How do I Connect a Laptop's Hard Drive to a PC?
- 1). Shut your laptop off. Unplug the laptop from the power adapter and close the lid. Turn it over. Unscrew the hard drive cover from the bottom of the computer. Each laptop has its own location for the hard drive, so you may need to consult your laptop's user guide or look for a hard drive icon on the doors. Pull the hard drive out of the laptop.
- 2). Unscrew the hard drive brackets from the laptop drive. Remove any adapters attached to the laptop drive.
- 3). Insert the 2.5- to 3.5-inch hard drive adapter into the interface slot on the laptop hard drive. If you are using an external hard drive enclosure, open the enclosure and slide the drive into it.
- 4). Power down your desktop computer if you are using an internal adapter. Remove any cables connected to the computer. Open the computer's case. Some cases have screws on the back, and others have side panels you can slide open. If you are using an external hard drive enclosure, connect the USB cable to the computer when it is powered on.
- 5). Insert the other end of the laptop hard drive adapter into the IDE or SATA interface cable in your computer. Connect the other part of the adapter into a power connector from the power supply. Set the hard drive into the drive bay and close your computer case.