How to Replace HP Laptop Hard Drive without Losing Data

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Benefits of HP laptop hard drive replacement

Upgrading the hard drive is a simple and effective way to improve the performance of an old HP laptop and fix disk errors, making it run like new again.

You may want to replace your laptop's hard drive with a larger one for more storage or a faster SSD for quicker startup and performance, but you'll need to transfer your existing data and reinstall the operating system on the new drive, which can be time-consuming and inconvenient.

Before replacing the hard drive on an HP laptop, it's essential to back up all data on the current drive to prevent loss. This can be done using an external hard drive or cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox.

In this article, I'll share my solution.

• Preparations to upgrade hard drive on HP laptop [essential tools]
• To replace an HP laptop's hard drive without losing data, start by backing up all important files to an external drive or cloud storage. Shut down the laptop, unplug the power cord, and locate the hard drive, usually found on the bottom or side of the laptop.

Preparations to upgrade hard drive on HP laptop

To replace the hard drive in an HP computer, you'll need to gather the following items: a replacement hard drive, a screwdriver (preferably a Torx or Phillips head), a plastic spudger or similar tool, a grounding strap (if working with static-sensitive components), and a backup of your important files (in case you're upgrading to a new drive with a different capacity or configuration).

• New drive: Be sure to pick a new hard drive that is compatible with your laptop and will fit in the available space.
• SATA to USB cable: For a laptop with only one drive bay, you should connect the new drive to a USB port using a SATA to USB cable or an SSD enclosure.
• Screwdriver: To replace a hard drive on an HP laptop mechanically, you'll need a screwdriver that fits the screws.
• Cloning tool: Migrating data from an old hard drive to a new SSD or HDD requires reliable disk clone software to ensure a smooth and efficient transfer, especially when compared to reinstalling Windows OS and programs from scratch. The transmission speed and availability of cloned data are also important factors to consider.

I will use Qiling Disk Master Professional because of its simplicity, complete backup and clone features, as well as the fact that it can handle multiple operating systems, is stable and has good customer support.

▪ The software offers three cloning options: System Clone, Partition Clone, and Disk Clone, catering to various migration requirements.
▪ It runs in an intelligent-sector manner by default, which copies only used sectors, allowing you to clone larger HDD to smaller SSD.
▪ If the target drive is larger, you can either perform a sector-by-sector clone to copy all sectors, including unused or logically bad ones, or adjust partition sizes to fully utilize the disk's capacity.
▪ It offers an SSD alignment feature to speed up the target drive, ideal for replacing a laptop HDD with an SSD.

To start the hard drive replacement process, download the software and follow the guide below. It will walk you through the steps necessary to replace your hard drive.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, 100% Secure

In the free trial, clone features can only be shown, not used fully. To access the full functionality, you need to upgrade.

How to replace HP laptop hard drive without losing data

Replacing the hard drive in an HP laptop or desktop is a relatively straightforward process that requires following proper procedures to avoid potential issues. To replace the hard drive, you'll need to back up your data, shut down the computer, unplug it, and remove the old hard drive. Next, you'll need to install the new hard drive, connect the necessary cables, and boot up the computer.

Step 1. Clean up your disk

After long-To free up space on your hard drive, go through your files and delete any that you no longer need or use. Also, uninstall any apps that you don't use anymore. This will help declutter your computer and make it run more efficiently.

Be cautious when dealing with unfamiliar files, especially those on the system partition, as accidental deletion can have serious consequences.

To delete temporary files and free up space securely, you can also perform a Disk Cleanup with a built-in tool.

Step 2. Connect your new drive

For laptops with only one drive bay, you can use a SATA to USB adapter to connect an additional drive externally.

For a laptop, fortunately, there are two drive bays, allowing you to install the new hard drive alongside the old one.

Step 3. Clone hard drive to the new drive

The Disk Clone feature in Qiling Disk Master allows you to clone all partitions containing an operating system on your current disk with a simple process, including factory recovery partitions if present.

📢Note: If you've stored files on the destination hard drive, please back it up using Qiling Disk Master before cloning. The cloning process will overwrite the destination hard drive.

How to clone laptop hard drive to new SSD or HDD:

1. Install and launch Qiling Disk Master Professional, navigate to the Clone tab and choose Disk Clone.

📑Tips:
◑ If you only want to transfer Windows to another drive, choose System Clone. It will automatically select the operating system drive and boot-related drives, so you don't need to worry about missing important system files.
◑ Qiling Disk Master allows cloning of data and system disks from any brand, with support for various partition styles, including MBR to MBR, MBR to GPT, GPT to GPT, and GPT to MBR, but ensure the target disk's partition style matches the boot mode (MBR for legacy BIOS and GPT for UEFI).

2. Choose the current hard drive as the source directory and click "Next".

3. Select the new drive as the cloning destination and click Next.

4. Confirm your operations and proceed. You can also edit the partition size, check optimize for SSD for better speed in destination SSD, or choose sector by sector clone to clone all sectors, used or not.

5. Wait for the cloning to end, click Finish to exit.

▶ If your laptop has 2 drive bays, To keep the old hard drive as a secondary storage device, simply restart your HP laptop, enter the BIOS settings, and set the new hard drive as the primary boot option. Once you've confirmed the laptop can boot from the new drive, you can use the Disk Wipe feature in Qiling Disk Master to securely erase the old hard drive.
▶ If your laptop has only 1 drive bay, please keep reading and follow Step 4, Step 5 to replace the hard drive.

More useful features:

◑ The Edit Partitions feature enables you to resize partitions and change disk type, which is particularly useful for cloning a smaller drive to a larger one. However, it cannot be used simultaneously with the Sector By Sector Clone feature.

• Copy without resizing partitions: It will not resize the partition size.
• Add unused space to all partitions: To reallocate unused space to each partition of the target disk, you can use a tool like `resize2fs` for ext2/ext3 filesystems or `xfs_growfs` for xfs filesystems. These commands will dynamically resize the filesystem to fit the available space on the disk, allowing you to reclaim unused space and make the most efficient use of your storage resources.
• Manually adjust partition size: 1. Extend unallocated space to any partition on the target disk you want.
• Convert the destination disk...: If you want to make the target disk's partition style the same as the source disk, you can convert the partition style of the target disk. This will ensure that the target disk's partition style matches the source disk's partition style, allowing for a seamless transfer of data.

◑ Sector By Sector Clone This feature allows you to copy all sectors on the source hard drive, including unused or logically bad sectors, and can only be used when the target drive is larger.

Step 4. Remove your current hard drive

Before starting HP laptop hard drive replacement:

• Turn off your device, let the components cool down, and then proceed with the troubleshooting steps.
• Remove all cables on the laptop, including the connected new drive, and detach the screws (save them for later use) to take out the battery and back panel.
• Carefully lift the hard drive and remove it from the carrier, taking care not to break any internal wiring.

The process of physically replacing a hard drive varies between different laptop models. For example, HP Pavilion laptops have a specific guide for hard drive replacement, which includes detailed steps and graphics.

I'm happy to help! However, I don't see a video tutorial mentioned in our conversation.

If you're unsure about a specific step on your HP laptop, you can search for tutorial videos of your laptop model on Google or the HP channel on YouTube.

Step 5. Install the new drive and boot the HP laptop from it

• To replace a hard drive, insert the new drive into the carrier and push it back to the drive bay, then reconnect it properly, reversing the steps taken to detach the old drive.
• Reattach the back panel and battery, then secure the drive with the screws you removed earlier using the screwdriver.
• To avoid data loss, restart your laptop and boot Windows from the new drive. This will ensure all necessary files and settings are in place without any issues.

You've successfully upgraded your HP laptop's hard drive to a faster or larger one, and it's now functioning normally.

Summary

To replace the HP laptop hard drive, you can perform the task on your own after making full preparations, and use a cloning software like Qiling Disk Master to preserve all important data.

This tool serves as a daily backup and recovery software, allowing for flexible data protection, even after system replacement. It can be used to create scheduled backups, or to create a bootable disc or USB in case of system failure.

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