Help finding the hard drive in my laptop

Hello everyone, my computer recently stopped displaying anything on the screen, though it starts up. I opened it to retrieve the hard drive and save my data, but I couldn’t find it. I expected it next to the battery. Can someone help me locate the hard drive? I’m not very tech-savvy, so any guidance would be appreciated!

Look next to the RAM; there’s a label that says ‘Western Digital.’ That’s an M.2 NVMe SSD, not a traditional hard drive.

Freddie said:
Look next to the RAM; there’s a label that says ‘Western Digital.’ That’s an M.2 NVMe SSD, not a traditional hard drive.

Okay, thank you very much!

Freddie said:
Look next to the RAM; there’s a label that says ‘Western Digital.’ That’s an M.2 NVMe SSD, not a traditional hard drive.

That’s right. It’s the small component secured by one screw, and there’s another unused screw slot for a longer M.2 SSD. Be sure to handle it carefully and read up on ESD and how to handle electronic components safely.

The device below your RAM is the SSD, which has largely replaced traditional hard drives in many laptops today.

Piper said:
The device below your RAM is the SSD, which has largely replaced traditional hard drives in many laptops today.

It’s unusual to see someone surprised not to find an HDD! They seem to be a bit confused about the technology.

@Ainsley
Exactly, they’re not upset, just unfamiliar with the newer SSD technology.

At the bottom left of your photo, between the RAM and battery, is a 2242 size NVMe SSD. There’s also space for a 2280 NVMe SSD if you want to upgrade. Plus, there’s a SATA III connection at the top left with a caddy for a 2.5" HDD/SSD.

@Bailey
Thanks! How should I go about recovering data from it? Is there a specific adapter I need?

Hadi said:
@Bailey
Thanks! How should I go about recovering data from it? Is there a specific adapter I need?

If the laptop is dead, consider getting an external NVMe SSD enclosure. You can remove the SSD, place it in the enclosure, and connect it to another computer to transfer your files. This is assuming the SSD isn’t the cause of the laptop failure. If the SSD is faulty, data recovery might be challenging.

@Bailey
Fantastic, thanks a ton!

Hadi said:
@Bailey
Fantastic, thanks a ton!

You’re welcome! Good luck, and take care.

It seems like you’re missing some other components as well, not just the hard drive!

Sidney said:
It seems like you’re missing some other components as well, not just the hard drive!

It does look surprisingly empty in there, doesn’t it?

Sidney said:
It seems like you’re missing some other components as well, not just the hard drive!

That’s quite typical for certain budget models. They often have space for additional components that aren’t included in the base model.

@Chao
They could have at least put a larger battery in all that empty space!

Sidney said:
It seems like you’re missing some other components as well, not just the hard drive!

It’s likely a budget model with optional upgrades not included.

Sidney said:
It seems like you’re missing some other components as well, not just the hard drive!

:joy::joy:

Sidney said:
It seems like you’re missing some other components as well, not just the hard drive!

Yes, it’s an older model that originally had a CD drive in that space.

Hadi said:

Sidney said:
It seems like you’re missing some other components as well, not just the hard drive!

Yes, it’s an older model that originally had a CD drive in that space.

That explains it, thanks.