<solved> Failing optical drive. what to do with that space?

[lizbeth]

I have a laptop with an optical drive that i use almost never (it won't burn a cd/dvd properly anyway).
I have seen ways to add a second hard drive in that space.
That sounds like a great idea but what I would really like is to add a few extra usb ports in that space.
My laptop has 3 usb 2.0 ports and it never seems enough some times.
It seems to me that the dvd drive bay would be more useful as usb ports for my needs.
Anyone know of such an adapter and where I could purchase it?

Thanks in advance!

[excollier]

I have the same problem, but I am looking for a hard drive to fit in, as there is a sata connection in there. Can't say I've come across a sata connected usb card, but I bet there is somewhere.

[xenopeek]

I'm not sure there is an off the shelf option for this. In any case it depends on your exact laptop model what will fit and what won't.

Usually you can use the optical drive bay for either a hard disk caddy (as the optical drive and hard disk are both SATA devices, you just need a caddy that fits your laptop model) or for a second battery if the laptop has that option. You could hack something together with a USB hub and duct tape and a USB cable connected to one of your laptop's USB ports, but I gather that isn't what you are looking for

What you'd need is something to convert your internal SATA connector to USB. Doesn't look promising that this is available.

Toshiba does have a docking station for certain laptop models. Might be that gives you more ports. Else probably a small USB hub will be the go to solution?

[lizbeth]

[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2C50T67173[/url]

This looks like something I could start with. I might have to "machine" it a bit to get it just right but if I gutted my caddy of it's dvd drive, I might get it to work.

Excollier, there are a number of solutions for aftermarket products that will allow you to do that... just google it.

[url]http://www.newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_8[/url]

[excollier]

Thanks, my dvd drive has just started playing up, so I will be searching for options.

[lizbeth]

I found these on amazon.com:

[url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006E91PVY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1UCLUF7KW7AYG[/url]

[url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0056EW4A4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A350M6ASN72P5P[/url]

[url]http://www.amazon.com/Micro-SATA-Cables-mSATA-Adapter/dp/B004YKJ5TE/ref=pd_rhf_dp_s_cp_1_CD9S?ie=UTF8&refRID=0095NQR8VNN6XBEGCD9S[/url]

[url]http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-mSATA-Solid-SDSA3DD-032G-Tablet/dp/B007IXF3W2/ref=sr_1_68?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1372669312&sr=1-68&keywords=ssd+drive[/url]

[url]http://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-64GB-MMCRE64G8MPP-SATA-interface/dp/B005M00D5A/ref=sr_1_146?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1372673486&sr=1-146&keywords=ssd+drive[/url]

[url]http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Series-120GB-internal-MZ-7TD120BW/dp/B009NHAF06/ref=pd_cp_e_1[/url]

That should get you started!!!

[excollier]

Thanks, I found this today.
Just what I need for my HP dV5
http://www.amazon.co.uk/LEICKE-Universal-Adapter-Notebooks-Height/dp/B004MLWFRE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1T7X6DE757YMT&coliid=I3OZYRD0J47GBT

I cannot afford an ssd though. Looks like getting a second hand 2.5" hdd instead.
How is your search going for a usb solution?

[lizbeth]

So this is what I have come up with to conver the optical bay of my drive to usb 3.0 ports....

1. drive bay caddy for sata hard drive

[url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0056EW4A4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A350M6ASN72P5P[/url]

2. Sata male to sata male adapter. this allows me to plug into the female sata adapter on the hard drive bay and gives me another male end to plug into my next part

[url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AO74B8Q/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1THAZDOWP300U[/url]

3. inexpensive usb 3.0 hard drive enclosure... Why this you ask? because I want the adapter from it. look at the third image on the left. The way it is designed is with a female sata port on one side and a usb 3.0 port on the other...

[url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A47AGXA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2NK89850H0GO2[/url]

4. 3.0 USB hub

[url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BGUIQK4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1HDV7SBYVUV0I[/url]

Total cost before shipping (a prime member) 44.30 in the usa.. 47.80 with shipping and taxes but the male to male adapter takes 3 weeks to ship...???


Now the question is will this work??

Thoughts???

[excollier]

Your second and third links to Amazon are identical, but from what yousay, I dont think you can loop through the usb/sata on the hdd enclosure. The port you see is normally eSata. If you correct the link, we can look at it and someone will know.

[lizbeth]

I fixed the link. Thanks for pointing that out. The third link is to the hd enclosure. The head of which can be removed and used without the case to attache it to any male sata connector...

[excollier]

Well, to me that seems a feasible solution. Can't see why it won't work. Good idea.
Although, the usb hub won't fit inside the dvd drive bay caddy, right? If the hub is going to sit outside the laptop, then forget the dvd drive bay caddy, and use a female to male sata cable like this instead
http://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLOCK-Cable-SATA-Extension-84362/dp/B001VBRIYI/ref=sr_1_37?ie=UTF8&qid=1372756872&sr=8-37&keywords=sata+male+to+female+cable
to connect to the head of the hdd enclosure directly from the sata male connector inside the old dvd drive slot, one less connection. You could even devise a way of attaching the enclosure head into the space vacated by the dvd drive, plugging in the hub when needed.