Your video,
"Make an external hard drive
" will start after this message from our sponsors.
Loading video...
How To Video
Make an external hard drive
Give your old hard drives a new lease on life. Sharon Vaknin shows you how a drive from an old laptop or desktop can be repurposed for use with your current computer.
3:17 /
Transcript
--
The other old desktop or laptop lying around you also have -- all the hard drive that you could be using as an external hard drive.
All you need to do is remove that storage and put it in an enclosure together they make a pretty cheap external hard drive.
But -- not and you got there are few things he needs -- now.
If you -- -- drive from a laptop it'll be 82 point five inch drive that looks something like it.
If you -- that internal drive out of a -- -- it'll be a lot bigger. A 3.5. Inch drive that looks like it.
Most are gonna be dealing with a faded drive but if -- drive came from an older machine from the 42003.
It'll be -- heat a drive so just keep that in mind.
Not know what kind of drive you have it's time to start thinking about being -- though there are few things you'll want to look for.
First of all make sure -- picking the right size for your drive.
A 2.5 inch enclosure looks like this and an enclosure for a 3.5 inch drive looks and likeness.
One difference that you'll notice with this one is I don't know -- with an AC adapter which means a little ball here and not so good for portability.
Next you'll want to pick your external --
That determines what kind of connection you'll use to hook up your drive.
In most cases you'll go to USB 2.0 connection because any computer can connect with.
But if your computer can take USB three point oh or firewire go with that those are faster connection.
Now you have those detailed out of the way it the last thing to consider is that what the enclosure is made out --
When you're shopping for -- closures you'll notice have become an aluminum or plastic.
Always go with aluminum it'll keep your drive a lot cooler.
Okay once you have enclosure hand all of plot to do is put it together and that's really simple -- grabbed my hard drive.
And put these two connectors together.
Now I'll take this part -- -- in the enclosure.
--
-- my mini USD in here.
Connect both of these USB cords two mile up top.
-- --
There is my computer recognize that just like it would any other drive.
So now I can open it up browse some really old files on here or I can reformat -- and start with a clean slate.
If you have any questions during this process please let me know on Twitter and check out the accompanying blog for more tests.
For cnet.com. And -- back.
Coming up next
7 Things to know about the Hulu-Spotify deal
6 phones jumping on the notch trend
9 great Android augmented reality apps to try
How to use Google Lens to find what you're looking for
Change your DNS to speed up the internet
3 new features in iOS 11.4
10 stunning bezel-less phones to try
How to download your Facebook data
New features in Android P
4 reasons to choose Apple Maps over Google Maps
Latest Operating Systems videos
Apple updates iOS, MacOS to fix bug
1:21
New updates to Apple's operating systems take care of a flaw that would crash all kinds of apps.
Play video
Apple MacOS High Sierra's biggest changes aren't visible
1:59
This interstitial update to the Mac desktop operating system has a few compelling changes, but they're not features.
Play video
Change these 5 privacy settings in Windows 10
3:01
You can decide just how much of your information Windows 10 tracks and shares.
Play video
My favorite things in the iOS 11 beta for iPad Pro
5:19
Brian Tong breaks down some of the key features in the beta of iOS 11 that make the iPad Pro feel like a whole new device.
Play video
7 important hidden features in iOS 11
2:21
There's a lot more to iOS 11 than Apple originally let on. Here are seven new features we found while testing the early preview.
Play video
MacOS High Sierra public beta is out and here are the highlights
1:18
For most of us, Photos and Safari are the best things in the beta.
Play video
The best parts of iOS 11 on iPhone
2:33
A look at iOS public beta on the iPhone, which is full of little surprises.
Play video
Try out the iOS 11 public beta right now
2:30
Can't wait until this fall to update your iPhone or iPad? Here's how you can get iOS 11 today.