All computer stores have today a fast replacement solution that is immediately available. All external USB hard drives have a standard computer hard drive in their innards. So how can you use this readily available resource to get up and running in no time? This is what you need to do ...
The first part is to go and find the external USB hard drive that has the capacity you want to have and a suitably low price level. Most of the time you cannot know what exact type and model of hard drive is inside the external drive enclosure but the consolation is that most of the time this is not critical. It will be a high quality fast modern design standard hard drive with good power saving properties and low noise level. This is just what you normally want anyway for a hard drive.
Open the external hard drive cover by prying the plastic case open with a knife carefully following the edge of the cover. If you find screws (they may be hidden e.g. under rubber feet) open the screws. Opening the cover gives you access to the hard drive. Remove the hard drive attachments inside the enclosure. These can be just rubber buffers (see the example figure), screws, or plastic fingers. Turn the enclosure around in your hands and lift out the parts inside.
Western Digital WD Elements USB 2.0 hard drive opened with a (dull) knife. You can see the six attachment fingers on the cover (left). There are no screws. The hard drive is held in the enclosure (right) just by the blue rubber shock mounts and friction. Pick out the shock mounts to release the drive.
When you carefully lift out the hard drive you'll note that there is some USB interface electronics attached to the drive's SATA interface connector. Detach the USB interface electronics by removing the attaching screws (if any) in the hard drive body and pulling gently out the USB interface circuit board.
Now you have a standard hard drive you can drop into your computer. As an add-on you now have also an external USB drive bay that you can use for any (other) hard drive later in case you need to back up a drive for example.
Today you can find external hard drives in shops at lower cost than the hard drive units inside them. Why? This beats me, but the answer has something to do with demand and supply and how the market works. The good news to you is that by using an external USB hard drive for a replacement you can save money and gain a free USB hard drive bay with interface electronic and the external power supply on the top should you ever need one later.
Western Digital WD Elements USB 2.0 hard drive opened. The standard 3.5 inch hard drive (left) has been detached from the USB 2.0 interface electronics (right). In this case two screws hold it to the hard drive with metal brackets.
