

Install your old hard drive into the new USB 3.0 enclosureįollow the instructions from your new enclosure to install your hard drive. If you're not sure how to locate the model number, you can also run CrystalDiskInfo for Windows to find it.

Do an Internet search of the model number of the hard drive you pulled to find the height, then try to match it with a compatible enclosure. Many 2.5-inch portable hard drives are 9.5mm in height, but some are 7mm or 12.5mm. One last thing to consider is the physical height of the hard drive. Newegg has a great way to search enclosures based on features, so you might want to start there. A plastic enclosure will work fine, as long as you don't intend to keep it running all day long. Paying too much for an enclosure will defeat the purpose of this exercise, since new USB 3.0 hard drives aren't that expensive these days. In this case, we just need to make sure that our enclosure is USB 3.0, then decide whether we want a plastic or aluminum enclosure.Īluminum is better at cooling and more durable, but it's also more expensive. We went over some of them in a previous post on building external hard drives. There are a couple of factors to consider when choosing an enclosure. When the drive is no longer mounted on the tray by screws, carefully remove the drive from the SATA connector of the enclosure. Once you've opened the old enclosure, remove any mounting screws from the tray that may be located on the sides or the bottom.

In that case, you may need to use a spudger to separate the enclosure. There's also a chance that the enclosure uses tabs instead of screws. Check under rubber feet or other adhesive rubber covers. If you can't find any obvious screws, they may be hidden. Look for seams to give you clues on how the enclosure is put together.

The most difficult part of the upgrade is figuring out how to crack open your old hard drive's enclosure. Remove the hard drive from the old enclosure We recommend you back up any data that may be on the drive before proceeding. It's also possible that you'll damage the original enclosure and or the internal hard drive. Here's how:ĭisclaimer: Opening your portable hard drive's enclosure will likely void your warranty. For as little as $15, you can double your drive's real-world performance. If you have an old USB 2.0 portable hard drive, you can increase its transfer rates by upgrading it to USB 3.0. The most common portable hard drives have USB 2.0 connections, which are great for compatibility, but terrible for performance. How to build your own external hard drive.
