Where do I mount a second HDD in a HP?

[Timbo]

Hi,

I have a HP Pavilion a118.uk ( a basic HP tower PC), for which I have bought
a
second hard drive.

However there doesn't appear to be anywhere to mount it inside the PC (the
maxtor drive came with no mounting brackets or anything). The grey cable
(forgotten the name!) which the two drives are plugged into doesn't have
much free play between the plugs for the two drives to reach the spare bay
beneath the floppy disk drive (don't know if that would be right anyway).

HP support suggested I just leave the second drive loose next to the first
one, but put a piece of cardboard between the two drives to prevent static -
which I have done, but it seems like a fire risk to me.

Can anyone help? Many thanks if you can.

 

[JK]

Hi,

I have a HP Pavilion a118.uk ( a basic HP tower PC), for which I have bought
a
second hard drive.

However there doesn't appear to be anywhere to mount it inside the PC (the
maxtor drive came with no mounting brackets or anything). The grey cable
(forgotten the name!) which the two drives are plugged into doesn't have
much free play between the plugs for the two drives to reach the spare bay
beneath the floppy disk drive (don't know if that would be right anyway).

HP support suggested I just leave the second drive loose next to the first
one, but put a piece of cardboard between the two drives to prevent static -
which I have done, but it seems like a fire risk to me.

I wouldn't put cardboard in a pc. Buy some hardware to secure the hard drive,
or improvise. Don't just leave it laying loose.

 

[Bob Day]

Hi,

I have a HP Pavilion a118.uk ( a basic HP tower PC), for which I have bought
a
second hard drive.

However there doesn't appear to be anywhere to mount it inside the PC (the
maxtor drive came with no mounting brackets or anything). The grey cable
(forgotten the name!) which the two drives are plugged into doesn't have
much free play between the plugs for the two drives to reach the spare bay
beneath the floppy disk drive (don't know if that would be right anyway).

HP support suggested I just leave the second drive loose next to the first
one, but put a piece of cardboard between the two drives to prevent static -
which I have done, but it seems like a fire risk to me.

The HP guy is a total idiot. There must be some space between two
hard drives to prevent overheating. Static buildup is not a problem
since internal harddrives are (or should be) grounded to the case.
If your Pavilion has a USB 2.0 port, consider an external hard drive.

-- Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com

 

[Grinder]

Hi,

I have a HP Pavilion a118.uk ( a basic HP tower PC), for which I have bought
a
second hard drive.

However there doesn't appear to be anywhere to mount it inside the PC (the
maxtor drive came with no mounting brackets or anything). The grey cable
(forgotten the name!) which the two drives are plugged into doesn't have
much free play between the plugs for the two drives to reach the spare bay
beneath the floppy disk drive (don't know if that would be right anyway).

HP support suggested I just leave the second drive loose next to the first
one, but put a piece of cardboard between the two drives to prevent static -
which I have done, but it seems like a fire risk to me.

I concur with another poster who has said that the HP tech is an idiot.
Secure the drive with non-combustible materials.

Possible solutions:

1) If there is more than one bay beneath the floppy drive, move your
existing drive there.

2) Mount the drive in 5 1/2 inch bay closer to your main drive.

3) Have a custom EIDE cable made up at your local PC repair shop.

 

[Timbo]

Thanks for the replies - I won't go down the cardboard route!

There is only one spare drive bay, that's below the floppy drive and the
cable won't reach at the moment. I'll try and sort something via my local PC
shop.

Is it usual to sell a PC these days with no facility to mount a second HDD?
The PC is less than a year old and this seems a farly common thing to do
these days. It was a low spec model, but I would have thought such a design
feature was not related to the spec of the PC.

If I left it "loose" in the PC, next to the first HDD, what risks would I be
running?

 

[yak]

Thanks for the replies - I won't go down the cardboard route!

There is only one spare drive bay, that's below the floppy drive and the
cable won't reach at the moment. I'll try and sort something via my local PC
shop.

Is it usual to sell a PC these days with no facility to mount a second HDD?
The PC is less than a year old and this seems a farly common thing to do
these days. It was a low spec model, but I would have thought such a design
feature was not related to the spec of the PC.

If I left it "loose" in the PC, next to the first HDD, what risks would I be
running?

Frayed cables, drive failure if you moved the case, other component
failure if the drive fell off it's cables and hit something.

Is it possible to move the floppy drive one space down and then install
the new hdd in its current location? My crap case has a door in one of
the 3.5" spaces for the b drive presumably. If you have two empty 5.25"
bays you could get two mounting brackets and put them there. But I've
pulled an ATA IDE cable around the floppy drive myself before, exactly
as you are trying to do. I think any non-HP ribbon cable will be able to
do it. You can always take your tower into some small computer shop and
test the lengths of the connectors before you buy one. They shouldn't
mind (I've rarely seen a small PC shop capable of cutting their own ide
cables, as another poster suggested, but it's worth a shot too).

 

[Ralph Mowery]

Is it usual to sell a PC these days with no facility to mount a second
HDD?

The PC is less than a year old and this seems a farly common thing to do
these days. It was a low spec model, but I would have thought such a design
feature was not related to the spec of the PC.

Computers sold by the major makers usually design the case to hold whatever
comes with it. They do not see the comsumer upgrading the computer. The
ones that want to upgrade their computers should just build them from the
start.

 

[Jerry G.]

Go to a computer store and buy longer interconnect cables, and the proper
brackets to mount the drive. Use some innovation to secure it properly.

The other solution is to get an outboard kit, and install it as an external
drive.

If you are not sure of what you are doing with all of this, take the
complete machine to a computer store, and pay them the few dollars to get it
right for you.

Don't use cardboard in a PC machine. This is very unprofessional, and is not
electrically rated.

--

Jerry G.
==========================


Hi,

I have a HP Pavilion a118.uk ( a basic HP tower PC), for which I have bought
a
second hard drive.

However there doesn't appear to be anywhere to mount it inside the PC (the
maxtor drive came with no mounting brackets or anything). The grey cable
(forgotten the name!) which the two drives are plugged into doesn't have
much free play between the plugs for the two drives to reach the spare bay
beneath the floppy disk drive (don't know if that would be right anyway).

HP support suggested I just leave the second drive loose next to the first
one, but put a piece of cardboard between the two drives to prevent static -
which I have done, but it seems like a fire risk to me.

Can anyone help? Many thanks if you can.

 

[CBFalconer]

Thanks for the replies - I won't go down the cardboard route!

There is only one spare drive bay, that's below the floppy drive
and the cable won't reach at the moment. I'll try and sort
something via my local PC shop.

See if you can get a solid physical mount there, ignoring using it
for now. Then see if the existing cable, or another, will reach
the new drive. If so, and there is a cable socket there, you are
all set. Else go and get a further socket at Radio Shack or
wherever and press it on CAREFULLY. You can do this with a vise
and a couple of flat pieces of brass. Check the revised cable
still works on you present setup, and only then connect it to the
new HD and supply power to it.

You don't usually need to worry about which socket connects to
which drive. You may well end up exceeding cable specifications,
but the worst that can happen is that it doesn't work and you have
to go back to your existing one drive setup.

 

[DevilsPGD]

In message <[email protected]> "Timbo"

Is it usual to sell a PC these days with no facility to mount a second HDD?
The PC is less than a year old and this seems a farly common thing to do
these days. It was a low spec model, but I would have thought such a design
feature was not related to the spec of the PC.

My mother's Dell is the same way, sadly.

If I left it "loose" in the PC, next to the first HDD, what risks would I be
running?

The drives overheating is the biggest issue, you really do need some
space between the drives.

 

[Trent©]

Don't use cardboard in a PC machine. This is very unprofessional, and is not
electrically rated.

?



Have a nice week...

Trent©

NUDITY...birth control for folks over 50!

 

[Bk St Crawler]

Thanks for the replies - I won't go down the cardboard route!

There is only one spare drive bay, that's below the floppy drive and the
cable won't reach at the moment. I'll try and sort something via my local PC
shop.

Is it usual to sell a PC these days with no facility to mount a second HDD?
The PC is less than a year old and this seems a farly common thing to do
these days. It was a low spec model, but I would have thought such a design
feature was not related to the spec of the PC.

If I left it "loose" in the PC, next to the first HDD, what risks would I be
running?

You might try finding a cable with a slightly longer span between
connectors. Not sure if this would apply in your situation, just thought
I'd throw it out there.

David

 

[Trent©]

Hi,

I have a HP Pavilion a118.uk ( a basic HP tower PC), for which I have bought
a
second hard drive.

However there doesn't appear to be anywhere to mount it inside the PC (the
maxtor drive came with no mounting brackets or anything). The grey cable
(forgotten the name!) which the two drives

2 drives? IDE & optical?

are plugged into doesn't have
much free play between the plugs for the two drives to reach the spare bay
beneath the floppy disk drive (don't know if that would be right anyway).

Its not clear how many IDE cables yer now using...or how many drives
you have in total. But...

1. You can get a longer cable at most computer stores...including
Radio Shack, etc. Or you can have them make one up special for you.
I have several that are 3' long...that I use for bench testing...with
6-8 connectors.

2. You can purchase a tray to go into a free optical-drive bay...and
mount it there. Then you can either keep it in there permanently...or
take it out for transport..or simply disable it when not in use.

HP support suggested I just leave the second drive loose next to the first
one, but put a piece of cardboard between the two drives to prevent static -
which I have done, but it seems like a fire risk to me.

Not a fire risk...but not the best solution either.

Depending on the age of the old drive, running it all the time can
actually slow down yer system. I'd simply pitch or sell it...or use
it in a tray as a backup device.

Good luck.



Have a nice week...

Trent©

NUDITY...birth control for folks over 50!

 

[Trent©]

Thanks for the replies - I won't go down the cardboard route!

There is only one spare drive bay, that's below the floppy drive and the
cable won't reach at the moment. I'll try and sort something via my local PC
shop.

Is it usual to sell a PC these days with no facility to mount a second HDD?
The PC is less than a year old and this seems a farly common thing to do
these days. It was a low spec model, but I would have thought such a design
feature was not related to the spec of the PC.

If I left it "loose" in the PC, next to the first HDD, what risks would I be
running?

NEVER leave it loose. You never know who might use the machine when
yer not there...and possibly lay the machine over, etc.

If you REALLY don't have room in the case...

Draw the outline of the drive onto the bottom of the case. Drill a
hole in the middle of each of the lines...about an inch beyond the
line. Then get that piece of cardboard that was suggested...and cut
it to fit within the lines. Lay the drive on top of the
cardboard...and secure the drive in both directions with plastic cable
ties. Use a round file to smooth the holes.

DON'T do this if yer not comfortable with the idea. And be especially
careful of any loose metal chips from the drilling.

You may run into heat problems later, however. Its always best to
just upgrade to the proper equipment (new case) in situations like
that.

Good luck.


Have a nice week...

Trent©

NUDITY...birth control for folks over 50!

 

[Bob Day]

The HP guy is a total idiot. There must be some space between two
hard drives to prevent overheating. Static buildup is not a problem
since internal harddrives are (or should be) grounded to the case.
If your Pavilion has a USB 2.0 port, consider an external hard drive.

-- Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com

Actually, what I should have said here is you could consider
purchasing an external hard drive *enclosure* for your second
hard drive (about $33.00 at Newegg), if your Pavilion has a
USB 2.0 port (or you could add a USB 2.0 port via a PCI card).

-- Bob Day

 

[Jon Danniken]

Computers sold by the major makers usually design the case to hold whatever
comes with it. They do not see the comsumer upgrading the computer. The
ones that want to upgrade their computers should just build them from the
start.

Not always true. A friend of mine bought a Compaq Presario back in 2000 (against my
advice, BTW), and last year I tossed a new drive into the machine - in the space that
was specifically there for a second HDD.

What I usually do otherwise is to utilize one of the 5.25 inch bays (with a cheap
adatptor thingy), or if a 5.25" bay is not available I just mount the drive on the
bottom of the case; just drill four holes through the case bottom, use standoffs for
proper circulation, and utilize the mounting threads that are on the bottom of the
drive unit.

Jon

 

[Timbo]

Actually, what I should have said here is you could consider
purchasing an external hard drive *enclosure* for your second
hard drive (about $33.00 at Newegg), if your Pavilion has a
USB 2.0 port (or you could add a USB 2.0 port via a PCI card).

-- Bob Day

Thanks Bob, and indeed EVERYONE ELSE who replied - much appreciated.

Someone has now told me how to fit it in the existing case, iin a drive bay
I didn't realise was one, so problem hopefully sorted!

If I have difficulty with that (I have to dismantle the front panel) I may
well take up your external hard drive *enclosure* solution.

Cheers folks.

 

[VWWall]

Thanks Bob, and indeed EVERYONE ELSE who replied - much appreciated.

Someone has now told me how to fit it in the existing case, iin a drive bay
I didn't realise was one, so problem hopefully sorted!

If I have difficulty with that (I have to dismantle the front panel) I may
well take up your external hard drive *enclosure* solution.

The front panel is usually held on by four or more plastic "snaps" that
have to be released. Be careful, it's easy to break them. Most drive
bays are accessible from the rear,inside the case, but other components
may be in the way.

An external hard drive would normally be run from USB or Firewire, and
would be much slower than an internal one. If the new drive is ATA66 or
above, make sure to use an 80 conductor cable, and that the motherboard
IDE controller supports ATA66.

Virg Wall

 

[Bob Day]

The front panel is usually held on by four or more plastic "snaps" that
have to be released. Be careful, it's easy to break them. Most drive
bays are accessible from the rear,inside the case, but other components
may be in the way.

An external hard drive would normally be run from USB or Firewire, and
would be much slower than an internal one. < snip >

Not all that much slower with USB 2.0. On one of my computers I have
three Seagate Barracuda 7200 rpm hard drives, two internal and one
external, connected to a USB 2.0 port. Copying a 781MB file from one
internal drive to the other took 44 seconds. Copying the same file to
the external drive took 50 seconds.

--Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com

 

[Timbo]

Bob, I've successfully installed the HDD in the front space as you
suggested.

However, it is loose ie not held in place in any way, though the bay isn't
much larger than the HDD and once it's plugged in there isn't much room for
it to move. I couldn't find any screws that you mentioned or anything. Is
this OK?