Adapter for ssd drive. Installing a hard drive instead of a DVD drive in a laptop
Every user would like to install a modern SSD drive on their PC for better productivity and more high speed system operation. Put solid state drive transferring to a computer is incredibly simple, and the process itself is usually not accompanied by any difficulties.
By the way, there was a similar article earlier, but in it we only needed to remove a small cover on the back of the case, which does not create any difficulties.
But install an SSD in a laptop instead DVD drive, is much more difficult, because first you need to carefully disassemble it. And many users already have difficulties at this stage. So let's look at the whole process in more detail.
What is required for installation?
First, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics of your laptop to understand what components you need to purchase. As practice shows, most modern models with a CD drive can easily be equipped with an additional hard drive. Therefore, there should be no problems.
Before you start, you should make sure that you have everything you need for full-fledged work.
You will need:
Special attention should be paid to the last point, so let's look at it in more detail.
How to choose an adapter?
The drive size comes in two types and differs in thickness - 9.5mm and 12.7mm. Before purchasing an adapter, carefully measure the thickness of your drive and only then buy the appropriate adapter. Otherwise, the SSD drive adapter simply will not fit into the laptop in place of the DVD drive.
You should also pay attention to the interface through which the drive is connected. If SATA interface, then using an adapter with an adapter to mSATA, you can easily install an SSD instead of a disk drive. But if your DVD drive is connected via IDE, and this is an outdated technology, then to connect the SSD you will need an adapter from IDE to SATA.
As mentioned above, the adapters differ only in thickness, while their shape and width are the same. The adapter usually comes with a disposable screwdriver, screws for securing the hard drive, and a plastic cover. The latter is needed for installation on the adapter to close free space, which is formed after removing the drive.
Disassembling a laptop
After we have prepared everything necessary for replacement and purchased a suitable adapter for the SSD, we can begin opening the laptop and then replacing the drive.
You can do this as follows:
After the battery is disconnected, you need to remove installed hard disk.
For this:
Under the cover there is a hard drive and memory modules. We need to remove the hard drive, since a solid-state drive will be installed in its place.
If you ask why we install the SSD here, and not instead of the drive, then there is a simple explanation for this.
When the speed of the bus to which the hard drive is connected is faster (in in this case the hard drive is connected via SATA 3, while the drive has SATA 2), then the SSD is installed in place of the HDD.
To properly remove the drive, you must carefully follow the following instructions:
We put both drives aside; we will return to them later.
Removing the Top Cover
Now we need to remove top cover laptop by unscrewing all the fixing screws. You should take into account the fact that they come in different sizes and you definitely need to remember where they were unscrewed from.
After all the screws are unscrewed, the matter remains with the pick. Now you need to separate the bottom and top part laptop. You need to be extremely careful when opening it, as most models have unreliable latches that can easily break. Check again that all screws have been removed, otherwise there is a risk of damaging the device case.
To remove the cover, you need to insert the pick into the slot that is located between the top and bottom covers, and slowly turn it to release the latches located inside the case. You should start from the front of the laptop, where the indicator lights. It is necessary to walk the mediator around the perimeter of the entire body.
After you separate the top cover from the bottom, do not lift it up suddenly. Both parts are connected by cables and you can damage them.
When working with some devices, you do not have to disconnect the cables, since sometimes you can replace the DVD drive without removing the top part of the device, which can significantly save your time.
DVD drive
Now unscrew the DVD drive. We will need a short screwdriver to remove the screw that secures the drive to the case. Once it is unscrewed, you can remove the drive without any problems.
Then remove the plastic cover from the DVD drive. To do this, you need to open it. To do this you will need a paperclip or a needle. Find a small hole on the front panel of the device and insert a paper clip into it. After lightly pressing, the drive carriage will move out of the housing, and you will have full access to its lower part and can easily separate the plug from the carriage.
Once the plug is removed, it will need to be placed on the adapter.
After this, we install the adapter in place of the drive we previously removed and tighten the fastening screw.
All that remains is to turn the laptop over and install the SSD drive in place. old HDD. Close the cover removed at the beginning of disassembly and tighten the remaining bolts around the perimeter of the device, insert the battery.
The laptop is now assembled and ready to use. We installed two hard drives: we put the old HDD in an adapter and connected it instead of a disk drive, and a new solid-state drive is mounted in its place.
Software settings
The next step will be Bios setting, namely enabling AHCI mode. This mode allows you to increase the speed of the drive, mainly due to the advantages of NCQ technology. It also opens up other possibilities, such as hot swapping.
Now you know how to install an SSD in a laptop instead of an old DVD drive, and you can do it yourself without any problems, following our instructions exactly.
By the way, you can completely transfer the system without losing its functionality using special programs, for example, such as Acronis Universal Restore, Macrium Reflect and others. They have wide functionality and will help you in this situation.
If you are the owner of a laptop and you are not entirely satisfied with the speed of its operation, especially the loading speed, and you are increasingly thinking about upgrading or even replacing the entire laptop, then do not rush. We offer an upgrade option for almost any full-size laptop for reasonable money.
The fact is that the processor is not the first freshness, the volume is small random access memory and the built-in video card are not the main culprits of the system’s “brakes”. The main reason is a slow hard drive. We propose replacing it with a more modern analogue - SSD. But you probably thought about such a purchase yourself, but to fully use a PC you need a lot free space on the information storage device - at least 500-750 gigabytes. And the prices for SSDs of such capacity are very, very high.
And when buying a 60-120 gigabyte SSD, there will only be enough space for the system and applications, there can be no talk of any media content. Therefore, you need to look for another solution, one in which you can increase the speed of the system and not lose disk capacity, and without spending too much money. We understand you perfectly and offer just such a method.
Why do you need a DVD drive?
No, seriously, what do you need it for? Any films or music can be downloaded on the Internet, which almost everyone has, information that does not require constant access can be stored either in the cloud, of which there are now countless, or on an external hard drive, the prices of which are completely “ridiculous” today. Important information optical disks I wouldn't trust them - they get scratched quite easily and become unusable.
So, if you really don't need a DVD drive on your laptop, then we suggest installing an SSD instead. And again, don’t be alarmed - you won’t have to break anything, and you won’t have to “tinker” either - we promise to leave beautiful view your beech safe and sound.
What do we need?
First, we need an SSD and connectors to connect it. In principle, a 60 GB disk for the system will be enough for us, but it’s still better to buy 128 - in this case, you won’t worry about running out of space and you can always put some large program on the SSD, or one that is demanding on input operations\ output the game (after all, this is exactly why we buy an SSD). In addition, the prices for this gadget of such volumes are quite low and the purchase of such a part will not hit your wallet.
In addition to the SSD, we will need seat for it, or rather an adapter that will replace the DVD drive. At various foreign auctions and in online stores this is called “HDD-Caddy” (in our country it is most often referred to as “Adapter HDD connections 2.5" into the laptop drive bay"). Buy this device only for your laptop model.
Actually, this is all we need to purchase. The tools we need are a screwdriver and... nothing else.
What is the best place to put it?
It's up to you to decide. You will have unhindered access to the device installed instead of the DVD drive, that is, it is better to install a media device there - a hard drive (movies, music, photos, etc. will be stored on it). In this case, you can always quickly take out the HDD and, using a special device (pocket), connect it to a DVD to watch movies or connect it to another PC as a bulk flash drive.
On the other hand, the heat dissipation of the drive is worse, and there will be more vibrations, and also about protection from mechanical damage This place is also difficult to say. And an SSD is much smaller than a hard drive and is afraid of vibrations, high temperatures etc. That is, as far as performance properties are concerned, it will be better here than a hard drive.
In any case, it’s up to you, depending on how you plan to use these devices and depending on the configuration of your laptop model.
Let's get started
In principle, the procedure is quite trivial. First you need to remove the DVD drive - in many laptop models you don’t even need to remove the case - they are held on by one bolt, after unscrewing which they are simply pulled out of the laptop.
When you have the DVD drive in your hands, you will need to remove the cover on which the compartment opening button is located and move it to the purchased HDD-Caddy. Now we perform the reverse procedure - install the adapter in place of the DVD drive. Don't forget to secure it with a bolt. Well, that's all - all that remains is to install an SSD here (or a hard drive, and the SSD in place hard drive).
Installing or migrating an operating system
Next, you need to install the operating system on the SSD, having first removed system partition from the HDD and attaching it to the partition on which media information is stored. Installing the operating system will be no different from the process you are used to.
But, if for some reason you want to keep your old system, then before deleting the partition from the HDD you need to “clone” it to the SSD. This can be done by any program for working with hard drives V boot mode. For example, Acronis Partition Director or Mini Tool Partition Wizard are suitable - in general, the choice is yours.
Instead of conclusions
After the replacement, you will be surprised how much more responsive and fast your operating system has become. In addition, if you previously did not have enough space on your hard drive, now you will have free space that was previously occupied operating system.
If, however, the only thing stopping you from such an upgrade is that to use the DVD drive you will now need to twist the adapters every time, then we will reassure you - you can buy a special “pocket” for the DVD drive and connect it to any PC via USB interface.
After installation in your laptop ssd Instead of hdd, I began to experience a catastrophic lack of space on the first one. Purchasing a sata-usb adapter made it possible to expand my media library onto an old hdd. A couple of months passed and this option no longer suited me, namely, I was tired of carrying this “appendix” with me, and the speed left much to be desired. After some time, I came across a number of articles about installing a second drive using an ESPADA adapter. This miracle device with a second disc was inserted instead of the original DVD drive and delighted users. A search in electronics stores led to the understanding that this device is an unaffordable luxury for me. Prices start from 800 rubles here, from $6 in China. Then on the hub I found articles on how to independently remake a DVD drive for additional installation of a second disk, but I was sorry to break the drive for such experiments, and then it started... At work I took a dead hdd, sata cable, molex-sata from an old power supply.
Just my apartment was undergoing renovation and I had a lot of tools to “adjust” some parts for my idea.
Using an angle grinder, the sata connector was upgraded to Slimline SATA.
On the power side, 5 contact pads were left and other areas we did not need were cut down.
By removing unnecessary contact pads, I finally got the connector I needed, exactly like in a DVD drive.
In advance, a pinout diagram for the contacts was found on the Internet.
Armed with a soldering iron and a lot of patience, I soldered the whole thing in SATA adapter(ODA)->SATA (HDD).
Having filled everything with ordinary shoe glue (well, I don’t have hot glue) and wrapped it with electrical tape, I got a completely aesthetic-looking wiring. After waiting for the glue to dry, I began to try to assemble the whole thing. I taped the HDD with double-sided tape, thereby creating a “cushion”.
I connected everything and inserted it tightly inside.
With my fingers crossed, I turn on the laptop and immediately run to the BIOS.
Hooray! WDC has made its decision.
I boot the system and everything is fine.
There are no limits to joy and pride! It turns out how easy it is to connect a second drive to a laptop at a minimum cost.
Many laptops have CD/DVD drives, which, in fact, are no longer needed by almost any ordinary modern user. CDs have long been replaced by other formats for recording and reading information, and therefore drives have become irrelevant.
Unlike desktop computer, where you can install several hard drives, laptops do not have spare boxes. But if there is a need to increase disk space without connecting to a laptop external HDD, then you can go a more cunning way - install a hard drive instead of a DVD drive.
The first step is to prepare and take everything you need for replacement:
- DVD > HDD adapter;
- Hard drive form factor 2.5;
- Screwdriver Set.
Adviсe:
- Please note that if your laptop is still under warranty, then such manipulations will automatically deprive you of this privilege.
- If you want to install a solid-state drive instead of a DVD, then it is better to do this: install an HDD in the drive box, and in its place an SSD. This is due to the difference in speeds of the SATA ports on the drive (less) and the hard drive (more). The dimensions of the HDD and SSD for a laptop are identical, so in this regard there will be no difference.
- Before purchasing an adapter, it is recommended that you first disassemble the laptop and remove the drive. The fact is that they come in different sizes: very thin (9.5 mm) and regular (12.7). Accordingly, an adapter must be purchased based on the size of the drive.
The process of replacing a floppy drive with a hard drive
When you have prepared all the tools, you can start turning the drive into a slot for an HDD or SSD.
In some cases, users who installed an SSD instead of an old HDD may not find the connected hard drive in the BIOS instead of a DVD drive. This is typical for some laptops, but after installation on SSD operating system, the space of the hard drive connected through the adapter will be visible.
Hi all. Today I want to tell you how to install it yourself additional SSD disk in place of the CD drive in Asus laptop X550L. First you need to familiarize yourself with technical characteristics your laptop to understand what components you need to purchase in order to start installing an SSD drive. I’ll say right away if your laptop model is different from the model I’m considering in my post, don’t be upset. Almost everything modern models Laptops that have a CD drive can install an additional HDD.
Before we start, we need to make sure that we have everything we need.
- New SSD HDD. Your new SSD must have a 2.5″ form factor.
- A set of tools for disassembling a laptop (small Phillips screwdriver). The heads of all screws that you will unscrew are the same size.
- A plastic pick for opening laptop cases or a bank card.
- Pocket for replacing a laptop CD/DVD drive with a 2.5” HDD/SSD.
Here I will tell you in more detail. The thickness of the adapter should be 9.5 mm. since the thickness installed DVD– the drive in the laptop model under consideration is 9.5 mm. and for successful installation of the adapter you need exactly this thickness, otherwise you simply will not be able to install the adapter. For this laptop model I purchased an adapter Espada SS95 Alu SATA 3 (SATA CD/DVD 9.5mm to SATA 3). You can buy it. The cost of such an adapter today is 300-370 UAH.
Included with the adapter is a screwdriver (for one use), screws for fastening the HDD, and a plastic cover that is installed on the adapter to close the hole that is formed after removing the DVD drive and installing the adapter. We don't need this cover, but first things first.
Now the fun part :).
First we need to open the laptop. We take our laptop and turn it off. We check that our laptop has successfully turned off, turn it over and remove the battery.
After removing the battery, we need to remove our original hard drive. To do this we need to unscrew the cap on the opposite side of the battery.
In the screenshot above, I indicated with arrows where the screws need to be unscrewed.
After you have unscrewed the screws you need to remove the cover. To remove the cover, you need to pull it slightly towards you and lift it (provided that the laptop is lying in front of you as shown in the screenshot).
Under the cover you will see the hard drive and memory modules. We need HDD. We must remove the hard drive because we will install an SSD drive in this place. You may ask why here and not instead of a DVD drive. I'll explain. If the speed of the bus to which the hard drive is connected is faster (SATA 3 for hard drive, SATA 2 for optical), then the SSD is placed in this place.
In the screenshot above I showed the mounting locations for the hard drive. You need to unscrew the screws and slide the hard drive to the left, after which the drive can be removed.
Please note that the screws have different size and you need to remember where you unscrewed them from.
When you unscrew all the screws, the pick comes into play. You need to separate the top of the laptop from the bottom.
Please pay Special attention that all screws are unscrewed, otherwise you may damage the case.
You need to separate the top of the laptop from the bottom.
Be extremely careful when opening the case as these models have very flimsy latches on the case and they can break off.
Insert the sharp edge of the pick into the gap between the bottom and top part laptop and turn it slowly to release the latches inside the case. You need to start from the front of the laptop where the indicator lights are located. Thus, you need to walk the pick along the entire perimeter of the body.
When the top cover is separated from the bottom, do not lift it sharply to the top since the top and bottom of the laptop are connected by cables. This can be seen in the screenshot.
I also advise you to watch a video recorded by a kind person with the nickname danythe007; this video shows how to disassemble this model laptop.
I want to say right away that I did not disconnect the cables to remove the top cover because I was able to remove the DVD drive without disconnecting the top part of the laptop (this saved my time).
Let's return to our sheep. Now we need to unscrew the DVD drive. In order not to disconnect the cables, I used a short screwdriver to unscrew the screw that secures the drive to the laptop.
The screenshot shows where the screw is located that needs to be unscrewed to remove the DVD drive.
After we have removed the drive, we need to work on our adapter. We need to install our old hard drive into the adapter. Immediately remove old disk from the mounting frame and install our SSD into the frame instead of the old disk and put it aside. We'll come back to it a little later.
There are small instructions on the adapter that tell you how to attach the disk. After installing the disc, we need to remove the plastic cover from our DVD drive.
In order to remove the cover from the drive, you need to open it. For this we need a needle or paperclip. There is a small hole on the front panel of the drive; you need to insert a needle into this hole and press a little; the drive carriage should come out of the housing. You now have access to the bottom of the drive to separate the plug from the drive carriage.
The laptop is all assembled. We received two installed hard drives, one installed in the adapter and a new SSD installed in place of the old drive.
Also, after you have assembled your laptop, you need to enter the BIOS. There you will see two hard drives. You need to install AHCI mode in Enchanted who has not yet had this displayed. This parameter will allow us to work with the new drive as a full-fledged SATA device.
Now you ask, what to do with the installed operating system? How to transfer without losing the functionality of the OS?
Since I knew that I would be installing an SSD drive in the future, I created a 95GB system partition in advance. After installing the hard drive, I transferred the system partition and all related records to the new SSD drive using Acronis Universal Restore. If you want me to describe how I did it, write in the comments and I will write a new post with more detailed description transferring the OS to a new disk.