Overview
Booting from a hard drive refers to starting up or powering on a computer using an operating system and other files that are installed on a hard disk drive, rather than an external device like a USB flash drive or optical disc. When a computer boots, it goes through a process called the boot sequence to load the operating system into memory from a drive or device. By default, most computers are configured to boot from the primary hard drive.
There are a few common reasons why someone might need to boot their computer from a new hard drive instead of the existing one:
- Installing a new hard drive – After physically installing a new hard disk, you would boot from it in order to install a fresh operating system and applications.
- Replacing a failed or corrupted hard drive – If the primary drive fails or becomes corrupted, booting from a replacement drive allows you to get the computer back up and running.
- Upgrading to a larger/faster hard drive – Booting from the new drive makes it simple to transfer the OS, applications, and data from the old drive.
- Switching operating systems – If you want to change the OS your computer runs, like switching from Windows to Linux, it’s generally easiest to boot from the new OS drive.
The process involves entering the computer’s BIOS settings, changing the boot order to position the new drive first, saving changes and rebooting the computer. The boot sequence will load the OS from the new drive.
Back Up Important Data
It is crucial to back up your important data before beginning the hard drive replacement process. A backup protects your files, settings, and applications in case anything goes wrong during the installation of the new drive. Without a proper backup, you risk permanent data loss.
Follow these steps to back up your data:
- Connect an external hard drive that is at least the same capacity as your current hard drive.
- Use the backup software built into your operating system to create a full system backup. On Windows 10, use File History. On Mac OS, use Time Machine.
- Manually copy any other important files not included in the system backup, such as documents and photos, to the external drive or a cloud storage service.
- Verify the integrity and completeness of the backup by viewing files and opening applications.
Backing up beforehand allows you to restore your system, files, and settings if the hard drive swap does not go as planned. Be sure to store the backup in a safe location until the new drive installation is complete.
Install the New Hard Drive
To physically install the new hard drive, follow these step-by-step instructions:
1. Turn off your computer and unplug all cables and power cords.
2. Open up your computer case to access the internal components. The steps to open the case vary for different computer models.
3. Locate an empty drive bay to mount the new hard drive. Most computers have multiple bays to install hard drives and solid state drives.1
4. Match the size of the drive to the drive bay. For example, install a 3.5 inch hard drive into a 3.5 inch drive bay.
5. Slide the new hard drive into an open drive bay all the way until it is firmly connected.
6. Use mounting screws to securely attach the hard drive’s side brackets to the drive bay.
7. Attach a SATA cable to connect the hard drive to the motherboard. Make sure the SATA connectors are fully inserted.2
8. Connect a power cable from the power supply to the hard drive.
9. Carefully reattach the side panels and close up the computer case once the hard drive is installed.
Partition and Format the New Drive
Partitioning a hard drive divides it into separate, discrete sections called partitions. Each partition acts as a separate volume that can have its own drive letter and file system. Partitioning is necessary to prepare the new hard drive for use.
To partition the new hard drive on Windows 10:
1. Open Disk Management by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Disk Management.
2. Right-click the new hard drive and select New Simple Volume.
3. Follow the prompts to specify the size of the new partition.
4. Assign a drive letter to the new partition.
For more details, refer to this guide: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-and-format-a-hard-disk-partition-bbb8e185-1bda-ecd1-3465-c9728f7d7d2e
Once partitioned, the new drive needs to be formatted before it can be used. Formatting erases any existing data and prepares the drive to store files through the file system. For most purposes, format the new partition with the NTFS file system.
To format the partition:
1. Right-click the new partition and select Format.
2. Choose NTFS as the file system.
3. Give the partition a descriptive name if desired.
4. Check Perform a quick format for a faster format.
5. Click OK to format the partition.
The new hard drive is now ready to have an operating system installed and hold applications and data.
Install the Operating System
The key steps for installing the operating system on the new hard drive are:
- Insert the Windows installation media, such as a USB flash drive or DVD. Boot your computer from the installation media, typically by pressing a key like F12 or Esc during bootup to access the boot menu.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to begin the OS installation. Select your language preferences and click Install Now.
- Enter your product key if prompted and accept the license terms.
- Select the unallocated space on your new hard drive as the installation location. Click next.
- Windows will automatically create necessary partitions on the drive and begin installing the OS files.
- After the installation completes, the system will reboot. After rebooting, you can proceed with post-installation tasks.
The Windows installer will guide you through the process of installing the operating system on the blank new hard drive. Be sure to select the new drive as the destination location so Windows gets installed there rather than the old drive. Following the on-screen prompts will install Windows and get the new drive ready for applications and data.
Configure the BIOS
Before the PC can boot from the new hard drive, you need to configure the BIOS to change the boot order. The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) controls the boot process and hardware settings on a PC. Here’s how to enter the BIOS and set the new hard drive as the first boot device:
Access the BIOS setup utility by pressing a specific function key as the computer boots up. The key varies between manufacturers, but common options are F2, F10, F12, Delete, or Esc. You may need to press the key repeatedly.
Once in the BIOS, navigate to the “Boot” tab or menu using the arrow keys. Look for options related to boot device priority or boot order. The new hard drive needs to be at the top of this list. If you don’t see the new drive listed, save and exit BIOS first so the system can detect it.
Select the new hard drive and use the arrow keys to move it to the first boot position. Press F10 to save changes and exit BIOS. The computer will now boot from the new hard drive when powered on.
If the system still does not boot from the new drive, you may need to disable CSM/Legacy Boot or enable UEFI Boot in the BIOS settings (Per SoftwareKeep). Save changes and reboot.
Transfer Applications and Data
Once the new hard drive is installed and configured, you’ll need to transfer over your applications, files, and settings from the old drive. Here are the main steps for doing this:
1. Connect the old hard drive to the computer via a SATA or USB cable adapter. This will allow you to access the drive like an external hard drive.
2. Use file explorer to browse the old drive and copy over any folders and files you want to transfer. This includes documents, photos, videos, music, downloads, desktop files, etc. Be selective and don’t copy over system folders.
3. For applications, you’ll need to reinstall them on the new drive. If you have the installers available, you can run through the installs again. For software downloaded from the web, just download and install again.
4. For application settings and preferences, refer to the software documentation for how to export and import settings files. Many apps store these in the AppData folder. Transfer those over to retain settings.
5. Use a migration utility like Laplink PCmover to transfer over Windows settings, user profiles and preferences. This will save you having to customize Windows from scratch.
6. Once copied over, double check that your important files and apps made it to the new drive. Reinstall or recopy anything missing.
With your files, settings, and apps migrated, your new hard drive will be bootable and ready to use just like your old one.
Activate the New Drive
After installing the operating system and applications on the new hard drive, the final step is to activate the new drive so that the computer boots from it instead of the old drive.
To do this, enter into the BIOS settings again. Navigate to the boot order options and move the new hard drive to the top of the boot order list. This will make the computer check the new drive first when booting up.
Save the changes and exit the BIOS. When you restart the computer, it should now boot up from the new hard drive. You will likely see a different boot animation or splash screen specific to the new OS installation. The computer may take slightly longer the first time booting up from the new drive.
Once logged into the OS, you can verify everything migrated correctly. Apps, settings, and data should match what was on the old drive. You can browse files and folders to confirm.
The entire boot volume is now running off the new hard drive. The old drive can be wiped, repurposed, or kept as a backup.
Perform Post-Installation Tasks
After you have successfully installed your operating system on the new hard drive, there are some additional steps you should take to optimize performance and fully configure your system:
Install the latest updates – Go to Windows Update and install any available updates, patches, and driver updates for your version of Windows. This will ensure your OS is running the most secure and stable version.
Transfer applications – Reinstall or transfer any applications and software you need. Some may need to be reactivated if it’s a fresh OS install.
Install security software – Don’t forget to install antivirus and anti-malware software to protect your system.
Customize settings – Adjust any OS, display, power, and other settings to your preferences. Set up networking, printers, mouse, and keyboard.
Clean up hard drive – Remove any unnecessary files from the old drive, run disk cleanup, defrag, etc. to tidy up after the cloning process.
Update drivers – Go to your computer/device manufacturer’s website and install the latest drivers for your hardware like video card, network adapter, etc.
Register software – Don’t forget to register and activate any paid software installed on the new drive.
Back up system – Make a system image or backup of your freshly optimized OS and files.
Troubleshooting
When switching to boot from a new hard drive, there are some common issues that may prevent the system from booting properly. Here are some troubleshooting steps to try:
If the BIOS doesn’t detect the new hard drive, check that the drive is seated properly and all cables are connected securely. Try switching to another SATA port on the motherboard if possible. Ensure the drive is getting power. Refer to the motherboard manual on configuring SATA settings if needed.
If the drive is detected but fails to boot, there may be a problem with the boot partition. Rebuild the MBR and boot sectors using the Windows installation media or a bootable utility like EaseUS Partition Master.
Corrupted system files can also prevent booting. Use the Startup Repair feature on the Windows install media to automatically diagnose and fix common boot issues (source).
For drives not detected in BIOS, ensure the drive jumper settings match the configuration. Check for loose cables, damage, or obsolete firmware. Trying updating the motherboard BIOS and hard drive controller drivers if applicable.
If the drive boots but critical data is missing, scan for disk errors and attempt data recovery using professional software like Recoverit Data Recovery before proceeding.