Are you running out of free space on your computer's drive? You've uninstalled unused programs and cleaned it up, but still cannot free up any more room? Doing computer repair, I've seen this often and have personally run out of space more times than I care to remember. Here's how to upgrade the drive in your computer.

Changing out a drive may sound scary, but it's not. If your existing drive is healthy and you have a good backup of the data on it, you should be good to go. The procedure is the same for desktop computers and laptops, with slight differences due to the form factor (physical size).

Before proceeding to clone your existing drive, it is highly recommended that you turn off any drive encryption, such as BitLocker. Once you have successfully cloned your drive, you can turn back on the drive encryption.

How to turn off BitLocker drive encryption

Three different drives side-by-side

There are two (2) types of drives, SSD (Solid State Drive) and HDD (Hard Disk Drive), two (2) different types of drive interfaces, SATA (7 pin connection cable) and PCI-Express (59-66 notched pins), and three (3) different form factors (physical size) of drives; 3.5" and 2.5" (the dimension relates to the width of the drive) and M.2 (width 22 MM / length varies between 16 - 110 MM). SSDs and HDDs come in 3.5" and 2.5" sizes; SSDs come in the 2.5" and M.2 form factor. Laptops use the 2.5" / M.2 form factor, and desktop computers can use either size.

If you plan on using a 2.5" drive in a desktop computer, you may have to use 2.5" to 3.5" adapter brackets. Also, if you are installing a 2.5" SSD into a laptop, check the physical dimensions first. Some SSDs are taller (thicker) than standard 2.5" HDDs and may not fit into a laptop. And if you are planning on using an M.2 drive that has a heatsink in a laptop, check to make sure that you have enough space (height), as most laptops do not have room for the additional height (thickness) to accommodate an M.2 drive with a heatsink attached.

View of drive properties inside of Disk Management

The next thing to do is find out what you have for an existing drive using Disk Management. Right-click on the Start button to bring up the Power User menu, then left-click on Disk Management. Find the disk you want to upgrade, right-click on the disk name (Disk 0, Disk 1, etc.), and select Properties. On the General tab, you will find the model number of that drive. Do a Google search for it and find the specifications (form factor, data capacity, and interface). Now, it's just a matter of getting a new drive that matches the form factor and interface you want to use. Remember that your new drive's data capacity has to be equal to or larger than your existing drive.

If your existing drive is an HDD, the first thing to do is to check the current drive for errors. Running a Checkdisk will find any errors that might prevent the successful cloning of the drive.

Running Checkdisk in Windows 11

Running Checkdisk in Windows 10

If errors are found on the existing drive, you may be unable to use the new drive's manufacturer's software. In this case, you will have to use third-party software like R-Drive that can ignore read errors.

Two ways to clone a hard drive

Drive-to-drive cloning

Drive-to-drive is the easiest to do, and a few drive manufacturers (Western Digital, Seagate, etc.) have free utilities to do this. There are also a few free disk cloning utilities out there. Check out the UBCD; it has a few. All you have to do is turn off your computer and attach the new drive internally using a SATA or PCI-e port or externally using a docking station or external USB enclosure. If your system is a desktop computer, consult the manufacturer's documentation on how to do this. If it's a laptop, you will have to attach it using either a USB adapter or inside of an external case.

A laptop drive connected to a USB adapter

If you plan on reusing your existing laptop drive, an external case might be the way to go. That way, when you're done, you can put your current drive into it, reformat it, and use it as an external drive for storage.

Once the new drive is ready, start your computer, install the manufacturer's software, and start the disk clone. If you're installing a larger drive, always remember to check and make sure that the new free space is going to partition you want to expand. Once done, just power off the computer and change the drives out. If your system is a laptop, consult the manufacturer's documentation on how to change out the drive. When you clone a drive, you copy everything, including the MFT (Master File Table). Run a Checkdisk to make sure everything copied over correctly.

Drive-to-image / image-to-drive cloning

Drive-to-image / image-to-drive is a bit harder, but it has an advantage: a full disk backup. There are a few third-party software programs that can expand your current drive partitions to fit a larger capacity drive. If the drive you want to clone has the same capacity but is just a different type, then you can always use Windows Backup.

Windows 11 Backup

Windows 10 Backup

How to create a Windows Recovery Drive (used for restoring Windows Backup images)

This two-step process requires a USB flash drive (16GB or larger) and a USB storage drive (the same capacity as your existing drive). The process is the same as drive-to-drive, but instead of cloning to the new drive, you create a file containing an image of the existing hard drive on a USB storage drive. I prefer using a portable (2.5") external drive, as they don't require any additional source of power (AC adapter).

The first step is to install the cloning software on your existing drive and use it to create an image of your existing drive to the USB storage drive. Once you have created an image of your drive to a USB storage drive, you must make the bootable USB flash drive using the cloning software. After you create the bootable USB flash drive, it's time to start cloning the drive.

Once you have created the drive image and bootable USB drive, you can shut down your computer and change out the drives. Consult the manufacturer's documentation on how to change out the drive. Then you boot your computer back up on the bootable USB drive you created, reconnect your external drive, and restore the drive from the image file.

If you're installing a larger drive, always remember to check and make sure that the new free space is going to partition you want to expand. Once done, just shut the system down, remove the boot disk, and start it back up. When you clone a drive, you copy everything, including the Master File Table, so run a Checkdisk to verify that all of the data is in good working condition.

For more information on upgrading computer drives, click on the following links.

How to clone the drive in your Windows computer

How to upgrade your computers hard disk drive to a solid state drive

Is your Windows-based computer having trouble connecting to the Internet? One of the most frequent issues I get doing computer repair is the loss of network connectivity. Don't worry. There are several things you can do to restore your network connection. Here are three things you can do to restore network connectivity.

Check your network hardware

The first step in restoring network connectivity on your Windows-based computer is to check your network hardware. Start by ensuring that your modem and router are powered on and properly connected. Check the indicator lights on the modem and router to confirm that they are functioning correctly. If you're using a wired connection, make sure that the Ethernet cable is securely plugged into both your computer and the router or modem. If you're using a wireless connection, verify that your computer's Wi-Fi is turned on and that you're connected to the correct network.

If your network hardware appears to be functioning correctly, try power cycling your modem and router. To do this, disconnect the power cables from both devices, wait for about 30 seconds, and then plug them back in. This can help resolve temporary network connectivity issues caused by glitches in the hardware.

Reset your network adapter(s)

If you recently installed or uninstalled software before losing your network connection, some of your TCP/IP settings could have been changed. TCP/IP is the Internet protocol suite used for the Internet and networks in general. Resetting them back to default is easy, and there are two ways of doing it.

Reset the TCP/IP stack and Winsock interface using an administrator command prompt

There are two ways to reset your network adapter(s): simple and advanced. The procedures are similar for all current versions of Windows, with a few differences. Just click on the link below for your Windows version.

Resetting your network adapter in Windows 11

Resetting your network adapter in Windows 10

Reinstall your network adapter(s)

Sometimes, the network adapter settings, wired or wireless, may get corrupted and cause a loss of network connectivity. Uninstalling and then reinstalling the driver(s) will reset it back to manufacturer defaults. Just right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager from the Power User menu. Once Device Manager is open, expand the network adapters section. From there, right-click on the adapter you want to reinstall and select Uninstall.

Do not delete the driver when reinstalling the network adapter

When the Uninstall Device prompt comes up, make sure the Delete the driver software for this device box is unchecked, as you want to keep the driver, and then click on Uninstall. Exit Device Manager and restart Windows. When Windows restarts, it will discover the network adapter and automatically install the driver(s) with the default settings.

In conclusion, restoring network connectivity on your Windows-based computer may involve checking your network hardware or resetting/reinstalling your network adapter(s). By following these three tips, you can effectively diagnose and resolve network connectivity issues, keeping your computer connected and online.

I know that change is good, but sometimes I just fear it. A case in point is my smartphone. I liked my original Droid; it was small enough to fit in my pocket and did everything I needed it to do. But it started to show its age, and newer Android apps wouldn't run on it, so I decided it was time to get a new phone. And the move was relatively easy.

The biggest problem I was facing was the installation of my apps. Some of them were installed before Google created the Android Market, now known as Google Play. I had sync 'd my old Droid with my Google account, so some of my apps were shown as installed inside of Google Play. And there was a couple that was not, and I would have to install them manually.

Both of my Droids appear in My Devices in Google Play

Since my Droid survived so long (over four years), I decided to go with a newer version, the Droid 4. The first thing I did was add the Droid 4 to my Google account and then go over to Google Play. It was now listed in my devices, and I could install apps on it. I went to Apps > My apps, and all of my apps showed up.

Apps show they are installed but not on what device

But when I selected one, it would show it as installed but didn't show what device it was installed on. When I clicked on the 'Installed' button, I was given a list of my devices to choose from. From there, it was pretty easy to get the apps I had on my Droid installed on my Droid 4.

When installing Google Play apps, you have a choice of which device

The next thing I had to do was get my photos, music, etc., off my Droid and on to my Droid 4. Everything was on the micro SD card in my Droid, and since the Droid 4 did not come with a micro SD card, I just powered off both devices and moved my existing 16 GB micro SD card from the Droid to the Droid 4. When I started up the Droid 4, all of my data was found. I simply connected my Droid 4 as a mass storage device to my computer via a USB cable and moved files in between the internal storage and the micro SD card.

List thing I did was manually install the apps that were not listed in Google Play. Once that was done, I had to do some configuration on the apps I had just installed. This took the most time of all. But when it was all done, my Droid 4 was ready to go and working great.

So you just got a new computer and are ready to go. You're going to install programs and transfer files to it. But before you personalize it, you should do a few things first. Here are five things you should do first when you get a new computer.

Register your new computer

Here's one that almost everyone, including myself, postpones until a later time. The problem is we never get around to it; we keep putting it off. But if something ever goes wrong with your new computer, you will be glad you did. This is one of those 'do it right now' items. Then you can forget all about it and hope you never need it.

Get the latest Windows updates

You might think that your new computer is up to date, being brand new. But the fact is you don't know when the manufacturer made the operating system image used on your hard drive. Windows 8 had updates available before it even went on sale. Run Windows Update to check for updates; odds are there are some available. You may have to run Windows Update more than once to get all the updates. But doing it right now will get your new computer entirely up to date before you start installing your programs.

Activate or install anti-virus software

Almost all computer manufacturers will pre-install some anti-virus software. It's usually only a 30 to 60-day trial subscription and will run out before you know it. If you plan on keeping it, buy a full subscription now and be done with it. If you want to use other anti-virus software, including the built-in Windows Defender, now is the time to change it.

Remember to uninstall the anti-virus software that came with your new computer before installing any other. Windows Defender can detect when another anti-virus program is installed or uninstalled and will disable or enable its real-time scanning. Remember that having two or more third-party anti-virus programs running on the same computer will significantly decrease performance.

Set up a backup system

Establishing a reliable backup system is crucial when you get a new computer. Whether it's an external hard drive, a cloud-based service, or both, regularly backing up your data can save you from a potential disaster in the future. Set up automatic backups to ensure that your important files are always protected.

How to backup your Windows 11 computer using Windows Backup and File History

How to backup your Windows 10 computer using Windows Backup and File History

Uninstall unnecessary bloatware

Many new computers come with pre-installed software, also known as bloatware, that you may never use. Review the programs installed on your computer and remove any you don't need. This can free up valuable disk space and improve your computer's performance.

By following these five steps, you can ensure that your new computer is set up for success. Taking the time to update software, install security measures, set up backups, and remove bloatware will help you get the most out of your new device. Enjoy your new computer!

Do you have a laptop or desktop computer you don't use anymore? Maybe it got really slow or even stopped working altogether. It seems like everyone has at least one nowadays. I'm talking about the one in the garage or closet that's doing nothing but taking up space and collecting dust. Here are a few ideas on what you can do with an old computer, working or not.

A laptop and desktop computer ready for recycling

What you can do with your old computer if it does work

Give it away

If your old computer is still working reasonably well, giving it to a family member or friend is a great idea. I recommend that you get all your data off of the computer and then create a new user with administrative privileges. Log off and then log back in as the new user and delete your original user profile. If you want to be sure your data cannot be recovered, run a disk defragmenter like Defraggler and then use CCleaner to wipe the free space.

Sell it

eBay and Craigslist can be great places to sell your old computer. If you have the original installation media or have made the recovery media, you can just reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows. Just make sure you securely erase all of your data first. If you don't have the original installation media, you can clean it up. Just like giving it away, create a new administrative user, log off, and back on as a new user. Then delete your old user account and uninstall any software you don't want going with the computer.

Donate it

As long as your old computer runs reasonably well, why not give it another life by donating it to your local school, church, or senior center. Or you can donate it to a non-profit organization like Goodwill and get a tax write-off. Either way, it will get reused. Just make sure you have or make the installation/recovery media, securely wipe the hard drive(s), and reinstall the operating system before donating it.

What you can do with your old computer if it does not work

Recycle it

Just tossing your old computer in the trash is a no-no. In fact, in some states, it's illegal. The materials used to construct it, like lead solder, can contaminate the ground in which it's buried. There are companies that will recycle the materials from your old computer. Just do a search for 'pc recycling' for a company in your area.

Part-it out

The odds are there are some parts of your old computer that can be reused. Here's a list of some of the components that could easily be reused:

How to tell if your hard drive is SATA or PATA