In the midst of the ongoing storage shortage, who can afford to just throw away an old HDD? Even if you can, don’t do it. There are better things you can use those old hard drives for.
Here’s how I repurpose old hard drives, and I don’t mean those massive 4TB beasts; I mean tiny HDDs that often end up getting thrown away when they didn’t need to be.
Small HDDs are far from useless
The problem is the scope of what they’re supposed to be doing
Not too long ago, I included HDDs on my list of the 7 types of storage media that are near-obsolete. But the fact is, in this current economy, most of us can’t afford to be picky, and throwing away something that works just fine is definitely close to “picky.”
Keeping big HDDs is perfectly justifiable. They’re perfect in a NAS, but also useful for general storage in many use cases. But what about those (often ancient) small HDDs that many of us still have lying around? A 160GB, 250GB, or 512GB HDD can still be useful, even though it seems like the worst of both worlds; both slow and small.
5 ways I repurpose HDDs that are too small for regular storage
There’s more to do with them than you’d think
Although old and unimpressive, even those smaller, older HDDs still have value. You just need to stop giving them the wrong jobs.
1. Turn them into cheap external shuttle drives
One of the best things to do with an old HDD is to turn it into a cheap, basic external drive for moving files around. You can use them as USB stick replacements with some decent capacity to transport things like videos, game mods, and random folders.
This is easy to do with a USB enclosure or SATA-to-USB adapter. Those are usually cheap enough to make the idea worthwhile (I found one for $7). Once you connect the drive to one of those, format it, give it a clear label, and treat it like a temporary transport or hold for your files.
2. Use them for (smaller) backups
A tiny HDD may not be much to write home about if you need something to hold your backups. Whether folders or entire systems, most backups are bigger than 160/256GB, and anything under 500GB may not be sufficient.
But it can still be perfect for smaller, more focused backups, which, if important, you should spread across multiple drives anyway. Let one of your HDDs be one of your backups (you should have at least 3 for important files, as per the 3-2-1 backup rule).
The trick is to only back up the important stuff instead of trying to clone your whole PC. Set up a simple backup folder structure, or point Windows File History or another backup tool at a limited set of folders, and let your tiny HDD handle just that one job.
3. Turn them into a multi-boot rescue drive
I’m a big fan of building a so-called “rescue drive.” I typically host mine on USB drives, but there’s no major reason why you can’t repurpose an old HDD to take over that job.
A drive like this can hold Windows install media, Linux ISOs, recovery tools, driver packs, BIOS files, and so on. You can do this using a tool like Ventoy, which lets you copy multiple bootable images onto one drive without constantly reformatting it.
4. Use them for console overflow storage
A small HDD can still be somewhat useful with a console, just not in the way people used old drives years ago. Don’t rely on one as premium game storage for titles you play every day, as it’ll be painfully slow. You can use it as overflow storage for older games or games you don’t play too often.
How you use it depends on the console, but the general idea is simple: plug it in as external storage (with a SATA to USB connector, for instance) and let it hold games that do not need to live on your main internal drive all the time.
5. Plug one into a TV
If your TV, streaming box, or media player supports USB storage, then you can use your old HDD for that exact purpose. It won’t be the fastest, but it’s definitely fast enough to stream movies from, so you’re in luck.
It’s useful for movies, TV episodes, home videos, or photo albums. It’s a more straightforward alternative to setting up Plex, a NAS, or a media server.
Format the drive, load it up with media, and connect it to your device of choice. Cheap and easy storage achieved!
Small drives still earn their keep
Tiny job, big win
If there’s one thing HDDs always have going for them, it’s their capacity-per-dollar factor. They’re cheap and huge, meaning they’re good for all manner of storage. But when you remove that “huge” factor, they might seem obsolete. They’re not; they can still take over some small jobs and make your life easier instead of rotting away in a drawer.
The best way to reuse an HDD is the one that saves you money
That said, there is a point where a small old HDD is simply too limiting, and if you need something with enough room for real storage, backups, or NAS use, buying a larger drive makes more sense than forcing an old one into the wrong role. Weigh your options and consider buying a new HDD if what you need is lots of storage space.
- Storage Capacity
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2TB
- Brand
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Western Digital
If you need an HDD that has more than just a little space, the WD Red Plus 2TB is an affordable way to get a lot of storage.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
