http://live.pirillo.com/ – Internal hard drives take up space, and sometimes computer cases just don’t come with enough space to support more than one or two drives. Zoomrix wants to know if it is safe to install a hard drive without properly mounting inside the case.

Generally, installing hardware without properly mounting it could result in serious problems. Having a hard drive sitting in the case should be ok, but there could be problems with static electricity, so you may wish to wrap it in a static bag.

If you want to actually connect the hard drive to your machine, Chris recommends picking up a hard drive enclosure. A drive enclosure is usually a metal box which surrounded the hardware and provides two functions: protects the drive from outside elements and reduces the chance of electric shock and static buildup.

If you don’t have a 3.5" bay, but you have a spare 5.25" bay, you may want to consider getting a 3.5" adapter for your open bay. This will reduce the number of 5.25" bays you have open, but you’ll be able to mount your 3.5" drive internally.

So, if you’re looking to install a hard drive in a machine that doesn’t have the space, consider getting an enclosure: it will protect you and your hard drive.