Hardware needed to add severak hard drives to a PRO 3500 microtower

[AlanInSeattle]

My new-to-me  HP PRO 3500MT purchased with hard drive(s) removed by the previous owner is surprisingly different than my PRO 3130MT as to the arrangaement of  storage bays. Perhaps it is missing some original components, but currently there is a huge open space between the DVD drive and the bottom of the computer. This space seems oddly shaped and I don't see how a 3.5" drive bay could be attached. There is only one obvious way to install a drive, and that is to use the four screw holes which accommodate a 2.5" drive so that the drive ends up towards the bottom right of the case in a vertical position.

I must be missing something obvious here. What hardware do I need for this case to securely mount one 3.5" hard drive and two 2.5" hard drives, in addition to the DVD drive? Photos showing the attachment points you use in your multi-drive  33500 MT would be of great interest to me! Thank you so much. Alan

[old_geekster]

@AlanInSeattle , welcome to the forum.

Here is the Maintenance and Service Guide for the computer.  You can read through it to see if it gives you any help.  It is the best information that is available from HP.

Please click the Thumbs up + button if I have helped you and click Accept as Solution if your problem is solved.

[AlanInSeattle]

Thanks for the excellent link to a valuable resource, but it doesn't provide a solution as to a hard drive enclosure for the 3500 microtower.

I did find a dummy adapter on eBay which fits in a PCIe slot and allows a 2.5" drive to be mounted in that space. This is the only way I see to mount any drive beyond the boot drive which I have mounted using the ONLY holes on the basic frame which match a hard drive, and maintain the existing DVD drive. I am reluctant to remove the DVD drive, but am also considering using that space if I have to. Additional ideas would be more than welcome! Thanks, Alan

[old_geekster · Accepted solution]

You are very welcome, @AlanInSeattle!

It would cost you a bit more money, but you could remove the DVD drive and buy a USB CD/DVD drive.  I have been using one for several years with great success.  Truthfully, I hardly use it at this point.  This is one possible solution to having your cake and eating it too!! 😉  At least, it would give you an additional drive bay.  Also, it is possible to mount small SSD's or smaller HDD's with velcro.  It works great.

[AlanInSeattle]

Velcro, now that is an ingenious solution! Guess that makes you an ingenious genius? I will have to try the velcro soon; just order off eBay a dummy adapter to mount a couple of 2.5" drives where PCIe cards normally go. What a waste of slots! Really a poor solution, but it appears that HP in its infinite wisdom believes microtower computers should be much less expandable than minitower computers. (Remember I previously commented that my HP Pro 3130MT has an excellent hard drive cage. Incredibly well designed; love its removability.) Thank you very much for your help! Alan

[old_geekster]

You are very welcome, @AlanInSeattle.

I don't know about genius, but I do have wisdom if my statement is correct in my signature: Intelligence is God given; Wisdom is the sum of our mistakes!! 😉

Good luck!