Steps Before Installation and Preparation

Before you start digging around in your computer, you are going to want to get everything you need at hand. If you are starting clean and reinstalling a new version of windows you will want to have a formatted drive and DOS boot disk. You can create a boot disk by getting a blank floppy and open My Computer and then right click on(A:) and select format. then select option “Copy System Files” which then will create a disk for booting up in DOS prompt once you have formatted your hard drive for Windows installation. If you have a existing drive that you want transfer your data to your new hard drive. Note that DISKCOPY and XCOPY will not copy hidden and system files.if you all have a disk backed up and ready to move, clear a space on a desk  or table and unplug your computer and carry the case where it is well lighted. You should be able to see the motherboard and all the insides. the box in the top left with red, yellow and black cables coming out is the power supply, at the end of those wires is a connecter with four pinholes. Then the ribbons you see are what transfer the data from the drive to the motherboard. look at your existing setup and look how they connect to the floppy drive.

The Installation of the Hard Drive

Now your ready to install the hard drive. If your replacing a existing  drive look at the jumper settings on the back of your hard drive. Jumpers are what tell your computer what its purpose is. They are pins in sets of 2, they look like this :::(:):: with ( :=pins and ()= the jumper which slid’s on the pins. Once you find out what your existing drive’s jumper settings are you then can set your new hard drives jumper settings to the same as the existing. Most drives have listed what the settings are but if they are not listed on he actual hard drive you should refer to the manufacturers websites. Your new hard drive should bet set on Master and if your just adding an additional hard drive set your old one to slave and new one to master. Now when your putting in your new  drive you are going to want to slide it in usually below floppy drive or anywhere you have room.