how to add second hard drive to e9280t???

[photoswithsoul]

I just received my new e9280t.  I only bought it with one hard drive because I was planning to take the second hard drive from my old desktop and move it into the new e9280t.  But the other parts are really crowded in, and there isn't enough room to move the hard drive into position.  Anyone had this problem?  Any ideas?

Thanks!

Irene

http://www.ireneabdouphotography.com

[old_geekster]

Irene, it shows in the specs that you have two external 5.25" drive bays and two internal 3.5" drive bays.  If you have a hard drive and an CD/DVD drive, you should have two open bays.  I believe that you can install the drive, you simply may have to disconnect some of the cables to the other components to get it into place.  This happens allot with smaller cases.

Here is the 'Upgrading and Servicing' guide for your computer.  It looks like it may give you some help.

Let us know if you have further questions. 

Message Edited by old_geekster on 11-21-2009 09:32 PM

[sclui56]

Take a look at this thread, I explained to another user who has the same chasis.

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/psg/board/message?board.id=HardwareDPC&message.id=12112#M12112

Message Edited by sclui56 on 11-21-2009 11:05 PM

[photoswithsoul]

Hey, thanks guys!  That helps a lot.  I understand now how to put the new hard drive in, but I haven't done it yet because I have another question.  Before I got your answers yesterday, we rigged the second drive so that it's just sitting inside the personal media drive bay instead of in the hard drive bay where it's supposed to be.  So the computer had two extra cables for hard drives - a power connector cable and a smaller cable.  When we put my second drive into the personal media drive bay, we used the power connector cable from the computer, but we used the serial ATA cable that came with the second hard drive instead of the smaller cable that came with the computer, because that one didn't fit.  So the only cable that's not hooked up to anything is that smaller one.

So the thing is that I also ordered a personal media drive.  Is it possible to use the personal media drive AND have a second hard drive?  If I follow the instructions you sent me to take the entire hard drive bay out, and we put in the second hard drive where it's supposed to be, then I assume that the small cable that came with the computer that I'm not using will go into the personal media drive, but then does the personal media drive also need a power cable connector?  Because we're already using the power cable connector for the second hard drive, and there aren't any more extra cables in the computer.

Maybe it was night last night and we didn't see well, and there really is an extra power cable?  Or does the personal media drive not need the power cable if it's inside the bay?  (It does come with a power cable for when working with a computer without a bay.)  Or do I have to buy my own extra power cable?  (Hope my explanation isn't too confused!)

By the way, anyone know if it's possible to use the personal media drive with a laptop computer WITHOUT using the power cable if the laptop USB is 2.0?

Thanks again!  You guys are great!

Irene

http://www.ireneabdouphotography.com

[sclui56]

You can populate your 2nd HDD bay and use the PMD at the same time. The PMD bay has two wires attached to the back of the cage, one set is the power & the other set is the USB, they are normally fitted to a clip-on plastic connector. See diagram 10, pp 30 of your document. Take a look at the cage, I have also read here that some units were shipped without the PMD cables attached, but they are inside the box.

The PMD (Personal Media Drive) cannot be operated with USB power only, these are essentially 3.5" HDD. OTOH, the Pocket Media Drive (smaller enclosures using 2.5" laptop HDD's) can be operated with USB alone. If you want to have a HDD to be shared bewtween yor desktop & laptop, AND that you don't want to lug around the power bricj, then you need to look into the Pocket Media Drive.

[photoswithsoul]

All done!  Thanks guys, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Irene

http://www.ireneabdouphotography.com