An image forming apparatus capable of restricting use of a hard disc drive and a method of restricting the use of the hard disc drive of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes an interface unit to detect whether a hard disc drive is installed, and a control unit to execute an authentication procedure for the installed hard disc drive and to control whether data stored into the installed hard disc drive is printable by the image forming apparatus based on a result of the authentication procedure. Thus, even if the hard disc drive is maliciously taken, the use of the hard disc drive is not allowed if information about specifications of the hard disc drive does not match with stored information about reference specifications during the authentication procedure. Accordingly, the data stored in the hard disc drive are protected from any malicious purpose, thereby providing users with enhanced security and convenience.