Correctly connect 2 hard drives. How to Connect a Second SATA or IDE Hard Drive to a Computer or Laptop
Connection hard drive to a laptop or computer is not a very difficult task, however, those who have never encountered this may not know how it is done. In this article, I will try to consider all possible options for connecting a hard drive - both mounting inside a laptop or computer, and options for external connection in order to overwrite the necessary files.
Connecting to a computer (inside the system unit)
Due to its shape, the SATA cable is more resistant to multiple connections. The SATA power cord is also designed to accommodate multiple connections. The SATA power connector supplies 3 supply voltages: +12 V, +5 V and +3.3 V; however modern devices can operate without +3.3 V voltage, which makes it possible to use a passive adapter from a standard connector power supply IDE to SATA. A number of SATA devices come with two power connectors: SATA and Molex.
The SATA standard abandoned the traditional PATA connection of two devices per cable; Each device is assigned a separate cable, which eliminates the problem of the impossibility of simultaneous operation of devices located on the same cable (and the resulting delays), reduces possible problems during assembly (there is no problem of conflict between Slave/Master devices for SATA), and eliminates the possibility of errors when using non-terminated PATA- loops.
The SATA standard supports the command queuing function (NCQ, starting with SATA Revision 2.x).
The SATA standard does not provide for hot-swapping of the active device (used by the Operating System) (up to SATA Revision 3.x), additionally connected drives must be disconnected gradually - power, cable, and connected in the reverse order - cable, power.
SATA connectors
SATA devices use two connectors: 7-pin (data bus connection) and 15-pin (power connection). The SATA standard provides the ability to use a standard 4-pin Molex connector instead of a 15-pin power connector. Using both types of power connectors at the same time may damage the device.
The SATA interface has two data transfer channels, from controller to device and from device to controller. LVDS technology is used for signal transmission; the wires of each pair are shielded twisted pairs.
There is also a 13-pin combined SATA connector used in servers, mobile and portable devices for slim CD/DVD drives. Devices are connected using SATA cable Slimline ALL-in-One Cable. It consists of a combined connector of a 7-pin connector for connecting the data bus and a 6-pin connector for connecting the device’s power supply. In addition, to connect to these devices, servers use a special adapter.
Using http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/SATA
The most interesting comments on the colors of the SATA power connector cable:
RU2012:"Adapters are available to convert a 4-pin Molex connector to a SATA power connector. However, since 4-pin Molex connectors do not provide 3.3 V, these adapters only provide 5 V and 12 V power and leave the 3.3 V lines disabled. This does not allow the use of such adapters with drives that require 3.3 V power - orange wire.
Understanding this, manufacturers hard drives have largely left support for the 3.3V orange power cable option in their storage devices - power lines are not used in most devices.
HOWEVER, WITHOUT 3.3V POWER (orange wire), the SATA DEVICE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HOT PLUG THE DISK..." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATA
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In the building system unit There are compartments for devices (usually located at the front of the case). The upper compartments of the case are usually designed for installing optical drives CD/DVD, Blu-Ray. And the lower compartments shown in the photo are designed for installing hard drives.
We select any of the available compartments and place the hard drive there. It is necessary to position it so that the connectors (see image) of the drive face inside the case.
Then, we take the hard drive and insert it along the guides that prevent it from falling down.
All. The disk is inserted, now it needs to be secured with screws. As you can see, the case has corresponding mounting holes.
It is necessary to ensure that the threaded holes on the disk match the holes on the body. Now we will tighten the screws in them.
It is desirable that there are four screws, two on one side and two on the other. Having screwed the hard drive on one side, unfold the case and screw the other side.
We have secured the hard drive. Check that it does not wobble; if the disk moves, then tighten the screws more tightly.
The hard drive installation is complete and you can now connect it to the motherboard. First of all, you should consider that hard drives different generations have different connectors, different cables (“cables”) for connection.
We will consider connecting hard disk with the most common interfaces IDE (outdated, but still in use) and SATA.
Connecting a hard drive with a SATA interface
Connecting a hard drive to a laptop or computer is not a very difficult task, however, those who have never encountered it may not know how it is done. In this article I will try...
On your own and without the involvement of a specialist, if necessary, you can connect it to your computer extra hard disk. Next we'll look at installation diagram and then connecting a new hard drive to the system unit. It should be noted that the actions are performed smoothly, clearly, without the use of force or sudden actions.
The first step will need to be de-energized the entire system unit, to do this, turn off the power, and then disconnect absolutely all the wires. Next, the side covers are unscrewed and removed, just as in the image.
The hard drive, of course, has its own compartments, which, depending on the model of the system unit, can be located in different positions and have different positions. 
According to the method of connecting the hard drive directly to the motherboard, they are divided into two types, and exactlySATAAndIDE. The second option, which has very wide cables and ports for connection, is considered obsolete and is now used extremely rarely. Due to its irrelevance as an IDE, the variation will not be considered here.
If hard drive SATA already connected to the computer, you can add a second one quickly and easily. Additional disk is inserted into the appropriate free cell and attached to the body. It is advisable that they be located at a sufficient distance from each other to avoid overheating. 
To connect a new hard drive to the motherboard itself, you will need a cableSATA. Plug one end into the corresponding slot on the board, and the other into the hard drive. 
It is worth noting that in each modern model system unit, a minimum of twoSATA- connector.
The next step is to connect a new hard drive directly to the power supply. For this purpose it is used special cable
, the plug of which is slightly wider than that of a SATA cable. If there is only one plug coming from the power supply, you will need a splitter. It happens that a narrow plug was not provided in the power supply, then you should purchase an adapter. Examples are shown in the images: 
Having obtained all the above-mentioned cables, you should connect the hard drive to the power cable.
The auxiliary media is now fully connected. You can then start the computer by attaching the covers, connecting the cables, and applying power. After this, if necessary, the stage will follow system settings new hard disk.
Have you bought a brand new hard drive for your computer and don’t know how to connect it?! In this article I will try to talk about this in detail and in an accessible way.
To begin with, it should be noted that the hard drive is connected to the motherboard either through the IDE interface or through the SATA interface. IDE interface on at the moment is considered obsolete, since it was popular back in the 90s of the last century, and new hard drives are no longer equipped with it. The SATA interface is found in all computers that have been produced since approximately 2009. We will consider connecting a hard drive with both interfaces.
Connecting a hard drive via SATA interface
Disconnect the system unit from the network and remove the side panel. At the front of the system unit there are compartments for devices. Optical drives for CD/DVD and Blu-Ray are usually installed in the upper compartments, while the lower compartments are intended for installation of hard disks. If your system unit does not have the compartments shown in the figure, you can install the hard drive in the upper compartment.
We install the hard drive in a free cell so that the connectors face inside the system unit, and fasten it to the case with screws: two screws on one side and two on the other.
On this installing hard disk is completed, check that it is not loose in the cell.
Now you can connect the hard drive to the motherboard.
If you purchased a hard drive with a SATA interface, then the drive itself has two connectors: the shorter one is responsible for transferring data from the motherboard, the longer one is for power. Additionally, the hard drive may have another connector; it is useful for supplying power via the IDE interface.
The data cable has identical plugs at both ends.
We connect one end of the cable to the SATA data connector on the hard drive.
The data cable plug can be either straight or L-shaped. You don’t have to worry about the correct connection; you simply won’t be able to plug the cable into the wrong connector or the wrong side.
We connect the other end of the cable to the connector on the motherboard, usually they are bright in color.
If the motherboard does not have a SATA connector, you need to buy a SATA controller. It looks like a board and is installed in the system unit in a PCI slot.
We are done connecting the data cable. Now we connect the power cable to the corresponding connector of the hard drive.
If your power supply does not have connectors for SATA devices, and the hard drive does not have an additional power connector for the IDE interface, use an IDE/SATA power adapter. Connect the IDE plug to the power supply, the SATA plug to hard drive.
That's all, we connected a hard drive with a SATA interface.
Connecting a hard drive via the IDE interface
We install the hard drive into the system unit in the same way as described in the paragraph above.
Now you need to set the mode work hard disk: Master or Slave. If you are installing one hard drive, select Master mode. To do this, you need to place the jumper in the desired position.
The IDE connectors on the motherboard look like this. Next to each of them there is a designation: either IDE 0 – primary, or IDE 1 – secondary. Since we are connecting one hard drive, we will use the primary connector.
That's all, the hard drive is now connected.
I think now, using the information from this article, you can n connect the hard drive to the computer.
We also watch the video
Additional;
Select which hard drive will be the main one, that is, the active one from which the operating system will boot. Determine the order by installing small jumpers in the appropriate positions according to the diagrams shown directly on each hard drive.
Turn on your computer and go to BIOS settings. If the hard drives are not detected automatically, identify them manually with the appropriate command. Then save the changes and exit the BIOS.
Video on the topic
Sources:
- how to install a second hard drive
- How to connect a second hard drive
To connect to computer as second hard disk of an external device designed to operate via a USB port, you just need to insert the connecting wire into the corresponding connectors on the bodies of both devices. The process of installing a stationary hard disk as the second main drive in the system unit of your computer. The sequence of actions for this option is described below.
Instructions
Finish work operating system, turn off the computer and unplug it network cable. Position the system unit in such a way that you have free access to both of its side surfaces.
Remove both side panels. As a rule, to do this, it is enough to unscrew two screws connecting them to rear panel, and then move it 5 centimeters back and put it somewhere not very far.
Install new hard drive into one of the free slots in the case. Do this carefully so as not to accidentally disconnect the wires, which are abundant inside the case. The connectors for connecting power should be on the motherboard side, and the hard drive is secured with four screws - two on each side of the system unit case. Use an already installed hard drive as a sample for placement and fastening.
Connect the power cable and data cable (“cable”) between the new hard drive and the motherboard. These wires differ depending on the type of hard drive being installed (IDE or SATA), but in any case, their connectors are asymmetrical in shape and the connectors can only be inserted in one way, so you cannot make a mistake. An already installed hard drive will help you find the necessary slots on the motherboard - the connectors you are looking for should be located next to those used to connect it. On hard drive cases that use the IDE bus, there are jumpers that are used to establish a hierarchy of disks installed in the computer - one of them must be designated as primary, and all the rest as secondary. However, in most cases there is no need to use them, since the BIOS is able to figure out the device configuration itself with the jumpers set by default.
Make sure that you have not damaged anything inside the system case during the installation process or forgotten any tools in it. Do not rush to close the case - you should first check the result of the operation performed. Connect all the necessary wires, the last of which should be the network cable. Then turn on your computer and go into the BIOS settings to make sure it can recognize the new device. After this, turn off the computer and replace the side surfaces of the system unit.
Sources:
- how to connect a drive to a computer in 2019
Hello! We have looked at it in detail hard device disk, but I didn’t specifically say anything about interfaces - that is, ways of interaction between the hard drive and other computer devices, or more specifically, ways of interacting (connecting) the hard drive and the computer.
Why didn't you say so? But because this topic is worthy of no less than an entire article. Therefore, today we will analyze in detail the most popular hard drive interfaces at the moment. I’ll immediately make a reservation that the article or post (whichever is more convenient for you) this time will have an impressive size, but unfortunately there’s no way to go without it, because if you write briefly, it will turn out to be completely unclear.
Computer hard drive interface concept
First, let's define the concept of "interface". Speaking in simple language(namely, I will express myself to them as much as possible, because the blog is on ordinary people designed for people like you and me), interface - the way devices interact with each other and not only devices. For example, many of you have probably heard about the so-called “friendly” interface of a program. What does it mean? This means that the interaction between a person and a program is easier, not requiring much effort on the part of the user, compared to a “non-friendly” interface. In our case, the interface is simply a way of interaction between the hard drive and the computer motherboard. It is a set of special lines and a special protocol (a set of data transfer rules). That is, purely physically, it is a cable (cable, wire), on both sides of which there are inputs, and on the hard drive and motherboard there are special ports (places where the cable is connected). Thus, the concept of interface includes the connecting cable and ports located on the devices it connects.
Well, now for the “juice” of today’s article, let’s go!
Types of interaction between hard drives and computer motherboard (types of interfaces)
So, first in line we will have the most “ancient” (80s) of all, it can no longer be found in modern HDDs, this is the IDE interface (aka ATA, PATA).
IDE- translated from English “Integrated Drive Electronics”, which literally means “built-in controller”. It was only later that IDE began to be called an interface for data transfer, since the controller (located in the device, usually in hard drives x and optical drives) and the motherboard had to be connected with something. It (IDE) is also called ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment), it turns out something like “Advanced Connection Technology”. The point is that ATA - parallel interface data transmission, for which soon (literally immediately after the release of SATA, which will be discussed below) it was renamed PATA (Parallel ATA).
What can I say, although the IDE was very slow ( throughput data transmission channel ranged from 100 to 133 megabytes per second per different versions IDE - and even then purely theoretically, in practice much less), but it allowed you to simultaneously connect two devices to the motherboard at once, using one cable.
Moreover, in the case of connecting two devices at once, the line capacity was divided in half. However, this is far from the only drawback of the IDE. The wire itself, as can be seen from the figure, is quite wide and, when connected, will take up the lion's share free space in the system unit, which will negatively affect the cooling of the entire system as a whole. All in all IDE is already outdated morally and physically, for this reason the IDE connector is no longer found on many modern motherboards, although until recently they were still installed (in the amount of 1 piece) on budget motherboards and on some boards in the mid-price segment.
The next interface, no less popular than the IDE in its time, is SATA (Serial ATA), characteristic feature which is serial data transmission. It is worth noting that at the time of writing this article, it is the most widespread for use in PCs.
There are 3 main variants (revisions) of SATA, differing from each other in throughput: rev. 1 (SATA I) - 150 Mb/s, rev. 2 (SATA II) - 300 Mb/s, rev. 3 (SATA III) - 600 Mb/s. But this is only in theory. In practice, the writing/reading speed of hard drives usually does not exceed 100-150 MB/s, and the remaining speed is not yet in demand and only affects the speed of interaction between the controller and the HDD cache memory (increases the disk access speed).
Among the innovations, we can note - backward compatibility of all versions of SATA (a disk with a SATA rev. 2 connector can be connected to a motherboard with a SATA rev. 3 connector, etc.), improved appearance and ease of connecting/disconnecting the cable, increased cable length compared to IDE (1 meter maximum, versus 46 cm on the IDE interface), support NCQ functions starting from the first revision. I hasten to please owners of old devices that do not support SATA - they exist adapters from PATA to SATA, this is a real way out of the situation, allowing you to avoid wasting money on buying a new motherboard or a new hard drive.
Also, unlike PATA, the SATA interface provides for “hot-swappable” hard drives, which means that when the computer’s system unit is powered on, hard drives can be connected/detached. True, to implement it you will need to delve a little into BIOS settings and enable AHCI mode.
Next in line - eSATA (External SATA)- was created in 2004, the word "external" indicates that it is used to connect external hard disks. Supports " hot swap" drives. The length of the interface cable is increased compared to SATA - maximum length is now as much as two meters. eSATA is not physically compatible with SATA, but has the same bandwidth.
But eSATA is far from the only way to connect external devices to a computer. For example FireWire- consistent high speed interface to connect external devices, including HDD.
Supports hot swapping of hard drives. In terms of bandwidth it is comparable to USB 2.0, and with the advent of USB 3.0 it even loses in speed. However, it still has the advantage that FireWire is capable of isochronous data transmission, which facilitates its use in digital video, since it allows data to be transmitted in real time. Sure, FireWire is popular, but not as popular as, for example, USB or eSATA. For connecting hard disks, it is used quite rarely; in most cases, various multimedia devices are connected using FireWire.
USB (Universal Serial Bus), perhaps the most common interface used to connect external hard drives, flash drives and solid state drives(SSD). As in the previous case, there is support for “hot swap”; the maximum length of the connecting cable is quite large - up to 5 meters in case USB usage 2.0, and up to 3 meters - if USB 3.0 is used. You can probably make the cable longer, but in this case stable work devices will be in question.
Baud rate USB data 2.0 is about 40 Mb/s, which is generally a low figure. Yes, of course, for ordinary everyday work with files, a channel bandwidth of 40 Mb/s is enough, but as soon as we talk about working with large files, you will inevitably begin to look towards something faster. But it turns out there is a way out, and its name is USB 3.0, the bandwidth of which, compared to its predecessor, has increased 10 times and is about 380 Mb/s, that is, almost the same as SATA II, even a little more.
There are two types of contacts USB cable, these are type "A" and type "B", located at opposite ends of the cable. Type "A" - controller ( motherboard), type "B" - connected device.
USB 3.0 (Type "A") is compatible with USB 2.0 (Type "A"). Types "B" are not compatible with each other, as can be seen from the figure.
Thunderbolt(Light Peak). In 2010 by Intel the first computer with this interface was demonstrated, and a little later, the no less famous Apple company. Thunderbolt is quite cool (how could it be otherwise, Apple knows what is worth investing in), is it worth talking about its support for such features as: the notorious “hot swap”, simultaneous connection with several devices at once, truly “huge” data transfer speed (20 times faster than USB 2.0).
The maximum cable length is only 3 meters (apparently more is not necessary). However, despite all the listed advantages, Thunderbolt is not yet “massive” and is used mainly in expensive devices.
Let's move on. Next up we have a couple of very similar interfaces - SAS and SCSI. Their similarity lies in the fact that they are both used primarily in servers where it is required high performance and the shortest possible hard disk access time. However, there is also reverse side medals - all the advantages of these interfaces are compensated by the price of devices that support them. Hard drives, supporting SCSI or SAS are an order of magnitude more expensive.
SCSI(Small Computer System Interface) - a parallel interface for connecting various external devices (not just hard drives).
It was developed and standardized even somewhat earlier than the first version of SATA. IN fresh version SCSI has hot-swappable support.
SAS(Serial Attached SCSI), which replaced SCSI, was supposed to solve a number of the latter's shortcomings. And I must say - he succeeded. The fact is that, due to its “parallelism,” SCSI used a common bus, so only one of the devices could work with the controller at a time; SAS does not have this drawback.
Plus, it's backwards compatible with SATA, which is definitely a big plus. Unfortunately, the cost of hard drives is SAS interface is close to the cost of SCSI hard drives, but there is no way to get rid of this; you have to pay for speed.
If you're not tired yet, I suggest you consider one more interesting way HDD connections - NAS(Network Attached Storage). Currently network systems data storage (NAS) are very popular. Essentially, this is a separate computer, a kind of mini-server responsible for storing data. It connects to another computer via a network cable and is controlled from another computer through a regular browser. All this is needed in cases where great disk space, which is used by several people at once (in the family, at work). Data from network storage transmitted to user computers or via regular cable(Ethernet), or when Wi-Fi assistance. In my opinion, a very convenient thing.
I think that's all for today. I hope you liked the material, I suggest you subscribe to blog updates so as not to miss anything (form in the upper right corner) and we will meet you in the next blog articles.