anybody replace optical drive with a hard drive?

[NATO]

I'm interested in putting a regular HDD into the superdrive slot using an Optibay or something similar. I have an SSD as the boot drive currently, and I want to add an HDD for my iTunes library along with movies etc. My concern is regarding the power consumption of having two drives active at the same time.

Can anyone who's added a second drive to their laptop confirm whether the secondary HDD will spin down when not in use, even if the boot drive is active?

 

[dukeseb]

I'm interested in putting a regular HDD into the superdrive slot using an Optibay or something similar. I have an SSD as the boot drive currently, and I want to add an HDD for my iTunes library along with movies etc. My concern is regarding the power consumption of having two drives active at the same time.

Can anyone who's added a second drive to their laptop confirm whether the secondary HDD will spin down when not in use, even if the boot drive is active?

I have one in mine and im not really noticing a whole lot of power drain..... if your just using it for itunes and movie and such the only time your going to see it really bring down battery life is then its in use... but even then its not goin to be that bad.... I can watch a movie off my second drive and Im still getting all the way through it

I have timed it but it doesnt seem to really be taking that much power

 

[kleinishere]

The NewModeUS caddy is made of thin sheet aluminum. I'm sure you can trim the caddy down different ways: I did it with a file, sheet metal cutters (heavy duty scissors), and sand paper. I used the sheet metal cutters to get the general trim done, then the file to make it all flat, then the file to soften the cut.

Re: the screws. The SD caddy has an extra bit with a screw hole on it you remove and add to the NewModeUS caddy. Because of the way Apple designs everything, the SD has 3 screw holes that are non-standard so on the NewModeUS you only get one screw hole then instead of 3 like the SD, but the placement of the caddy is tight enough I don't think you'd need more anyways (I think the motion sensor would disengage before you'd notice whether any movement was due to the caddy or external motion).

Good luck...

Great to know. Thanks a lot.

 

[joseclaro1]

Great to know. Thanks a lot.

What is the model that I should buy to do the mod? I have de 15 inch Unibody MBP

Thanks!

 

[hankydysplasia]

Newmodeus success story.

Hello,

This is my first post on the forums. I've probably visited them every week since 2002 though.

Anyway...
I wanted to post here that everyone was very helpful. I'm quite adept inside a PC case but have never opened up a laptop. Here's my story - short version - for anyone who is considering doing this. Scroll to the bottom for my question if you don't want the story.

I have a Unibody 15" Macbook Pro - 1st gen. I wanted to get the Intel SSD for the boot drive, so I purchased one from zipzoomfly. I was going to do the boot drive duplicate method from TUAW by I made a silly mistake and got an IDE 2.5 enclosure instead of SATA. I used another external to do a Time Machine backup of everything. I swapped my 320GB drive for the Intel in the main slot. Everything worked - I know my drive is good. At this point I should have updated the firmware to the Intel as it requires a CD drive, but I didn't. I opened the NewmodeUS 9.5 enclosure. I intentionally broke off the plastic piece that normally closes the tray because it wouldn't fit. After popping that off, it fit very well. The installation was very easy. I just searched youtube for superdrive removal videos. I only secured it with 1 screw, but that seems like plenty. It's not moving. I have 18 icons in my menubar. They all load in <5 seconds upon boot. At least 30 on the regular hard drive. I love it.

I have an enclosure for the Superdrive that I got on ebay coming. I hope it isn't IDE too. haha. That's $20 for an external.

I'm a photographer. For other photographers, check this site - for setup tips MacPerformanceGuide He suggests having the scratch drive separate from the applications drive so I'm putting that at the beginning sectors of the storage drive.

Like worldburger, I wanted to have the SSD in the superdrive slot and the boot drive. It works completely fine except it does not wake from sleep.

My question @worldburger and anyone else:
Have you found a way to boot the SSD from the Superdrive slot without the sleep problem?

I plan on updating the SSD firmware as soon as I get the optical drive externalized. Maybe that will do the trick?

 

[worldburger]

SmartSleep PrefPane

Hello,
Like worldburger, I wanted to have the SSD in the superdrive slot and the boot drive. It works completely fine except it does not wake from sleep.

My question @worldburger and anyone else:
Have you found a way to boot the SSD from the Superdrive slot without the sleep problem?

I plan on updating the SSD firmware as soon as I get the optical drive externalized. Maybe that will do the trick?

a) to make the SSD work in the optical bay as a boot drive without the sleep problem...download and install the SmartSleep PrefPane. You will have to disable the hibernation (this is what causes the computer to lock up when you try to put it to sleep).

b) what external enclosure did you get for the optical drive? Does it require power or can the MBP do it all on it's own? I'm interested in revisiting this...

 

[hankydysplasia]

a) to make the SSD work in the optical bay as a boot drive without the sleep problem...download and install the SmartSleep PrefPane. You will have to disable the hibernation (this is what causes the computer to lock up when you try to put it to sleep).

b) what external enclosure did you get for the optical drive? Does it require power or can the MBP do it all on it's own? I'm interested in revisiting this...

a.) Thanks! I was tinkering in my computer so much yesterday that I'm sick of it now. I'll just leave the SSD in the proper hard drive slot for now.

b.) I was on a roll ordering IDE things I guess. The first time it was funny. The second time really annoyed me. I would suggest the slim samsung as of right now. It's a much better deal to get a whole new burner for $60 than to order the $80 enclosure from MCE. It's powered by USB as well. If anyone finds a better option, let me know.

 

[hamchapman]

Sorry to be annoying guys, but I keep on reading what people have said and just want to be perfectly sure about what I'm doing.

Will this (Optical Bay Hard Drive Caddy(p/n OBHD9-SATA-SATA-B) Black, 9.5mm work if I want to install an SSD in place of my superdrive.

Note, I am planning on inserting this into a 2.4GHz Unibody Macbook (bought early 2009).

 

[hankydysplasia]

Sorry to be annoying guys, but I keep on reading what people have said and just want to be perfectly sure about what I'm doing.

Will this (Optical Bay Hard Drive Caddy(p/n OBHD9-SATA-SATA-B) Black, 9.5mm work if I want to install an SSD in place of my superdrive.

Note, I am planning on inserting this into a 2.4GHz Unibody Macbook (bought early 2009).

Not annoying at all. I had all the same questions.

The drive you are linking to is the one that is in my unibody MacBook Pro right now. I had to remove the Bezel to get it to fit, but that isn't a problem at all. It fits in snugly with 1 screw and doesn't move around. Also, I would suggest not putting your boot drive in that slot.

I ordered it on Monday and got it on Thursday. Good luck.

 

[hamchapman]

Thanks hanky!

 

[iJimmy]

a.) Thanks! I was tinkering in my computer so much yesterday that I'm sick of it now. I'll just leave the SSD in the proper hard drive slot for now.

b.) I was on a roll ordering IDE things I guess. The first time it was funny. The second time really annoyed me. I would suggest the slim samsung as of right now. It's a much better deal to get a whole new burner for $60 than to order the $80 enclosure from MCE. It's powered by USB as well. If anyone finds a better option, let me know.

I found this oneBay. Not bad for $20 shipped.
I ordered one with an slim atapi connector for my black macbook from him.
Although it's for a 12.7mm optical drive, it 100% functional. It'll only be missing a bezel.
He ships fast (2-3 days). I'm definitely going to buy the sata version when my aluminum macbook comes in.

 

[AquaX]

The drive you are linking to is the one that is in my unibody MacBook Pro right now. I had to remove the Bezel to get it to fit, but that isn't a problem at all. It fits in snugly with 1 screw and doesn't move around. Also, I would suggest not putting your boot drive in that slot.

I ordered it on Monday and got it on Thursday. Good luck.

I'm considering the very same. What drive(s) do you have in your MBPro? Do you have any of the aforementioned sleep issues?

 

[hankydysplasia]

I'm considering the very same. What drive(s) do you have in your MBPro? Do you have any of the aforementioned sleep issues?

Right now I have a 80GB x25-m SSD in the proper hard drive spot and the stock 320GB HDD in the Optical Hard Drive Bay. I boot from the SSD - which by the way cut my boot after the login screen from 1:35 to 0:08.

I originally wanted to have the boot drive permanently in there in the OHDB, but I did have the sleep issue. It wasn't acting right. Since I have switched it to the proper spot, I have had exactly 0 problems. Nothing shakes around or feels unstable. No battery life problems. (I hardly access the 2nd drive unless I'm plugged in doing Photoshop work or listening to music. In class my battery still goes 4:30+ in the MBP.) I updated to 10.5.7, and not that I think it would cause a problem, but it didn't. Everything is great. I would do it again in a second.

My brother just bought a MB yesterday and ordered a x25-m with it to do the same thing.

 

[hankydysplasia]

I found this oneBay. Not bad for $20 shipped.
I ordered one with an slim atapi connector for my black macbook from him.
Although it's for a 12.7mm optical drive, it 100% functional. It'll only be missing a bezel.
He ships fast (2-3 days). I'm definitely going to buy the sata version when my aluminum macbook comes in.

I see from your signature that you have your aluminum MacBook. Did this enclosure work out for you?

 

[iJimmy]

I see from your signature that you have your aluminum MacBook. Did this enclosure work out for you?

Yes it works. It was a simple install, although the only downside is that it the read speed is slow.

Today was the first time I used it to install iLife '09 (garageband) and it took over 20 minutes.

If I were to do it again, I would invest my $20 in getting an external burner.

 

[tobi-wan]

Motion Sensor

Hi guys, new here, very interesting stuff.
Situation: I own a 2009 Macbook Pro that I use mostly for editing on Final Cut Pro. Just like you Photoshop guys, replacing the Superdrive with a second HDD to use as the scratch disk is just the best thing ever: it means full power editing anywhere without the need of my external eSATA drive. Yeah!
I have ordered the NewmodeUS HDD caddy and am about to order a Seagate 500GB 7200rpm drive to fit into it.

Question: These drives come with/without g-shock protection. I know the Macbook has motion sensing of its own on the regular Sata slot, but does it work on the Superdrive's Sata slot as well? If it does, I'll need to get the HDD without G-shock protection, and vise versa...

Anybody know?

 

[gr8tfly]

Hi guys, new here, very interesting stuff.
Situation: I own a 2009 Macbook Pro that I use mostly for editing on Final Cut Pro. Just like you Photoshop guys, replacing the Superdrive with a second HDD to use as the scratch disk is just the best thing ever: it means full power editing anywhere without the need of my external eSATA drive. Yeah!
I have ordered the NewmodeUS HDD caddy and am about to order a Seagate 500GB 7200rpm drive to fit into it.

Question: These drives come with/without g-shock protection. I know the Macbook has motion sensing of its own on the regular Sata slot, but does it work on the Superdrive's Sata slot as well? If it does, I'll need to get the HDD without G-shock protection, and vise versa...

Anybody know?

I'm not sure on whether it would work on the 2nd SATA - I suspect yes. But, the good news it it doesn't seem to matter. I have a WD Scorpio Black BJKT - WITH the free-fall sensor, and there's no conflict on my 17" UB MBP (I've tested it - "gently" - no kernel panics.) There are other reports supporting this. I think there must have been one model and one revision of firmware which had the conflict (I can't find that info). But, anyway, none here.

So, getting back to the question of with or without the drive's own sensor? I think it's probably moot. There could be a slight difference in G load threshold and response time, but I can't see the Mac's system any less capable than on-board. There's more than enough time for either to sense and command head-unload.

 

[tobi-wan]

Thanx for the quick reply gr8tfly, I ordered the one with g-load protection, if it doesn'n seem to matter, it's better to be safe than sorry right?

Can't wait to have this setup up and running. Now all I need is an external enclosure for the Superdrive and a slick strip of aluminum to place into the CD gap in the side of my unibody to close it up

 

[mac jones]

I've had the dual drive setup for many months (just use the cables).

Point is , I have the boot drive (SSD) in the optical slot. It's not ideal as it can't enter hibernation. It sleeps fine but will not go into 'deep sleep' (hibernation).

So for some it may be best not to put your boot drive in the optical slot. Just remember that an SSD does not need to be shock mounted at all.

so it' s trade off : hibernation vs rotary drive shock mount.

Note: i'm assuming these Optidrive enclosures don't have shock-mount properties.

 

[Lounge Deluxe]

MaxUpgrades optical bay kit

Hi,

Just wanted to let you know of another option to mount a hdd instead of the SD. I bought the MaxUpgrades optical bay kit for my MBP 17" unibody for $99 and installed it about 4 weeks ago.

It's just a very slim aluminum bracket with only 2 mounting holes to attach it to the unibody. It came with 2 hex keys but one of them didn't fit so I had to use my own.

I installed an Intel X25-M ssd into the regular storage bay and a OCZ Vertex 120GB into the optical bay kit. I disabled hibernation and had no issues regarding waking the MBP up from sleep (I have an external display attached to the MBP and use it always closed lit). The extra ssd worked as it should.

The thing is that when I decided to install Windows 7 RC, I experienced trouble. The MBP wouldn't respond to the option key anymore during boot nor would it install Windows through the BootCamp install routine. Swapping the optical bay kit for the SD brought no relieve. Before installing the optical bay kit, Windows installed fine on my regular hdd (both Vista 64 and Win 7 64).
I had to bring the MBP in for repair and the logicboard is being replaced right now. I somehow have a feeling it has something to do with the MaxUpgrades optical bay kit (the SATA connection board MaxUpgrades uses to be specific), but cannot prove that. It might also be just a coincidence.

All in all a pretty disappointing experience, and I'm hesitant as to use the optical bay kit again. But I did like that extra ssd drive
Any of you guys using the Newmodeus hdd caddy have similar trouble with the option key during boot?

 

[kleinishere]

As of today this is still working over at newmodeus. I'm ordering the caddy referenced above to do a 320gb rotary drive installation in place of the optical drive.

"Use Coupon Code "FB072808" to receive the 5% discount when checking out of the shopping cart (limited time offer)" - found on the newmodeus facebook fan page.

 

[kleinishere]

Not annoying at all. I had all the same questions.

The drive you are linking to is the one that is in my unibody MacBook Pro right now. I had to remove the Bezel to get it to fit, but that isn't a problem at all. It fits in snugly with 1 screw and doesn't move around. Also, I would suggest not putting your boot drive in that slot.

I ordered it on Monday and got it on Thursday. Good luck.

How did you go about removing the bezel? Is it as easy as simply snapping it off or did you have to cut it with some kind of tool? Is there no concern for damaging the rest of the drive caddy when snapping it off if that is the case?

 

[hankydysplasia]

How did you go about removing the bezel? Is it as easy as simply snapping it off or did you have to cut it with some kind of tool? Is there no concern for damaging the rest of the drive caddy when snapping it off if that is the case?

It's been a while now since I did it, but I remember what I was thinking. Since the caddy is going into the computer, and is a 1-time purchase for me that I have no intention of reusing elsewhere, I just wanted it to fit. Ripping off the bezel caused no other damage to the case. I don't remember using anything more than maybe a screwdriver to pry it off. I'm obsessive about the way my computer looks on the outside, but I didn't care so much on the inside as long as it fit. I'm now 3 months into it, and everything is still working great and I haven't had to open up my case again.

I might if they get those new Western Digital 1TB Drives down to 9.5mm though...

 

[kleinishere]

It's been a while now since I did it, but I remember what I was thinking. Since the caddy is going into the computer, and is a 1-time purchase for me that I have no intention of reusing elsewhere, I just wanted it to fit. Ripping off the bezel caused no other damage to the case. I don't remember using anything more than maybe a screwdriver to pry it off. I'm obsessive about the way my computer looks on the outside, but I didn't care so much on the inside as long as it fit. I'm now 3 months into it, and everything is still working great and I haven't had to open up my case again.

I might if they get those new Western Digital 1TB Drives down to 9.5mm though...

Great, thanks for the reply. I'm going to do it in a couple weeks and will update afterward w/ anything that might be helpful for others following down this path.

 

[paddyhazard]

This idea sounds interesting. Are there any kits now for the 13" uMBP out yet and preferably, available in the UK? Most of the stuff on here at the moment details kits and instructions for the 13" Macbook and i don't know if the same bracket will fit. Also is it at all possible to also fit a couple more ram slots in this place alongside my drive?