2nd hard drive caddy

[saiyuki]

Hi. The Notebook I have - an HP 15-db1000na, does not have a dvd drive installed and I would like to use the space for a second hard drive for use as a backup drive. At the moment I have a seperate3 usb3 external drive case. I see the internal connection does not look like the standard sata connection. Is there a specific or generic dvd caddy available I could use, or perhaps just an adapter cable if that is preferable.

Regards

[Huffer]

Here is the Service Manual:

Manual 

When there is an optical drive its a 9mm tray load. See pp. 34-36 for access to the optical drive. You can add a 2nd 2.5 inch SATA drive using a 9mm optical bay adapter. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HILABEE-Caddy-Adapter-Optical-Laptops-Black/dp/B07NPQ7X5R/ref=sr_1_5?keywor...

Problem is that you will not have a DVD bezel you can clip on the front of this to make the installation look good. You can just remove and replace the blank cover over the optical bay slot and it will likely fit back on to close the resulting hole. 

You want to use a 7mm super slim SSD or HDD for this upgrade. Keep in mind a drive in this kind of adapter will not run at its full potential speed and likely will not be bootable but it is still good enough for mass storage. Videos will stream from it for example. Just not optimal. 

Post back with any more questions and please accept as solution if this is the info you needed. 

[saiyuki]

Hi. I have replaced the original hard drive now with an ssd. With the original 1TB mechanical sata drive it was taking upwards of 2 minutes just to boot up to desktop, then a further wait whilst the installed HP software does it's thing. The laptop did not come with a dvd drive installed, and thus has no opening on the side of the case even if I wanted to install one.

Are you saying that the internal dvd sata connection does not run at the same speed as the original hard drive sata? Which would explain your stating lack of potential speed.

Regards

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

That is exactly what I am saying. We see some exceptions to that but as a rule the ODD SATA port is slower than the one for the 2.5 inch bay. For an ODD it only needs to be SATA-I, but often they are SATA -II. Again, yours may be full speed but its difficult if not impossible to find that information written down by HP. As I also said, a HDD in an adapter for the ODD is still useable for storage. 

And you could install an ODD. There is a cover plate over the hole which can be removed and you would also have to remove it to install the ODD adapter for a hard drive.