tools and Utilities”:
Then select “Disk cloning”:
I choose manual mode:
Now is the most crucial moment. Select the original (old) hard drive. We check the numbers so as not to confuse them:
We indicate the “One to One” flag if the volumes of both disks are the same, “proportionally” if the target disk is larger in volume than the source. You can try the “Manual” option if the target disk is smaller in size than the target disk. But here you need to know the size of the occupied and free space. I don’t recommend it unless absolutely necessary!
Once the operation is complete, the computer will turn off. Now you can detach the old drive if it is . Or, format it and turn it into additional storage. First, let's set it up loading Windows from a “new” disk if you have more than one HDD on your computer.
Changing the hard drive on the computer in the BIOS (changing the boot drive)
Most often, the key is used to enter the computer BIOS Del at the very beginning of the download. Then, look for the Boot section and look for the “Hard Drives” item:
On modern computers The BIOS entry key can be F2, and the menu itself can be configured so that everything will be in Russian. You can also select a device from the list of disks; it will appear if you use the F11 or F12 keys at the very beginning of boot.
How to change hard drive on the command line if you have more than one?
It all depends on what you are going to do. To operate on disk partitions, use the command diskpart
To view connected disks and partitions, use the command List disk
For selection the desired disk use the select disk command and the disk number:
Now using the command list partition You can get a list of partitions of the selected disk and perform various operations with them. Another case is if the drive partition letters are already known, then you can use commands to work with files and folders on these partitions (view, copy, delete, etc.). Simply enter the Latin letter of the desired partition with a colon, for example D: Below is an example of switching from drive C: to drive D: and then viewing the disk folders using the DIR command:
So, nothing complicated, and command line You can work with disks if necessary. You need to know the list of commands and enter them manually. This is how people worked in the days of MS-DOS. Many commands from it still work in the modern command line.
How to change the hard drive on a laptop without losing data?
A common reason for replacing the HDD on laptops is that a more capacious drive is needed or it fails due to overheating. There is always only one disk in a laptop; it is impossible to connect another hard disk there. Therefore, you need to disassemble the laptop. This is the main difficulty, because the models are different. Sometimes to replace memory modules and hardware. disk on the bottom cover there is a special cover, it is on separate screws...
... and often there is no such cover. More and more modern devices require complete removal of the bottom cover. This requires certain skills; There is no need to rush and it is better to stock up on instructions for disassembling your model in advance (youtube):
The further replacement process without loss of information will take place in a similar way as described above. You need to hang the new and old laptop drives in system unit computer:
And start the procedure. It has been noticed that after transferring the laptop, the operating system is often restored to start if it was damaged. This good way! Good luck everyone!
SSD drives are solid-state devices designed for permanent data storage. They are resistant to harsh operating conditions, are many times faster and are designed to improve the quality of computer work compared to hard drives.
Choosing an SSD for an Asus laptop
When choosing a solid-state SSD drive, you need to pay attention to its capacity. Please note that the OS takes up about 35 GB of disk memory, so it is recommended to purchase devices with a capacity of 64 GB or more.
The SATA interface is used to connect the solid-state drive. Three types of interface are possible, which differ from each other in throughput (150 MB/s, 300 MB/s and 600 MB/s, respectively). Operation speed SSD drive and directly depends on the type of interface.
The physical size of the HDD installed in a laptop is usually 2.5"", therefore, the purchased SSD drive must be of a similar size.
Methods for installing an SSD drive in an Asus laptop
Some models have compartments to accommodate multiple hard drives. In this case, installation solid state drive SSD will become the best option to install the operating system on it. If the laptop has one compartment, then the solid-state SSD can be replaced with the HDD installed by the manufacturer. Replacing the hard drive with a solid state drive significantly improves the stability and performance of the device.
Instructions for replacing HDD with SSD on an Asus laptop
Please note that the sequence of operations and the drive installation option may differ depending on the device model.
1. Purchase an SSD disk of the same physical size as the previously installed HDD.
2. Duplicate everything important information, stored on a laptop on an external drive.
3. Before replacing the HDD with an SSD, disconnect the laptop from the power supply and remove the battery.
4. Place the laptop on the table with the monitor facing down. Locate the HDD bay cover on the bottom of the case. As a rule, it is marked "HDD" or similar symbols.
5. Unscrew the screws, taking note of their locations, and remove the compartment cover.
7. Then unscrew the screws on the bay that secure the drive itself.
8. Carefully remove the hard drive.
9. Install the SSD into the bay in the same position as the old device.
10. Screw the drive to the bay and install the assembled unit in the laptop in its original place.
11. Check that all slots on the device are in their proper places. Gently press the SSD bay against the side slots and secure it with screws.
12. Replace the drive bay cover.
Finally, you need to check the functionality of the device. To do this you can connect mobile version OS on a flash drive. If the SSD drive is working correctly, the OS should start within 5-10 minutes. After successfully checking the functionality of the device, you can install or
Having once decided to buy a laptop, you probably foresaw that its active “life” would not be more than 3 years. Then your “pet” will slowly but surely begin to turn into an “electronic turtle”. But we don’t agree to put up with this, right?
There are not too many opportunities to rejuvenate a mobile computer, but they exist. you already know. Today we’ll talk about how to replace a hard drive on a laptop.
Why change it? And for what?
There are usually two reasons why laptop owners decide to replace the factory hard drive with a new one: the desire to increase the performance of the computer, increase the amount of disk space (upgrade) or restore functionality if the original hard drive has failed.For those who want to increase the performance of their “electronic friend,” it is better to install a good solid-state drive (SSD) instead of a hard drive (HDD). Fortunately, they are no longer as expensive as they were a few years ago. By the way, in addition to speed, SSDs have a couple of other valuable properties - low power consumption, noiselessness and resistance to mechanical influences (shocks, shaking, vibrations) from which classic hard drives often “die for a long time”.
But! Replacing a hard drive with a solid-state drive is unlikely to give a noticeable increase in performance if the slowest device in the laptop is not the disk, but, for example, the processor. About how using Windows, our site has already told.
If the main thing for you is storage capacity, choose a regular hard drive. Yes, they are 1-2 orders of magnitude slower than SSDs, but they are 10 times cheaper: a 2 TB HDD can be bought for 6,500-7,000 rubles, and an SSD of the same capacity can be purchased for 55,000-70,000 rubles. In addition, hard drives are more reliable than solid-state drives in terms of data safety. Data recovery from a faulty HDD is almost always possible if the magnetic carrier layer is not damaged. And with SSD - almost never.
Sometimes you hear that SSDs are better than HDDs because they fail much less often. In fact, this belief is not supported by anything. It’s just that out of all the drives used, SSDs account for no more than 15%. And they break less often because there are fewer of them.
If both speed and capacity are important to you, you can opt for a hybrid drive – SSHD. This type of device is a hard drive with an additional solid-state flash buffer (memory module from which SSDs are made), designed to store frequently used operating system and application data. In theory, this speeds up their launch, but... The volume of the flash buffer is not large enough (8-16 Gb) to accommodate many files, so most of the time you work at the computer you will not notice a difference in the performance of an SSHD and a regular HDD.
Some users even claim that the hybrid is slower than simple hard drives. How could it be otherwise if its rotation speed is only 5400 rpm, while the individual “screws” are 7200?
In short, I wouldn’t recommend such devices to everyone, but if it’s important for you to speed up Windows startup and several basic programs, buy. The cost of hybrids and conventional hard drives of the same capacity differs by about 1000 rubles - the former are more expensive, the latter are cheaper.
To make it easier for you to understand, I have collected the main criteria for choosing the type of drive for laptops in one table.
| SSD | HDD | SSHD | |
| Performance | High | Low | Average, closer to low |
| Capacity of the bulk of models | 120-500 Gb | 256-3000 Gb | 500-2000 Gb |
| Noise during operation | Absent | Eat | Eat |
| Impact resistance | High | Medium or low | Medium or low |
| Preferred Use | Operating system, applications, frequently opened files | Storing large amounts of data that does not require constant access | Operating system, applications, user files, if this is the only drive |
| Ability to restore information in case of breakdown | More often than not | More often there is | More often there is |
| Approximate price of most models | 3,800-17,000 rubles | 2,500-9,000 rubles | 3,500-8,000 rubles |
How to choose HDD and SSHD
Interface
And the interfaces for connecting the new and old drives should ideally be the same.Almost all laptops released in the last ten years support connecting drives via the SATA interface. The exception is some ultrabooks and netbooks with integrated flash memory - like on smartphones and tablets, or with support only for thin SSD standards mSATA and M.2, but we won’t talk about them now.
This is what the SATA connector looks like:
If your old drive has the same one, finding a replacement will not be a problem.
On ancient machines released before the advent of SATA, drives are connected with a wide cable across IDE interface(PATA):
Finding a new hard drive of this format today is almost impossible, so most likely you will have to connect a SATA drive instead via an adapter. For example, something like this:
But keep in mind that such a replacement is only relevant if the original hard drive breaks down. The new one, no matter how fast it is, will transmit and receive data at the same speed as the old one.
Generation SATA
The generation of the SATA interface (1, 2, 3) characterizes the throughput or theoretically achievable data exchange rate between the drive and motherboard. The current generation of SATA, the third, supports transfer speeds of 6 Gbit/s. The previous – second – 3 Gbit/s, and the first – 1.5 Gbit/s.Boards and drives of different generations are compatible, but the exchange between them will occur at the speed of the slower device. For example, if the laptop platform belongs to the SATA-2 generation, and the hard drive belongs to SATA-3, data will be transferred no faster than 3 Gbit/s. However, even if the computer is old, it’s not worth buying SATA-1 and 2 hard drives. After all, you may someday want to move the disk to another machine, and it will be its weak point.
Form factor and thickness (height)
The dimensions of the hard drive determine whether it will fit inside the computer. Standard hard drives for laptops are available in two form factors - 2.5" (regular) and 1.8" (small - for netbooks and ultrabooks).2.5-inch rims come in 9.5mm, 7mm and 5mm heights. The latter are rare.
A disk of a similar form factor and the same or less thickness will be suitable to replace the old one. But in the latter case, you will have to put seals under it, otherwise it will dangle.
Capacity
The capacity of the new hard drive can be anything, the main thing is that it is enough for you. However, for older generation laptops – based on BIOS (i.e. without UEFI support) there is no point in buying disks with a capacity larger than 2 TB, since the system will not see anything larger than that.Speed characteristics of the disk itself: spindle rotation, buffer volume, IOPS
With standard mobile hard drives rotate at 5400 or 7200 RpM(rpm). The higher the speed, the faster access to data, but high-speed drives run hotter and make louder noise. In addition, large heat production with insufficient cooling in a cramped laptop case can lead to the sudden death of the hard drive, so devices with a speed of 7200 RpM are less reliable.Capacities memory buffer, where information read from the plates is temporarily stored, there is never too much. The more, the better. Hybrid hard drives - SSHD, as I already said, have another buffer - flash, like an SSD. When choosing, its volume (larger) and type are important: optimally - MLC, as durable, fast and inexpensive.
IOPS. This indicator determines the speed of random (random) reading and writing in blocks of 4-8 Kb - the main type of disk operation during normal computer use. This is the most informative indicator of a drive's performance, but, unfortunately, it is not always indicated in the specifications. The higher it is, the better.
Manufacturer
What you shouldn’t do is choose a hard drive based on brand recognition. I advise you not to take it into account at all, since today all hard drive manufacturers have taken a course not on quality, but on flooding the market with their products. It is more profitable for them to return money for defective devices after sale than to reject them in production.Guarantee
Unfortunately, none of the parameters of the hard drive allows you to predict how long it will last, so be sure to look at its warranty period. Those whose warranty is less than 3 years are definitely not worth buying.How to choose an SSD
Interface, form factor, capacity, IOPS, manufacturer, warranty
When choosing solid-state drives, the same factors are relevant as for HDDs, but with minor adjustments. When determining the appropriate SSD capacity, keep in mind that it is best to always leave 25-30% of its space free. Otherwise, it will work slower than it can.If your SSD is connected via the M.2 interface, pay attention to the location of the key - on type “B” modules it is on the left, 6 pins from the edge. On “M” – on the right, after 5 pins. These two types of devices are not interchangeable.
B&M type drives have both keys. They can be installed in both connector “B” and “M”.
Controller brand
Flash memory type
SSDs use 3 types of memory: SLC, MLC and TLC. Without going into details, the main thing that distinguishes them is the number of bits of information that fit in one cell. SLC stores 1 bit in it, MLC – 2, and TLC – 3. SLC memory is the fastest, most durable (withstands up to 100,000 rewrite cycles), but also quite expensive. Drives based on it usually have a small capacity. Today they have practically disappeared from free sale and continue to be produced only by order of server equipment manufacturers.MLS is the most common type. In terms of speed, durability and price, it occupies an average position. Designed for 4-5 years of intensive use - withstands up to 3000-5000 rewrite cycles. Today this is the best choice.
TLC memory is the slowest and shortest-lived (1000-1500 cycles), but also the cheapest. However, coupled with controllers that support cell load optimization technologies, it can work almost as long as MLC.
TRIM support
It would be highly desirable for her to be there.TRIM technology is used to promptly release solid-state memory blocks from data that has been deleted. This ensures high performance of the device throughout the entire time of use. An SSD without TRIM support will not be freed from deleted information immediately. The longer it runs, the more unnecessary data it accumulates. And the more his productivity drops.
Let me explain the essence of the technology a little. The peculiarity of SSD is that the data deleted from file system, continue to be stored in memory until the “cleaning lady comes” and takes them “to the trash.” TRIM is the same cleaning lady who takes out the trash immediately after it appears. And she looks at disks without TRIM support, figuratively speaking, once a week.
You may know that older releases of Windows (before Windows 7) do not support TRIM. To enable it, for example, in Windows XP, you will need special software.
How to remove an old hard drive from a laptop and install a new one
Replacing a drive is one of the simplest manipulations with laptop hardware. It does not require any serious disassembly - most often it is enough to remove the bottom cover of the device, unscrew a few screws that hold the hard drive, remove it and insert a new one.For many models, the disk compartment has a separate cover, such as in the photographs below. On such machines, replacing a drive is as simplified as possible and takes no more than 3-5 minutes.
To remove and install the hard drive, you only need a Phillips screwdriver and straight hands. If you've never taken your laptop apart before, for example to clean dust, make sure it's not under warranty. If you do not understand how to get to the disk, find a service manual or video instructions on disassembling your model online. Search query should look like this: “acer travelmate 5744 disassembly”, “hp pavilion dv6 service manual”, etc.
Are you prepared? Now let's proceed to the replacement itself.
- First of all, disconnect the power supply and battery from the laptop. This is important.
- Take a screwdriver, unscrew the screws of the bottom cover and remove it.
- Next, unscrew the screws holding the drive. On some devices, hard drives are not screwed down, but are simply inserted tightly into the bay. On the opposite side of the connector there may be a “tab” for ejecting the disk. If there is one, pull it to make the hard drive move back a little. After that you will be able to get it.
- The removed disk can be placed in a metal basket or rubber casing. Remove them and attach them to the new drive. Install it in place of the old one, secure it with screws and put back the removed covers.
Everything is ready.
If your device is equipped optical drive or has a compartment for it, closed from the outside with a plug, you can install a second HDD or SSD instead of the drive. To do this, you will have to purchase an inexpensive adapter of this type:
The connection and installation procedure is shown on the stickers on the adapter itself. And even without them, I think it’s not difficult to figure it out. Once you try to replace the hard drive on your laptop with your own hands, you can easily cope with this too.
Happy experimenting!
Hard drive space is not infinite. The development of technology has made it possible to create disks larger than 1 TB, and everyone feels an illusory feeling that space will never run out. However, as disks evolve, so do technologies that take up disk space. For example, HD video eats up gigabytes of space for breakfast.
This was the dark side of the issue. The bright side is that learning how to replace a hard drive is a piece of cake! Therefore, there is no need to worry too much about a hard drive that is almost full. Read on, and all the secrets of this procedure will be revealed to you.
Finding a Good Replacement
Before purchasing a new HDD, you will need to know the connection type of the old one. Today, the most used type of data transfer cable is SATA.
However, computers that are already 5-6 years old may use a connection known as IDE. The difference between them is easy to recognize: an IDE cable really looks like a cable with countless wires, and a SATA connection is a small wire ending in an “L” shaped adapter. In the picture below you can easily see the difference - on the left SATA drive, and on the right is the IDE connection. Laptop hard drives are often smaller, but the connections are the same.
By the way, about the sizes. Please consider the physical dimensions of the disk when purchasing. There are currently two popular sizes on the market – 3.5″ and 2.5″. The larger one is for desktop PCs, the smaller one is for small systems and laptops. However, many “heavy” hard drives are 2.5″ in size, regardless of the computer that is equipped with them. There is another exception to the rule: some factory all-in-one computers use the 2.5″ size.
Transferring Information from Old to New
The process of actually replacing a hard drive is one of the simplest, judging by the physical effort required. However, the hard drive is one of the most important components of the system; all your information is stored on it, from the operating system to your mail, movies and favorite songs. Therefore, a simple replacement will deprive you of all this information.
If your computer supports multiple hard drives, then this problem can be easily fixed. You simply connect a second hard drive to the system and clone the old drive to the new one using one of thousands of free utilities. You can then put the old drive away on the shelf or format it to use as a spare (check that the cloning was successful before you do this!).
It's more difficult if your computer only supports one hard drive, so you won't be able to transfer data directly. In this case, copying is only possible using a separately purchased USB-SATA adapter or external HDD. Cloning this way may take longer due to the limitations of the USB connection, but it will eventually be done.
Replacing an Old Hard Drive
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Desktop PCs are usually designed so that the hard drive is located in the front middle, between the CD/DVD and the bottom, with diodes and additional connectors. The process is not that complicated and only requires hands, eyes and a screwdriver.
Open both panels of the case. If you have a SATA drive, then unhook the cable and additional power, if any. If IDE, first disconnect the additional power, then the cable. Make a note of where you put them and remove the screws. Try to keep the case level to prevent it from falling and causing damage to the disc and surroundings.
Then to connect new hard disk, you can use the same screws - most often the connectors are universal. But if the drive comes with separate screws, use them. After that, connect - to IDE: first the cable, then the power, to SATA: first the power (if connected), then the cable.
With laptops it's a little different. For the most part, the hard drive in them is hidden behind a plastic cover at the bottom of the device, secured with a pair of screws. Having removed it, you will see, in fact, the disk, also secured with several screws. You just need to pull it out and insert a new one. All connections are built directly into the device, so you don't have to worry about cables. Please note that not every laptop can be modified in this way, so read the instructions to avoid difficulties.
Divide And Conquer Download
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After the replacement, you will no doubt want to check that everything is working well. If you cloned the disk, then everything should be fine. Cloning programs offer to adjust the sizes of new partitions, trying to match the sizes of old ones as much as possible, and your PC will understand everything on its own. To make sure, go to Start - Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Disk Management, here you will see which disks the system recognizes and which partitions are in use. If not all the space is used, you can increase the partition size or create a new one. Please note that some of the disk space will not be displayed as it is used for storage deleted files, information and data provided by the manufacturer.
If you were unable to copy the old disk, this step is not necessary, since you will have to create and format a new partition during the OS installation process.
Conclusion
I hope this article has provided comprehensive installation information new hard disk. May you always have free space!
For people who deal with computers at the user level, the diagnosis of “operating system replacement” often sounds like a waste of time.
You need to install Windows from scratch, reinstall everything necessary programs, waste time setting them up, as well as debugging the desktop for your convenience.
Developers computer systems We have thought of a smart way to avoid having to reinstall the axis when problems arise. fatal errors, which make it impossible for the system to operate correctly.
This method is called “Creating a system image”. It allows you to copy the system image to external media (disk, flash drive) and, if necessary, revive your operating system in half an hour, regardless of the reasons for resuscitation, be it replacing a hard drive or a fatal system failure.
Archiving
First, open the “Control Panel”. Next, click on the “Archiving computer data” tab. We head to “Create a system image”. Next, select the location where you want to burn the image (hard drive, flash drive).
Then you are given a choice - automatic archiving or at the user's choice. Dummies are advised to let the computer choose. Such archiving will take more time and space on the media, but is guaranteed to transfer all the settings to the image.
Restoring the system from an archived image.
Restoration can be carried out in two ways:
- 1.If the image is on a hard drive located on the computer, then you need to go to the control panel, then use the “Recovery” tab, select “Advanced recovery methods”. In the “Use system image” tab, specify the location where the archive is located.
- 2.If the image is on a flash drive or DVD, then you need to insert the disk into the drive and reboot. When the system boots, select the “Recovery” function and specify the path to the removable media.
Afterword
As you can see, thanks to this article, the average user will be able to do backup copy system, and, if necessary, restore your operating system, or transfer it to another hard drive, without the help of a specialist.
