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How to remove the Hard Disk Drive POWER OFF ! This is the most important step. If you are in the middle of something, save your files etc then power off and unplug the computer from the mains. Beware the PSU (power supply unit) within the computer as it holds a residual charge. The square box in the top left of the computer below is the PSU. You can see the black power cable plugged into it. There shouldn't be any need to touch this unit. Discharge Static electricity Touch a grounded metal object such as a metal filing cabinet or central heating pipes to discharge any static electricity. A Static discharge can damage or destroy sensitive electronic components in your computer. Remove the outer casing The casing can be held in place in a number of different ways. The most common way is with about 4 small screws. On later computers the casing may clip or slide into position or be a combination of these methods. The casing needs to be removed to gain access to the hard drive. On newer computers it is usually possible to remove just the side panel to gain access to the inside of the computer. On older computers it may be necessary to remove all the cables from the back before the outer case can be removed. If it is necessary to remove the cables please label both the cables and sockets before removing so it is easier to re-inserted them later. Identify the hard disk An example of an older hard disk can be seen below. The position of the hard disk within the computer may vary from computer to computer and there are many different types of hard disk so the actual disk drive may look slightly different. One major feature of the Hard disk is that it will not have a slot to insert a disk. The hard drive is a sealed unit to keep the disk dust free. This helps in finding the hard disk. If you look at the front of the computer you will be able to see the devices with slots such as floppy disk drives, zip drives, cd / dvd devices and photo card devices on the latest computers. What is left should be the hard disk drive.    Unplug the hard drive. On older style hard drive there are 2 cables in the back of the drive. One is a thick grey ribbon cable, the other is the power cable. The newer types of hard disk drive have a much thinner cable attaching it. Make a note of how they are plugged in as you will need to reconnect them at a later date. A gentle tug should release the cables.    Remove the mounting screws On each side of the hard drive there are 2 or 3 small screws which hold the hard disk in place preventing any movement. Sometimes the disks are inserted in a draw that slides out for easy access. Remove the Front cover After the mounting screws have been removed it should be possible to remove the hard disk. However, on some computers space is limited and it may be necessary to pass the hard disk through the front of the computer. To do this you may need to remove the front cover. On some computers such as in the example below the cover just clips off.