Can I Add A Third HDD By Replacing Optical Drive On Envy 17 17t-n100?

[pcb-hp]

I hope this isn't a dumb question, but I haven't been able to find any info on the web.

I have an Envy 17 17t-n100, with two HDD bays, primary has 500gb SSD, secondary has 2tb HDD. Secondary is running out of space. Normally I'd just replace it with a larger drive, but....

There are HDD caddy kits available to replace SATA optical drives with a hard drive. I have only seen references to using them to add a 2nd HDD to a laptop with only one HDD bay. Nothin about using them to add a third HDD. And I've found them available for HP 17-kxxx series, but none for my 17t-n100.

So first question is whether I could replace my optical drive with an HDD caddy kit and add a third HDD. Can the computer recognize and use the third HDD?

If that would work, my second question would be whether anybody knows if a generic optical drive caddy kit, or one designated for the 17-kxxx series, would work in my 17t-n100. I'm not overly concerned about the outer plate color matching, but I don't think I just want that slot open.

And I'm I missing anything simple/stupid? If it works, and if I hardly ever use my optical drive, is there any reason not to do this?

Thanks in advance....

[visruth · Accepted solution]

You can definitely install third HDD in the optical drive bay using hard drive caddy like this:
https://www.newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=594

It is a SATA port in the ODD bay, but you may be getting slightly lower speed then normal HDD SATA ports. You can use this purely for storage.

HP disassembly video: applies to your model
https://h20574.www2.hp.com/results.htm?SID=7771351&MEID=1CC869EA-7617-4517-ACC7-B2D5E5C711D8

Manual: Page 2, 28, 29
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c04696907

Now, which SSD do you have at present:
500gb, 2.5 inch SATA SSD or M.2 SATA SSD?

I notice these:
There is a M.2 SATA SSD slot active in machines that came with Intel Core i7 processor with NVIDIA GTX graphic chip. See page 51, 52 in the Manual.

Also there is a second hard drive space and ZIF connector on board like this in all machines in your model series:
https://youtu.be/Zn9YdyspKBo

https://www.newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_5&products_id=613&zenid=5ec3...

So I assume your SSD will be in either of the above spaces,
Or it may be in primary HDD bay with 2TB HDD in the second hard drive space described above?

So the primary hard drive bay either lodges the 2.5 inch SATA SSD or 2TB SATA HDD. See Page 34, 35 in the Manual.

So as far as I see it, there can be 4 possible storage locations at a time if your laptop came with i7 processor with NVIDIA GTX chip, with only 1 bootable drive: primary HDD bay or M.2 SSD slot.

[pcb-hp]

Thanks so much for the quick and thorough reply. I didn't realize I had the M.2 Sata SSD slot, so I'm currently using both of the standard 2.5" HDD bays, booting off a 500gb 2.5" Samsung 850 EVO SSD drive.

So I think the plan is to get a 500gb M.2 SSD card, boot off of that, and get a second 2tb HDD to replace the 2.5" Samsung 850 EVO. Save the EVO for another laptop, maybe my older Envy 17 with the notorious cracked left hinge?

Thanks again!

PB 

[visruth]

You're welcome.

M.2 SSD slot is active only in machines that came with i7 processor and NVIDIA GTX graphics from factory.

[pcb-hp]

Super---that's what I have. i7 and NVIDIA Geoforce GTX.

[visruth]

Great!