subject: How You Can Replace Internal Laptop Hard Disks [print this page] Internal laptop hard drives are in essence the lifeline of your computer. If yours gets damaged then you will find that your laptop runs at a greatly reduced speed or in some cases not at all.
If you are thinking about replacing your hard drive, you should first try cleaning up your current software. This will greatly increase the speed of operations. Having lots of programs stored on your computer, often old and unused ones, is a commonly overlooked problem regarding the speed of your system.
Once you clean up your system and it is still running slower than expected, then replacing the hard drive is the next step. Most people consider this a job they can do easily themselves. Almost all laptops will have an easy access panel found on the underside of the unit. A single screw should be all that is keeping it in place. Once removed, you will see the drive in a metal frame known as a caddy. It is important to keep the caddy to install the replacement. If you are having trouble or are a little unsure, look for a guide specific to your model. There are thousands of them online for free. You should always check the manual before opening up your unit.
If you are replacing it yourself then you need to know what to replace it with. Laptop drives are all normally two and a half inches in size, to allow easy upgrading. The capacity can range from 10 GB up to 750 GB. The recommended size for an average user today is about 250 GB and up.
The speed of your new hard drive should also be considered. Most spin at 5,400 rpm, while some of the newer high powered systems are going with 7,200 rpm drives. The higher spin rate gives you better performance, but also uses more of the already limited battery life. Think about what you mostly use your laptop for. If it's just day to day browsing on the internet then the slower speed is plenty. The faster speed is normally only required for high spec laptops, such as hard core gamers would use.
If you don't know much about computers then it would be best to get advice on which type of hard drive to go for. The huge range can leave some people bewildered. Try asking staff in any computer store, as they will be in touch with the latest developments and happy to help you out.
You could also try looking online for advice. Try forums or expert sites for the best advice, but as always be careful when taking information from sources your not 100 percent sure of.
