How to Change a Hard Drive

With today's new software programs and advanced technology, you might find your hard drive is too small for your needs. Instead of buying a new computer, you can change your hard drive. Changing a hard drive on a personal computer is not difficult to do. It is easy task to change your hard drive Follow these operating system support instructions to change a hard drive with ease.

Removing a Hard Drive

• Determine if you are adding a main hard drive or a back up hard drive. Disconnect the computer from the power source.
• Remove the screws on the back left of the tower when you are looking at the front of the computer.
• Remove the left-side panel carefully.
• Locate the hard drive which is located near the front of the computer.

Follow the ribbon to make sure it is the primary hard drive. The primary hard drive ribbon connector is usually blue.

• Remove the screws from the sides of the hard drive and remove the hard drive from the bracket.

• Disconnect the hard drive from the ribbon and unplug the power plug from the hard drive and remove.

Installing a New Hard Drive

• Determine if you are adding a main hard drive or a back-up hard drive.
• Check the hard drive connectors for the jumper setting. Make sure the plastic pin on the end of the hard drive is set to "Master" or "CS (cable select)" if you are installing a main hard drive. Make sure the plastic pin on the end of the hard drive is set to "Slave" if you are installing a back up hard drive. The setting of the new hard drive should be the same as the old hard drive.

• Attach the ribbon to the matching plug on the hard drive.

• Place the hard drive in the slot at the front top of the case or screw it into the bracket at the front of the tower.

• Screw the side back on the tower.

• Format your hard drive if it is blank. Your new hard drive is now ready to use.

How to Adjust Your Windows XP Mouse Pointer Settings

This post provide technical support to Access the Windows XP Mouse Settings to adjust your pointer style and speed, plus make the mouse pointer easier to use.

Although you often do not think about your Windows XP mouse pointer, it's something you use every day you work on your computer. Perhaps you don't like the way the mouse is working, such as the fact that Windows XP often does not recognize when you want to double-click an icon. Or maybe the mouse pointer is too hard to see on your screen? The following tip shows you how to access your Windows XP mouse pointer settings for further customization.

1. Click the "Start" button.

2. Click "Control Panel".

3. If a pop-up menu appears when you click "Control Panel", select "Mouse" and skip steps 4-5.

4. Otherwise, the "Control Panel" window should appear.

5. If the window says "Pick a Category", click on "Printers and Other Hardware", and then click "Mouse". Else, just double-click the "Mouse" icon.

From here you can adjust a variety of mouse pointer settings. When done, click "OK" to close the dialog box. Then close the "Control Panel" window.

Troubleshoot Computer Will Not Wake with USB Devices

This blog provide how to Fix Windows XP error where USB keyboards and mice do not wake a machine in hibernation or stand-by mode.


There is a known problem with Windows XP and hibernation / standby mode with USB devices. If you move your mouse during hibernation or suspension, you may not be able to move the mouse again to wake up the machine. Also, in some circumstances, hibernation may cause an error, or the machine may hang when you try to awake it from hibernation.

More information can be read on Microsoft's website at http://www.microsoft.com/ by looking for knowledge base article 822603, or you can run Windows Update and download an update that fixes the problem. Note that this update may not be listed in the "Critical Updates" section; you may need to look through the "Windows XP" section on the left pane of the Windows Update screen.