How To Perform Hard Drive Setup & Installation?

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We make the hard drive setup simple. Whatever your hard drive brand is, we can help you with its setup. We also give you the best troubleshooting techniques to solve your hard drive problems.

We strive toward complete customer satisfaction. Through this website, we extend our support in assisting the users in setting up their hard drives and troubleshooting the hard drive issues.

Hard Drive Features

Storage Capacity

The storage capacity of a hard drive refers to the amount of disk space it can accommodate. Usually, the storage capacity of hard drives is measured in gigabytes and terabytes.

Reliabilty

Hard drive manufacturers are very much concerned about the reliability factor. By looking at the failure rates of hard drives, you can determine how reliable they are.

Battery Life

A hard drive’s battery life and power consumption differ according to the type of drive you choose. For instance, HDDs can consume significantly high power than SSDs. Moreover, SSDs are more durable than HDDs.

Speed

The speed of a hard drive can be measured in RPM (Revolutions per minute). We call a hard drive's read/write speed 'transfer rate.' So, based on the RPM and transfer rate factors, you can pick your drive.

Styles and Sizes

Choosing a stylish hard drive has become a trend in this technical world. And hard drives come in various styles and sizes. In case you are in a dilemma in choosing your hard drive, we can help you choose it depending on your needs.

Durability

The durability of a hard drive depends upon its resistance to withstand shocks, vibrations, and extreme temperatures. This factor may vary from one brand to another.

Hard Drive Types

There are three types of hard drives; internal, external, and portable. Do you want to know how they vary from each other? Read more to know the answer.

External

An external hard drive works outside the computer. You need to connect it to your computer using a USB cable. An external hard drive aims to add extra space to your computer, and such drives are easy to handle.

Portable

A portable hard drive can be connected to your computer using a USB cable. The main difference is external hard drives need power from the wall outlet. But a portable hard drive is powered by a USB connection.

Internal

Internal hard drives are built-in to the computer, and the installation process is quite tedious. Many consider them a predominant storage option for each computer, and they are indispensable for all operations.

How to Install Software for a Hard Drive?

Usually, you don't need to install any separate software for your hard drives. However, some external hard drives like WD come with the setup software. You can also get them from the hard drive's official website. For other hard drives, you just need to initialize the disk and format it.

Driver Download for Windows

Visit the official support page of your hard drive and go to the Downloads page. There, you can find the software for your hard drive. Select your OS as Windows and download the compatible driver.

Driver Download for Mac

If you are using a Mac and want to download the necessary drivers for your hard drive, visit the official site of the hard drive and get the driver from there. Then you can install it on your Mac by following the instructions.

How to Format a Hard Drive ?

How to Format for Mac?

Most hard drives come preformatted with the exFAT file system to be compatible with both Windows and Mac Operating Systems. However, if you want to use your hard drive for Time Machine backup, you must reformat it with the HFS+ file system. To format your hard drive, go to the Disk Utility section, pick your hard drive, and format it just as you prefer.

How to Format for Windows?

Usually, hard drives come preformatted with exFAT so that you can use them on Windows and Mac computers. However, if you are going to use your hard drive only on Windows computers, format it with the NTFS file system. To do it, open the Disk Management section, right-click on your hard drive, and select Format. Specify the necessary details and format your hard drive.

How to Backup An External Hard Drive to the Cloud?

To begin with, select a cloud service like Google Drive, One Drive, or Dropbox; you can pick the one you prefer the most. Just connect your external hard drive to the computer/laptop using a USB cable. Sign in to your Cloud account, drag the files/folders from your external hard drive and drop it into your Cloud folder. Once you create the backup, eject your hard drive and disconnect it safely.

FAQ:

What is hard drive software?

Usually, you don't need any specific software to use your hard drive. However, if your hard drive comes with the software, you can use it to perform various tasks, including hard drive partition, data backup and restore, PC cleanup, disk encryption, and so on. To get the software, visit your hard drive manufacturer's website and download the software compatible with your OS. Then, install it on your computer by following the instructions. Then you can use the software just as you prefer.

How to erase a hard drive and start over?

Sometimes, you may want to erase everything from your hard drive. To do this, you have to format your hard drive. Go to the Disk Management section, right-click on your hard drive, and select the Format option. Go ahead with the instructions and complete the formatting process. Once done, give your hard drive a fresh start. Remember, when you format your hard drive, your data will be completely deleted. Therefore, back up the important files and then go ahead to erase your hard drive.

How to install a hard drive?

The installation process of external and internal hard drives differ. To install an external hard drive, you just need to connect a USB cable between your computer and the hard drive. In case you are installing an internal hard drive, you need to install it on your CPU using the SATA cables.

How To Find The Available Space On My Hard Drive?

The procedure for finding the available drive space differs between Windows and Mac Operating Systems. If you are using a Windows computer, open File Explorer, right-click on your hard drive, and select Properties. In the Properties dialog box, you can find the available space on your hard drive. If you are using Mac, click Go> Utilities> Disk Utility. In the Disk Utility section, highlight your hard drive; you can find the available storage space in the Total Capacity field.

How to recover missing, lost, or deleted files?

If you have accidentally deleted your files on your Windows computer, you can restore them from the Recycle bin. Open Recycle Bin and restore the files you want. If you are a Mac user and the deleted files are not older than 30 days, you can retrieve them from the Trash folder. If this doesn't help you recover your missing, lost, and deleted files, you can try the data recovery software. You can find several applications on the Internet. Just install them on your computer and restore the lost data.

How to format a hard drive?

The steps to format your hard drive varies depending on your Operating System. Moreover, you need to select the File System that suits you. If you are going to use your hard drive only on a Windows computer, you should format it with the NTFS file system. Similarly, to use your hard drive exclusively on Mac, format your hard drive with HFS+. In case you wish to use your hard drive on both Windows and Mac Operating Systems, format it with exFAT. If you are a Windows user, go to the Disk Management section, right-click on your hard drive, and select the Format option. Go ahead with the instructions and complete the formatting process. If you are a Mac user, go to the Disk Utility section, click on your hard drive under External, and click Erase.

How To Ensure That All Data Is Erased On A Hard Drive?

If you are pretty much concerned about your data being stolen or recovered from your hard drive after it has been sold or given away, you can make use of a disk wiping software, like DBAN (Darik's Boot And Nuke), which is one of the popular software in the market. Burn DBAN to a CD (Compact Disk) and boot from it. DBAN will erase everything from your hard drive. This method helps you ensure that all data is erased from your hard drive.

How to fix Windows not detecting Hard Drive?

If your Windows computer is not detecting your hard drive in the File Explorer or Disk Management sections, check the hard drive's power and SATA cables. If everything is fine, unplug and replug the hard drive. If the wires are damaged, change them immediately. The issue usually occurs due to a driver issue, connection issue, or faulty BIOS settings. Update your drivers. Enable the hard drive in BIOS. Ensure that the USB controller is enabled. By adhering to these simple steps, you can make Windows detect your hard drive.

Hard Drive Fixes - A Quick Guide

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