How to Install a Second Hard Drive in a Dell Xps M1730
- 1). Turn the M1730 off and unplug the power cable. Turn the computer over so that the underside faces you, and locate the cover for the hard drive bay. This rectangular cover is located next to the circular fan intake vent on the bottom of the notebook, and is held in place by two screws.
- 2). Remove the two screws from the hard drive bay cover and lift the cover out to reveal the hard drive bay. The hard drives are secured to the body of the notebook by a metal cage, which transmits heat. Hover your hand over the cage to confirm that it isn't hot enough to burn you.
- 3). Remove the four screws securing the metal cage to the body of the notebook.
- 4). Pull the metal cage out of the body of the notebook until the two data/power cables for the hard drives become visible. Unplug the cable from the existing hard drive, or both drives, if two are installed). Remove the cage from the notebook. Each installed hard drive is secured to the cage with four screws.
- 5). Remove the four screws from the hard drive in the section of the cage marked "1." In the standard configuration, this section of the cage is used for a storage drive, while drive "0" is the main operating system drive. Slide drive "1" out of the system. If only one drive is installed in the cage, skip this step.
- 6). Slide the new hard drive into bay "1" of the metal cage. Line it up so that the holes on the sides of the drive line up with those on the sides of the cage, then screw the drive to the cage.
- 7). Replace the metal cage, connect the cables to the hard drives and close the hard drive bay by reversing the instructions given.
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