

- #Convert external hard drive for mac an windows new install#
- #Convert external hard drive for mac an windows new Pc#
I’ve had the latter happen, and rather than discarding a perfectly good hard drive, I simply installed into a machine.

More specifically, if an external drive fails, it could either be the disk drive itself, or it could be the USB conversion circuitry. There’s one additional scenario worth considering: external drive failure. There’s one less external box to deal with, and the drive will probably operate faster internally than across a USB interface.
#Convert external hard drive for mac an windows new Pc#
Moving an external drive into a PC is generally done as a convenience. Can I Use an Internal Hard Drive from an Old Machine as an External Drive on a New One? covers the topic. While moving an external drive into a computer is possible, the reverse is actually much more common: moving an internal drive into an external USB enclosure. Drive speed is typically not a limiting factor when placed behind a USB interface, and slower drives also run cooler, reducing the need for an external drive to include powerful cooling fans, or perhaps any fan at all.

My expectation is that drive manufacturers use their slower drives in external boxes.
#Convert external hard drive for mac an windows new install#
So yes, open the case and you’ll likely find a standard hard drive you can then install directly into your PC. Depending on the drive, there might be an external power supply, or “ brick”. Most external hard drives are simply standard hard drives in a box with an additional circuit board that converts their native interface to USB. Inside that external hard drive is an internal hard drive. However, there are a few caveats to be aware of. In most cases, the answer is a resounding yes.
