Need help installing an hdd

[spyguy]

I bought a pc around December last year and my 1tb hdd is almost out of space. When looking at the drive cage where the hard drive is installed it looks like it wont fit any more hdds. How can I install a new drive? Im going to buy a large 4-6 tb hdd. Since my ssd has windows on it but the 1tb d drive appears to have a partition on it of some sort should I just swap the drives out?

 

[USAFRet]

1. No, don't "swap out" your drives. Leave the OS on the SSD where its supposed to be.

2. What PC make/model is this?

 

[spyguy]

I bought a prebuilt pc. Its a trace 931 from best buy. I know most people don't recommend prebuilt but its helped me get familiar with pc building as ive swapped out the psu and that kind of stuff. The pc originates from IBUYPOWER and im not sure what the case is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07lFX3TgfxI

 

[spyguy]

Oh and sorry USAFRet I meant swap out the 1tb hdd for a larger drive. The os is on the 240gb ssd.

 

[USAFRet]

OK, that's about an annoying video that tells us nothing.

1. Show us a screencap of your current Disk Management window

2. Are there any free SATA ports on the motherboard?

3. For mounting the drive...you'll just have to look around inside. Where is the current HDD mounted now?

 

[spyguy]

Ah sorry the video was just to show what the inside of the case looked like.
my z270-a pro manual says it has 6x 6gb sata ports so it must have more as I only have two drives.
https://imgur.com/8h4uL8H
Theres a small drive cage in the back/bottom of the case.

 

[USAFRet]

So, for SATA ports you should be fine.
Now, just find a mount for it.

 

[spyguy]

If the drive cage wont fit it, is there an easy way to kind of jury-rig an hdd safely? The drive cage appears to possibly have room for one more hdd, but the cages I have seen usually have easy brackets for quick install. This one looks like another drive would have to screw into a plastic bracket right on top of it.

 

[USAFRet]

If the drive cage wont fit it, is there an easy way to kind of jury-rig an hdd safely? The drive cage appears to possibly have room for one more hdd, but the cages I have seen usually have easy brackets for quick install. This one looks like another drive would have to screw into a plastic bracket right on top of it.

A spinning drive really needs to be securely screwed into a stable mount.

 

[spyguy]

And then theres brackets for another ssd. I guess I could get like a 2tb ssd. I suppose I could order a large hdd, maybe 5-6 tb. Did the image of my disk management mean anything? Does that 100mb partition do anything vital? Im asking because I would be willing to swap the 1tb hdd for a larger one. I don't have a lot of important data on it. Its mostly for convenience. I don't want to keep having to free up disk space to install large applications.

 

[USAFRet]

The Disk Management windows is normal.

Disk 0 is your 1TB HDD, Disk 1 is the SSD.

The 100mb partition on the SSD is absolutely required. That is your boot partition. And it is tiny. Leave it be.

 

[spyguy]

I just realized the ssd is plugged into the JFP1 connector on the board. I don't know what that does. The ssd is will not reach the sata ports. Why is my ssd working fine and not plugged into a sata port?

 

[spyguy]

Or wait does the ssd not connect to the mobo like that? Does the data cable connected to the back of the ssd do the communicating with the mobo? If that's the case is it safe for me to swap the hdd for another larger one?

 

[USAFRet]

I just realized the guys over at IBUYPOWER plugged the ssd into the JFP1 connector on the board. I don't know what that does. The ssd is will not reach the sata ports. Why is my ssd working fine and not plugged into a sata port?

WHAT???
It cannot connect like that.
Physically 2 different type of connections.

The SSD data cable must plug into one of the SATA data ports on the motherboard.
The SATA power comes directly off the PSU.

 

[spyguy]

Two sata ports are taken up. With just two drives it must be a long cable connected to the back of the ssd that reaches around to the sata 1 port. Otherwise only 1 sata port would be taken right?

 

[USAFRet]

Two sata ports are taken up. With just two drives it must be a long cable connected to the back of the ssd that reaches around to the sata 1 port. Otherwise only 1 sata port would be taken right?

Right.
Just some oddly creative wiring.

 

[spyguy]

Pheew. Imaginary crisis averted. Thanks that was a close one.

 

[USAFRet]

Pheew. Imaginary crisis averted. Thanks that was a close one.

In your Disk Management window, we see two drives.
Ergo, they are both connected properly.