I have a late 2009 macbook pro unibody 15" and I hardly use the optical drive, in fact that startup whine is really annoying, would it be harmful if I just removed the drive completly and not leave anything plugged in?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
removing optical drive?
- Thread starter butters149
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
How often do you startup your Mac to find the "check if optical media is inserted in SuperDrive" sound annoying?
You can use sleep, as the only component powered during sleep is the RAM.
But it is safe to remove the optical drive, you can even replace it with an HDD.
Use MRoogle or its little sister Google to look for Optibay.
You can use sleep, as the only component powered during sleep is the RAM.
But it is safe to remove the optical drive, you can even replace it with an HDD.
Use MRoogle or its little sister Google to look for Optibay.
I shut it down all the time, i power it up about twice a day and leave it at home for work. I also heard of the MCE optidrive but no money now, plus i want it to be lighter. So I can simply remove it and the machine will still boot up? If it does not sense the drive will it still boot? Will dust get into the machine?
Okay, there is no need to shut it down, but if it is your way, than so it'll be.
Dust is being kept out via the small "curtain" in or behind the slot, I don't know if it will be removed by removing the HDD.
But dust will get in with or without the curtain.
I opened my MBP to replace the HDD, and dust was inside.
I don't know if the MBP will power up without the optical drive, but chances are it will. Why shouldn't it? The Mac will still boot from a DVD, even when no HDD is inside.
'
But in all honesty, it would be safer just for guarantee's sake to let the optical drive sit where it is and use the sleep function.
If your worried the MBP will burn down, it will not get hot or so, unless the battery is faulty, which is less than 1% anyway.
You can also shut off the power line and the MBP sleeps using battery power.
Dust is being kept out via the small "curtain" in or behind the slot, I don't know if it will be removed by removing the HDD.
But dust will get in with or without the curtain.
I opened my MBP to replace the HDD, and dust was inside.
I don't know if the MBP will power up without the optical drive, but chances are it will. Why shouldn't it? The Mac will still boot from a DVD, even when no HDD is inside.
'
But in all honesty, it would be safer just for guarantee's sake to let the optical drive sit where it is and use the sleep function.
If your worried the MBP will burn down, it will not get hot or so, unless the battery is faulty, which is less than 1% anyway.
You can also shut off the power line and the MBP sleeps using battery power.