How Do I Install a Second Hard Drive? Here's the Full Guide

Updated by

Tracy King 

Updated on April 22, 2024

Do you know how to add a new hard drive to Windows 10? How about installing a second hard drive or SSD in a Windows 10/8/7 computer? Follow this guide to learn how to install a disk, set it up, and utilize it on your own right now:

PAGE CONTENT: Please provide the text you would like me to translate into English.

#1. Install (Add) a Second Hard Drive to PC
#2. Set Up The Second Hard Drive (Initialize & Partition Disk)
#3. Utilize The Second Hard Drive (Transfer Data & Applications)

#1. Install (Add) a Second Hard Drive to PC

Tools list:

• The new hard drive
• A SATA data cable
• A power cable
• A screwdriver
• Screws
• A hard drive tray

Step 1. Slide your hard drive into the hard drive tray. Secure the hard drive to the tray with screws.

Step 2. Open the computer case, and connect the SATA data cable to the motherboard of your computer.

Insert the SATA data cable into your computer motherboard

Step 3. Grab the SATA cable and power cable, and take them to where you'll be installing the hard drive.

Step 4. Plug two cables into your hard drive.

Connect the power cable and SATA cable to the second hard drive

Now that you've installed the second hard drive in your computer, simply press the power button to restart your computer and proceed to the next guide to set up the second hard drive.

#2. Set Up The Second Hard Drive (Initialize & Partition Disk)

Tools List: Partition management software - Partition Master tool.

To make your hard drive appear and be correctly detected in your computer, you need to initialize the disk, establish the appropriate partition style, and create partitions on the disk.

那么应该选择哪种样式呢？推荐的分区样式：

< li > MBR - Disk with a capacity of 2TB or smaller. < /li > < li > GPT - Disk with a capacity of 2TB or larger, or a new SATA SSD. < /li >

With the New Disk Guide feature in AOMEI Partition Assistant, it simplifies the process for you: partition the hard drive and initialize the disk simultaneously.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, go to Partition Manager and click “Partition this disk” on the pop-up New Disk Wizard window.

Step 2. Determine the number of partitions you need to create and set the partition style for your disk - either MBR or GPT.

Or, you can accept the default setting offered by the tool Partition Master. When ready, click "Proceed".

Step 3. Click "Execute 1 Task" and "Apply" to finalize partitioning the new HDD/SSD or external disk.

This will create several volumes of equal size on the disk, for example, two 250 GB volumes on a 500 GB disk.

This guide also applies to resolving the issues: "Disk Unknown Not Initialized" or "Second Hard Drive Not Showing Up" error.

Once you've created volumes on the new disk, you can stop here. But if you need to utilize the hard drive, proceed with the following guide for assistance.

#3. Utilize the Second Hard Drive (Transfer Data & Applications)

Tools List: File and application transfer tool - Todo PCTrans Tool.

Here, we've gathered two categories of needs and provided corresponding tips to assist you in utilizing the second hard drive.

#1. Transfer Large Files to the Second Hard Drive

If you intend to use the second hard drive as a data disk, you can now copy and paste large files onto the second disk.

Alternatively, you can directly move folders on your C: drive to the second disk using a tool like Todo PCTrans:

How to Move Large Files from OneDrive to Another?

In order to optimize the method for transferring large files, the tool Todo PCTrans now updates its large file cleanup feature, supporting the movement of files larger than 20MB to another drive (partition root and custom directories). See how it works.

#2. Move Programs or Apps to a Second Hard Drive

Please note that if your operating system drive is logically too small, another way to alleviate the strain is to move the installed programs to a second hard drive. In this scenario, tools like Todo PCTrans with its Local App Migration feature can come in handy.

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Additionally, you can also install Windows 10 on the second hard drive. If you're interested, please click on the link below:

How to Install Windows 10 on Second Hard Drive

This guide offers a comprehensive walkthrough on installing Windows 10 on a secondary hard drive/SSD. You can utilize Partition Master for swift OS migration or the Windows Media Creation Tool to create an installation disc.

Installing a Second Hard Drive Can Be Done On Your Own, Optimize Your Computer Now

On this page, we provided a comprehensive guide detailing the entire process of adding a new second hard drive to your Windows computer:

1. 1. Install the new disk
2. 2. Initialize and partition the new disk
3. 3. Utilize the second disk

To streamline the entire process, we will use a tool called Partition Master, a partition management software, to guide you through initializing the disk and partitioning it efficiently.

If you're experienced in setting up computers and managing hard drives, you can also utilize disk management to make it appear on your computer. In short, installing and configuring a new disk on your computer isn't complicated. Follow this DIY guide to enhance your computer's performance now.