How do you take a hard drive out of a computer?

The easiest way is to connect your hard drive to an USB hard drive adapter or USB hard drive dock, then plug this USB adapter ot dock into the USB port of your computer. The computer will see this as an external storage device, you can then open the various folders and copy the folders or files to the computer,
If you want to copy these folders or files to another hard disk then connect the other hard drive to the USB hard drive adapter or USB hard drive dock and plug it into your computer and copy the folders or files from your computer to the external hard drive.

You can copy files off your old hard drive (if it still working). Remove the hard drive from the computer and attach it to an USB hard drive adapter then plug the USB hard drive adapter and hard drive into an USB port of a working computer.
The computer will detect the USB adapter/hard drive as an external storage device (if the hard drive is OK), you can then open the various folders and files to copy and or backup your data.
After you have installed Windows on your new hard drive then you can copy your files/data onto your new hard drive/computer.

To back up the data from this hard drive, connect this hard drive to an USB hard drive adapter, then plug this USB adapter with the hard drive into the USB port of a working computer. The computer will see this hard drive as an external mass storgae device. You can then open the folders and files on this hard drive and copy your data to this computer or to an USB memory stick.

It depends upon where the hard disk is to be installed, ie. in a desktop computer, in a laptop or in an USB hard drive case.

A 3 1/2 inch hard drives can be a IDE/PATA or a SATA type. Older computers use IDE/PATA hard drives and the maximum size you can install in a desktop depends upon the computer's BIOS.
SATA hard drives are generally used in later model computers and the size of the hard drive is not limited by the BIOS.

A 2 1/2 inch hard drives are used in laptops and are available in IDE/PATA and SATA types. The size and limitations of IDE/PATA hard drives also apply to laptops. The same applies to SATA hard drives.
The choice and size of hard drive depends upon your requirements and how much you want pay.
Don't forget to check BIOS for the maximum IDE/PATA hard drive size you can install in your computer.

Hi,
I have had problems like this many times with some of my IBM machines. What i find most often the reason the bios will not recognize them is because the hard drive has gone bad.
Troubleshooting 1. Unplug power cable from computer before doing anything inside of the computer. Unplug sata cable from motherboard and hard drive. Unplug power cable from hard drive.
Plug the sata cable back into the motherboard and into the hard drive. Plug the power cable back into the hard drive. Plug the power cable back into the computer.
Boot computer and enter bios(by pressing F8, Enter, Del ect..) Does the hard drive show in there now?
2. If you have another hard drive.
Unplug power cable from computer before doing anything inside of the computer. Unplug sata cable from hard drive. Unplug power cable from hard drive.
Plug the sata cable into the second hard drive. Plug the power cable into the second hard drive. Plug the power cable back into the computer.
Boot up the computer and enter the bios. Does this hard drive show in the bios? If so then i would say that your original hard drive has gone bad.

1 Unplug the computer. As a safety precaution the hard drive removal should not be attempted while the computer is still plugged into the house current.
2 Pull the cover off the computer. This should be as simple as removing a few screws and sliding off the cover. If the process seems more involved that this, then consult your owner’s manual for the computer.
3
Locate the hard drive.The hard drive usually comes in the shape of a black-plastic rectangular box enclosed in a metal casing. It is linked to other components by a unique connecting device that is easily recognizable. This device is a long plastic ribbon-like cord that has a long interlocking and connecting device attached to it.
4 Remove the metal housing. This should be as simple as removing a few screws.
5
Disconnect the hard drive. All you have to do is pull the interlocking end of the lock ribbon cord until it coves free. This should not require an extraordinary amount of strength. It is similar to pulling an electrical cord from a wall socket.
Read more: How to Take a Hard Drive Out of a Computer | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4450021_take-hard-drive-out-computer.html#ixzz0qvQCfJhS

Step 6 Unscrew anything that is still holding the hard drive in place and then pull the hard drive unit out of the computer. Now you can externally hook the hard drive to another computer to double check the data base. For this you will need an external holder, which you can purchase for $25 to $50 at your local computer store. Or you can add the hard drive unit to the inside of another computer tower.

Read more: How to Take a Hard Drive Out of a Computer | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4450021_take-hard-drive-out-computer.html#ixzz0qvQ9MXYe

Step 5 Disconnect the hard drive. All you have to do is pull the interlocking end of the lock ribbon cord until it coves free. This should not require an extraordinary amount of strength. It is similar to pulling an electrical cord from a wall socket.

Read more: How to Take a Hard Drive Out of a Computer | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4450021_take-hard-drive-out-computer.html#ixzz0qvQ5WTOQ

Step 4 Remove the metal housing. This should be as simple as removing a few screws.

Step 5 Disconnect the hard drive. All you have to do is pull the interlocking end of the lock ribbon cord until it coves free. This should not require an extraordinary amount of strength. It is similar to pulling an electrical cord from a wall socket.

Read more: How to Take a Hard Drive Out of a Computer | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4450021_take-hard-drive-out-computer.html#ixzz0qvQ1AnQp

Step 3 Locate the hard drive.The hard drive usually comes in the shape of a black-plastic rectangular box enclosed in a metal casing. It is linked to other components by a unique connecting device that is easily recognizable. This device is a long plastic ribbon-like cord that has a long interlocking and connecting device attached to it.

Step 4 Remove the metal housing. This should be as simple as removing a few screws.

Step 5 Disconnect the hard drive. All you have to do is pull the interlocking end of the lock ribbon cord until it coves free. This should not require an extraordinary amount of strength. It is similar to pulling an electrical cord from a wall socket.

Step 6 Unscrew anything that is still holding the hard drive in place and then pull the hard drive unit out of the computer. Now you can externally hook the hard drive to another computer to double check the data base. For this you will need an external holder, which you can purchase for $25 to $50 at your local computer store. Or you can add the hard drive unit to the inside of another computer tower.

Read more: How to Take a Hard Drive Out of a Computer | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4450021_take-hard-drive-out-computer.html#ixzz0qvPuIEwv

Step 2 Pull the cover off the computer. This should be as simple as removing a few screws and sliding off the cover. If the process seems more involved that this, then consult your owner’s manual for the computer.

Step 3 Locate the hard drive.The hard drive usually comes in the shape of a black-plastic rectangular box enclosed in a metal casing. It is linked to other components by a unique connecting device that is easily recognizable. This device is a long plastic ribbon-like cord that has a long interlocking and connecting device attached to it.

Step 4 Remove the metal housing. This should be as simple as removing a few screws.

Step 5 Disconnect the hard drive. All you have to do is pull the interlocking end of the lock ribbon cord until it coves free. This should not require an extraordinary amount of strength. It is similar to pulling an electrical cord from a wall socket.

Step 6 Unscrew anything that is still holding the hard drive in place and then pull the hard drive unit out of the computer. Now you can externally hook the hard drive to another computer to double check the data base. For this you will need an external holder, which you can purchase for $25 to $50 at your local computer store. Or you can add the hard drive unit to the inside of another computer tower.

Read more: How to Take a Hard Drive Out of a Computer | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4450021_take-hard-drive-out-computer.html#ixzz0qvPnVKmo

“No Hard Disk” error displayed on XP install (SATA drive versus ATA/IDE drive) The two most most popular types of hard drives in personal computers are ATA (also known as IDE hard drive) and SATA hard drives. Many newer computers have SATA hard drives installed, but your computer may have either an (older design) ATA/IDE hard drive or a (newer design) SATA hard drive installed.
After removing Vista, when you reboot your computer, a “No Hard Disk” error may be displayed if your computer has a SATA drive installed. To fix the “No Hard Disk” error, you may need configure your computer’s BIOS settings so that it can recognize the SATA drive installed in you computer. Reconfiguring your BIOS is typically not required if your computer has an ATA/IDE hard drives installed.

Step 1: Activate your computer’s BIOS menu. The first or second screen your computer displays on status may display which key (or keys) you must press to activate your computer’s BIOS menu. You can also look in the index of your computer’s manual for “BIOS” or you can try passing the [Del] or [F1] key when text is first displayed after powering on your computer.

Step 2: BIOS menus vary by computer, but there are seldom more than a few menu categories. Review the “Main” and “Advanced” menu categories to locate your hard drive setting. When you locate the hard drive setting, be sure to note the original drive setting in the bios so that you can restore the original drive setting if your new configuration doesn’t work.

Step 3: Change the drive setting to “IDE,” then save the BIOS settings (usually by pressing the [F10] function key then restart your computer.
If changing your BIOS hard drive setting to IDE doesn’t work, return to step one and restore the original hard drive setting

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You cannot just connect the hard drive using a SATA to USB cable and connect it to the computer and expect to download data from this hard drive.
You need to connect the hard drive to an USB hard drive adapter which is then connected to a computer's USB port?
Leave the hard drive set as the master drive.

Are the Hard drives setup as master & slave ? (plastic jumper on Hard drive at cable)..... is the Hard drives connected on separate ide cables... if they are ide drives ?