Over time, consoles have gotten better, and hardware has been refined to meet today’s gaming demands. Consider the SNES or SEGA MegaDrive; for example, it was pretty basic compared to modern consoles. And they certainly didn’t have hard drives!
Console hard drives have gotten bigger and bigger over time. The original Xbox only had a 10 GB hard drive, but the Xbox One has a 500 GB hard drive.
How to Replace Xbox One Hard Drive
Before buying a new hard drive, make sure it’s the right size. It has to be 2.5 inches and have a SATA connector.
Some rumours adding an SSD (Solid State Drive) could improve gaming performance, so let’s clear that up. The SATA interface on XBOX One S and XBOX One Original is SATA II, limiting data transfer rates to 3 GB. All regular SATA drives have a storage capacity between 6.0 GB and 8.5 GB, so they are determined by the Xbox motherboard interface and will not benefit from installing an SSD (with a speed of an even larger interface).
The Xbox One X has a SATA III interface, which means its maximum throughput is 6GB. There is some debate about whether installing an SSD in an Xbox One X will improve performance. In our tests, we found that the answer is yes. Boot and game render times improved by around 2-3 seconds. As standard, if you install an SSD, you will see a speed improvement.
Now that we’ve cleared things up let’s discuss capacity.
The maximum storage capacity for an Xbox One (Original, S, or X) is 2TB. You can’t install a hard drive with a capability more significant than that because the Xbox won’t be able to use it.
Why replace the hard drive in an Xbox One?
Even with such a superior computer spec, there may come a time when you need to replace your Xbox One hard drive. You may need more storage space for your favourite games; The latest Call of Duty requires around 160 GB of storage!
Your Xbox One hard drive may be failing or has failed, causing various issues with your system. A failing or falling hard drive can lead to several problems for your console, including a prolonged operating system, no image showing on the screen, and even not being able to boot.
The Xbox One hard drive can be replaced, and the good news is that it is not difficult to do so. The bad news is that you need to replace the Xbox One hard drive; however, it can take a long time to do so. If you’re ever unsure or would like your game console to receive specialized care, please contact us at consoletherapy.com; we have years of experience replacing Xbox One hard drives.
Get into the Xbox
Xbox One Original, S and X have different opening processes. In this article, we will guide how to unlock Xbox One S. The drive setup process is the same for all three versions of Xbox One.
Start by flipping the Xbox One S over and removing the bottom black plastic base, including the serial number label on the back (where the security seal is).
Remove the six green screws and three silver screws from the back of the Xbox One S. Flip it over, and you’ll see four more silver and six green screws. Remove the six green screws with new ones, then replace the ten small Philips head screw holes.
Remove the white plastic cap by pulling it out and up with your hands. Remove the silver cover that was under the white casing.
Now that you’ve removed the hard drive from your Xbox One S, let’s look at it. There are three silver screws that you need to remove to remove the hard drive.
Flip the Xbox One S over, remove the three screws tied to the hard drive, and recycle it. Take note of the amount of liquid inside; it will be full
.
You will discover two cables connected to the hard drive. Disconnect the SATA and power connections from the motherboard end of the drive; now, it’s time to prepare your replacement drive for installation.
Here’s a video from our friends at booBeam.com showing you how to take apart an Xbox One S the right way.
Preparing your new hard drive (Original Xbox One, S and X)
The following steps need some files. (To download them, click on the links below):
- Latest Microsoft Xbox Operating System Files
- Hard drive preparation batch files (created by Xfix)
- Boot animation files (hosted by booBeam.com)
Once you have all the files on your computer, connect your new hard drive with a SATA to USB cable. Then follow the Downloading Hard Drive Batch Files instructions to prepare your drive.
Installing your new hard drive in your Xbox One
Now that you’ve downloaded and installed The Definitive Guide, you can take advantage of free content to help you turn your old hard drive into a new one. It’s time to replace the drive in your Xbox once again.
Take the original hard drive (removed earlier) and turn it over. There are four black screws to remove – the hard drive will be released from the caddy once these have been removed. Simply replace your new hard drive in the caddy and plug it back in. Reinstalling the hard drive in an Xbox One S is merely a reverse removal.
Before you turn on your Xbox One
You must take one more step BEFORE you turn on the Xbox. Copy the Xbox One OS files to a USB stick and plug it into your Xbox on your PC. Connect the power and HDMI cables to your Xbox, then press and hold the Bind and Eject buttons on its front. While holding the Bind and Eject buttons, press the power button; don’t drop any until then.
Once you hear three beeps, you can release the Bind and Eject buttons. Your Xbox One will boot into safe mode, but you can continue pressing the Link and Eject buttons to hear two more beeps. After attending three beeps, your Xbox One will rebuild the BIOS (or NAND) on the motherboard and be back to regular operation in no time!
