How to remove the Hard Drive from a Laptop

If you want to install a hard drive or SSD in your laptop, you should know how to remove the Hard Drive from a laptop before you buy anything.

We are going to contemplate the possible errors and the steps that you must take before starting the process. This installation is becoming more and more common among many users, because having a 500 GB HDD is no longer worth it, even 1 TB!

In laptops, all HDDs are 2.5 inches, which is the same format as an SSD, but others offer the possibility of having an M.2 SSD. This post is about how to remove the hard drive, so you can do whatever you want later.

How to remove the Hard Drive from a Laptop?

There are many possible mistakes or errors that can be made in the process of removing and installing a hard drive, so let’s try to cover all of them, hopefully we don’t forget any of them!

1. Check the HDD or SSD you have and the Compatibility

We understand that many of you wonder how to remove the hard drive from a laptop for 2 reasons:

• Reuse it on another device.
• Install a new one that is better.

Before buying anything and opening the laptop, check what HDD or SSD you have installed and if your laptop is “exquisite” with compatibilities.

See Also: What happens when you Close the LID on your Laptop

For example, in Macs we can find certain incompatibilities in very specific models, so study the model of your laptop well. How to check the HDD or SSD you have?

• Open “This PC” and right click on a drive to select “Properties “.
• Open the new window, go to the « hardware » tab to see the name of all the units.
• However, you will see that there are incomplete names, as is the case with my M.2 Sabrient

2. Laptop with lid for removal

Before starting to unscrew, we must see if there is an exclusive cover under the laptop to extract units.

There are models that come with this possibility and simplify the whole process to remove 2-4 screws and remove the hard drive.

If you don’t see this cover and you only see screws… it gives me that you will have to open the entire bottom part of the laptop, although I emphasize again that, depending on the model, it can be opened through the keyboard.

So, it’s time to study your model and search YouTube for a tutorial to see how they open it. If your laptop is ASUS, HP or Lenovo, you’re sure to be in luck.

3. Tools Needed

More than a step, it is a prerequisite to opening the laptop, but we always recommend buying an I Fixit kit because it is super complete and we have enough to open a laptop. Specifically, we will need 2 things:

• Small Phillips head screwdriver
• A jimmy, which is still a thin metal tip that is used to insert it through the laptop’s joint and finish detaching it.

Try the screwdrivers you have around the house to see if they fit on the laptop; this will saves you money. If not, I recommend buying a universal screwdriver that comes with replaceable heads, like this one:

Likewise, I once again emphasize the I Fixit kits (they don’t pay us) because they are kits prepared for small devices such as Smartphones, tablets and laptops.

4. Before you Unscrew, read this!

Read carefully what I am going to tell you because there are a thousand errors in this step. First of all, I recommend taking a sheet of paper and draw the locations of each screw on it to deposit each screw there and control the order.

NOT ALL SCREWS ARE THE SAME: This means that, since you do not remember where each one went, you will see that some do not fit or the thread is not the same.

Many of you will give up and leave the laptop screwed with fewer screws because there will be several that do not know where they go. Manufacturers like ASUS greatly differentiate the screws, both in thickness and in length.

It is very easy to avoid this mistake: We take a sheet of paper, draw the locations simulating the laptop and place the extracted screw in each circle. In this way, we will know where each one goes when we have to close it.

See Also: May Laptop won’t TURN ON: What is the Solution

The second mistake I see is that many users think they have finished unscrewing all the screws, but forget to check the non-slip rubber pads.

Many manufacturers place a screw under some (ASUS, for example), so check all of them before you start pulling the case.

As a last piece of advice, work on a table because if not, it will be all chaos.

5. We pass the Jimmy or Lime before Pulling the Carcass

Another very common mistake is not passing the jimmy or the file before starting to detach the tabs from the casing one by one.

We have to pass the jimmy through the laptop joint (the line that separates the keyboard part and the bottom part) to gently detach the bottom or top part, depending on the opening method.

This will help to detach the upper part from the lower part, and we will be able to manually detach each tab from the casing easier and safer.

6. Before seeing how to remove the hard drive from a laptop, disconnect the battery

We must leave all the components without power, and it is possible that the battery has supplied some electricity to the circuit in the last few hours.

To make sure we don’t cause any damage, we will disconnect the battery before extracting any component (you will probably have to unscrew more).

With the battery disconnected, we can proceed to remove the hard drive safely.

Removing the Hard Drive from a Laptop: Simple and Fast

We have to locate the hard drive on the motherboard, and it will be very easy for you to do so because it is clearly visible (like the image above).

It is very important that you do not force anything: neither screws, nor sticker, nor the dis-anchoring of the SATA port.

See Also: What happens when you Close the LID

If you are not careful, you can damage some part of the motherboard and make it unusable. You will see that it is very simple and that many come with a kind of golden film like the one you see in the photo, something flimsy. Being careful is enough.

Close Everything Again

I assume that you have changed the HDD, and if not you already had another unit in the laptop, so it’s time to close everything again. The steps to perform are simple:

• We reconnect the battery correctly.
• We put the casing and attach it well: That all the tabs are fitted.
• We begin to screw in an orderly manner, just as we said before.
• With everything correctly assembled, we will have finished the process.

Have you seen? It is not complicated at all and can be done by anyone without much knowledge: Here skill’s worth more than knowledge.

We hope that this information has been useful to you and that you will be able to do it without any errors or problems. If you have any questions, comment below so we can help you.