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Can I Install An HDD In My Laptop That Already Has An SSD Without Doing Anything Special?

My laptop is running out of space, and I plan to add an extra HDD for storage use. The device is running on a 1TB SSD now, and the OS is installed on the SSD. I am wondering if I can install the HDD on my laptop that has an SSD without doing anything special or changes?

Best Answered by

Larissa· Answered on Mar 25, 2024

The answer is Yes, you can add an HDD without doing anything special if you just use the HDD as a storage drive, not as a boot drive.

Actually, there are two situations while installing an HDD on your laptop:

1️⃣Use HDD as a storage drive

In this scenario, you don't need to do anything special. Just shut down your laptop, install the HDD, and restart your laptop. It will boot from the SSD by default, and you can use HDD to expand storage capacity.

2️⃣Use HDD as a boot drive

In this case, you need to move and clone the operating system from the SSD to HHD, and then boot your laptop from the HDD.

While moving OS from SSD to HDD, you need to clone it to ensure no data loss. EaseUS Disk Copy is the choice for most people to make a successful disk cloning. Compatible with various types of HDDs and SSDs, you can use it to clone only OS from HDD to SSD and vice versa. Download and start cloning now.

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Install the new HDD on your laptop.
Launch EaseUS Disk Copy, and select the Disk Mode.
Choose the old SSD as the source disk, and the new HDD as the target disk, and click Next.
Check the disk layout and click Proceed to start cloning.

After the cloning process finishes, restart the laptop, and keep holding the hotkey, such as F2, F10, F8, etc., until the BIOS screen comes up. Choose the cloned HDD as the boot drive, and it will boot your laptop from the HDD.

🔗Related Article: How to Use SSD and HDD Together at the Same Time

Download the smartest and easiest Disk Cloning Software

Use EaseUS Disk Copy to upgrade small HDD, replace old/failed hard drive, migrate OS, clone HDD to SSD without reinstalling data.

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