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how to install a hard drive step by step
I have a Inspiron 531 with Vista Home Premium. I have SATA 160GB hard drive I want to replace with a SATA 500GB hard drive. I know I have to reinstall the OS and other programs etc. Is there any step by step instructions to do this? thank you
jackshack
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October 8th, 2011 21:00
See this: Restoring or Reinstalling Windows on a Dell. Look at the documents found at the third link titled "Manual Reinstallation."
EDIT: Oops! Forgot you might want the mechanical details as well, though reversing what you do when you remove the old drive would work out pretty well. The Owner's Manual for your Inspiron 531 is here: Inspiron 531 Owner's Manual. Check out the section titled "Removing and Installing Parts." If you wish to install the old drive as a secondary once you have completed the installation of the new drive you will need to purchase a SATA data cable; Dell only ships one cable per installed drive. You will want to have the second cable also if you decide you want to clone your original drive to the new one.