Configure Master and Slave in BIOS for Two Hard Drive Disk in a Single System
Having an extra hard-drive installed will allow for more space on your computer. It is also a good solution for backing-up files. After installing the additional hard-drive, you will need to change your computer's Basic Input Output System (BIOS) settings to "Master/Slave."
Steps
- Restart your computer. Watch carefully for the initial boot screen to display and tap the necessary key to over-ride the boot process. Depending on your computer model it will be either "Delete," or "F2." Press it a few times before your Operating System (Windows, etc.) starts up. If you see the operating system display, you've missed the opportunity. You will have to restart your computer again. If you do it right, the BIOS setup screen appears.
- If prompted for a password, enter it and press the "Enter" key.
- Navigate to the "CMOS Setup" and press "Enter". Usually the first BIOS screen to appear is the primary, or basic screen.
- In the CMOS menu, find "Hard Disk" and then the "Primary Master" selection. Press the "Enter" key to detect and configure the primary hard disk, making it the Master Drive.
- Move the cursor to the "Primary Slave" selection and press "Enter" again. Your system will repeat the same process for the second drive, but making this one the Slave Drive.
- Press the "F10" key to save the changes. Exit the setup utility. The computer will restart. If not, manually restart it. Allow the computer to boot normally and you should see all your drives (C, D, E, F…).
Tips
- Typically a computer can have up to 4 drives. To add another set of drives, repeat the process, this time choose the "Secondary Master" and "Secondary Slave" fields.
- Make sure your hard drive cables are connected properly onto the Mother Board before starting this process.
Warnings
- Make sure you and your computer are grounded properly to prevent accidental electrical shock or Mother Board damages caused from electrical surges.
