2nd harddisk for dv7-3020

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alan Whimp
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A

Alan Whimp

I bought an HP Pavilion DV7-3020sa a week ago which has 2 HDD areas but only
1 HDD fitted.
I have bought an identical HDD to the one already installed to fit into the
2nd drive slot but cannot find anywhere where I can buy the lead to connect
it to the mainboard.
Having now tried over 15 companies, including HP, I am becoming frustrated.
Does anyone know where the lead can be purchased?
It is a SATA socket on one end and a very very small plug on the other and
is only around one inch long. (Please note that it does not connect directly
to the mainboard in the usual clip-in method, it does have a small cable!)

PLEASE HELP!!!!!
 
Hi,

Your laptop has both eSata and USB connections, but no additional drive
slots, it only accepts external drives. Your choices are to either purchase
a USB-based hard drive enclosure or use an eSata drive w/cable such as the
ones here:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=2429&name=eSATA.

The proper terms for your installed drive, to avoid confusion when you are
describing it to others, is that it is a single physical drive partitioned
into two volumes. This is common with most manufacturers, one is a recovery
volume for use only when you have a complete operating system failure.
Access to this should be described in your system documentation.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
rick it as got another slot for another harddisk i just need the cable but i
dunno where i acn buy the cable from
 
That model does not have provision for a second internal drive
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...ry&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=uk&lang=en&product=4034195
You are seeing two partitions on a single drive and not 2 drives

In order to connect a second drive you need a drive enclosure which uses
either usb or eSata to connect to your laptop external ports

Where a laptop has provision for a second internal drive there are no cables
/ connectors required the drive simply connects directly to the internal
connection all ready inplace
 
If so, the special cable would either be supplied with the machine or
available only from HP.
 
To clarify that link;
"
This user guide describes features that are

common to most models. Some features

may not be available on your computer."
 
The manual linked to only descibes how to replace a HDD in the second slot
it does not describe how to add a second drive if your computer model
configuration only came with one HDD.
 
He probably is. I have a DV7 also and it does indeed have two drive bays.
Bay 1 is populated with the system hard drive, bay 2 has no drive but does
have both space for a drive and a motherboard-mounted connector for a small
combo power/SATA cable that appears to be HP specific.
 
Learn something new every day. Thanks Richard.

Guess he'd have to contact HP for the appropriate cord. Wonder if the drive
is proprietary as well considering the connection type???

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
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