Replacing the Superdrive with an SSD or HD

I'm thinking of replacing my internal superdrive in my 17" MBP (2.3 i7 early 2011), as I very rarely use it, and could do with more internal portable space...
Can it be done?
Does anyone have any links to tips or guides?
Can anyone recommend specific tools/products I should use?
Can anyone recommend a casing/caddy that I can put the Superdrive into should I wish to use it externally?
Are there any compatibility issues I should be aware of? Particularly with communication with the OS...
Any other comments?
Thanks!

RedHavoc wrote:
Now this is the kinda response I was hoping for!
Thanks! A few questions...
Has having the second drive affected battery life at all?
Have you experienced any compatibility issues with start-up/mounting/unmounting/OS interaction/transfer rates etc?
Does the SuperDrive still read/write at it's original (or near enough) speed?
Cheers!
Since a SSD uses less power then a typical spinning HDD I have not noticed and real decrease in battery life.
But then I don't use any of my notebooks on battery that much. My MBP is is 5 weeks old and only has 14 charge cycles on it. My new Dell maybe 5-7 which I got about 1 week before I bought the MBP.
Not sure what you mean by your seconsd question. Are you talking aboth the Superdrive or the second HDD.
Neither with either.
I never unmount the HDD in the Superdrive bay. If the Superdrive is connect by USB cable once you eject the disc it unmounts and does not mount until you put a disc in.
Yes the Superdrive still reads and write the same as far as I can tell. Which IMHO is very SLOW. Even when it was in the case it was slow. Not sure how jyour is but mine was like watching paint dry.
Tthe only thing you can't do is Boot from it. So if for some reason I need to boot something that is on a CD or DVD I image it and then restore to a USB thumb drive. The one reason I did this is about the only time, in the last 3-4 years, that I use a CD/DVD drive is to make MP3s from music CDs or to burn utilities and info to give to someone.
As far as burning I haven't done that yet on the Mac so I don't know for sure but I don't think I'd have a problem.

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What drive to replace the superdrive with?

A few days ago the superdrive in my Powermac G4 (MDD - 1.42Ghz) decided to start making tons of circular scratches in any disc that is inserted into the computer. I have a feeling it's going to have to be replaced (actually - this is the second superdrive in the computer. First one was replaced under warantee within the first year... but that's not an option anymore...)
So... what drive should I use to replace it? Is it best to stick with whatever is currently in it - or is it possible to replace it with one of the new dual-layer drives found on dealmac? Most of those don't seem to be specifically mac compatible, but often times things like that work anyway. Does anyone have any experience replacing their superdrive with something else? How does iDVD, itunes, etc. work? Thanks!!!

I installed the Pioneer DVR-111D in my MDD G4 and have not had any problems using it in any applications. I moved the OEM Combo drive down to the second bay and use it as the disk source for copying CDs and DVDs.
BTW, IMO, the 111D is a very quiet and smooth operating drive compared to most optical drives I've heard.
Note, you have to remove the 111D's tray faceplate to use it in the MDD G4 as the faceplate will interfere with the opening and closing of the flapper doors on the MDD G4. Not a big deal, just pry it up gently from the bottom with your fingers and it will pop off.
Good luck.
Carl B.

I have a Macbook Pro 15 Late 2011, can i replace the superdrive with an data 3 hdd or does it only work with sata2?

I was wondering if the superdrive can be replace with an sata 3 hdd or whether it should be a sata2 hdd.
I´ve heard of problems with sata 3 ssd´s as superdrive replacement.
thx

thank you, but the hdd that i was thinking about comes with an 6Gb/s interface...
http://www.hgst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/79BA810F702AD64E88257977006375D8/$ file/TS5K1000_ds.pdf
do you think i could use this model in the optibay ?

IdeaPad U330 - Replacing the SSHD with an SSD = no bootable device found

Hi,
I have the original SSHD (Seagate 500 Gig) with Windows 8 that I would like to replace with :
Samsung SSD 840 PRO Series (256 Gig) with Windows 8 already installed and running on it.
When I put the Samsung SSD in my Lenovo Ideapad Ultrabook U330, BIOS tells me there is no bootable device found.
Can someone please explain this, I am SO desperate T_T
Thanks,
David
DETAILS :
Both Windows are Windows 8.1 64 bits
The SSD is working perfectly when placed in my Desktop computer
I installed Windows 8.1 on the SSD following this tutorial : http://superuser.com/questions/490476/how-can-i-install-windows-8-on-my-hdd-without-the-use-of-a-usb...
I did not provide the Windows 8 CD key on for SSD yet (but I have it)
I have tried rebooting with Safe boot disabled, Legacy settings, disabling Win8 OS optimization...no success
I have a bootable Windows 8.1 on an external HDD, I can boot on it everywhere...except on the Lenovo Ideapad and I have no clue why the disk is not supported here.
Usually, on the SSD, I plug the SATA cable but there is also another connector next to it. I noticed the SSHD in the Lenovo laptop didn't have any connector on it. Maybe my SSD requires to be connected using both slots (the SATA one, and the one next to it ?)
Should I update my BIOS ? Should I reformat the SSD ? Should I go back to the Bios Firm settings ?
I have been looking at some forum threads, but there doesn't seem to be any clear procedure to cope with this problem...
UPDATE :
From the BIOS, after disabling secure boot, selecting "Legacy" and "Legacy First" in the boot mode section allows me to boot on my USB HDD
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Duckblade wrote:
Thanks for the tip, I will check that shortly. Is there any software that could help me do that ? I am also thinking of using Norton Ghost to clone the SSHD on my SSD, that has to work.
Cheers !
Just use disk management (winkey + x, select disk management). Select the leftmost portion of the disk drive and right click. Select properties. Select volumes. You will see the partition style of the disk that you have selected.

Lessons learned replacing ThinkPad HDD with an SSD

Installing a Samsung SSD on my 3 year old ThinkPad W510 was easy. Getting Windows 7 set up took me days.
Here are some lessons learned so you can do it faster.
Backup
Lenovo Rescue & Recovery will back up files to a USB 3.0 disk but it took 10+ hours and it put several files and folders at the top level. Can it back up multiple disks (HDD and SSD)? Probably not.
Backup
Windows 7 Backup & Restore doesn’t have those problems backing up data files but when trying to save a disk image to an external drive that’s > 2 TB (with 4K blocks), it runs for a while then fails. The generic error message and event log are not helpful, costing hours of debugging.
SSD “frozen”
Some web sites say that an SSD will perform better if you fully erase it before installing the OS, but when I tried to do this, the Samsung Magician software said the SSD was “frozen.” Apparently this is a confusing way to say it’s locked from erasure. Magician’s workaround recommendations didn’t help. Magician’s PDF guide has alternate workaround recommendations (like turning of AHCI mode in BIOS) but I didn’t find them soon enough.
Clone the HDD or install fresh?
Restoring Lenovo’s factory disk image onto the SSD (instead of cloning the HDD) fixed accumulated problems but it took several days of work and problem solving. (The HDD’s hidden SYSTEM_DRV partition was full. Did that cause some of the problems?)
How to over-provision the SSD
“Over-provisioning” boosts an SSD’s sustained write performance by allocating temporary space. The Samsung Magician program will set this up -- but not on a drive with the Lenovo_Recovery “Q:” partition. Moving and resizing C: and Q: with GParted Live didn’t solve this. Instead it made me start all over restoring the factory disk image and the Windows Updates and Lenovo Updates. The solution (thanks, Samsung’s phone tech support!) is to use GParted or Windows Disk Management to shrink the C: partition. All it needs is some unallocated space between partitions anywhere on the SSD. (Samsung recommends 10%.) You don’t have to do anything to allocate that space to the purpose.
Partition alignment
For speed, you want the partitions aligned on a 4096 byte boundary. GParted will align them on a MiB boundary, which is more than adequate.
Windows restore points
The Windows installer is supposed to make system restore points but I found it started out with a broken configuration. So open System Properties, the System Protection tab, and check the “available drives” for any drives labelled “... (Missing)”. Turn off “system protection” (restore points) for the “missing” drives, then turn it on for the real C:.
Faster updates
After restoring Lenovo’s factory disk image, you must iterate installing Windows Updates and Lenovo Updates over and over until there aren’t any more to install. Fortunately this is faster on an SSD than an HDD. Save more time by having only one user account and no password so Windows reboot won’t stop for login. Also watch the taskbar for license dialogs that open up behind other windows but require your clicks to proceed.
Watch for stuck updates
Lenovo Update quietly gets stuck updating Intel WiFi & WiMax software. The fix is to download those installers from lenovo.com, run them, get an error message that it can’t install over the existing software, uninstall the WiFi & WiMax software, then run the installers again.
Restore from backup, or not?
At key points, I made system disk image backups of the SSD to the old HDD and tried restoring from a backup after the failed repartitioning experiment. But Windows Backup and Restore won’t restore a system image after booting from the destination drive’s recovery partition nor from the source drive’s recovery partition. Since my backup was on the HDD in the Ultradrive bay, I couldn’t boot from the Rescue & Recovery CD. The workaround was to make a bootable System Repair disk on a 512 MB USB key. Windows Backup and Restore then failed with another meaningless error, “The parameter is incorrect. Code: 0x80070057.” Apparently you have to remove the USB key right before starting the system restore operation but that yielded the error, "No disk that can be used for recovering the system disk can be found." I’m not sure if that’s a symptom of removing the USB key or yet another problem with Windows Backup and Restore. Maybe it can’t restore to resized partitions? Windows Backup and Restore failed and burned hours of my time.
Fix the annoying request on bootup?
After you install Windows, all its updates, and Samsung Magician, you can use Magician to adjust system settings for SSD performance. Then you’ll find that Magician needs permission to “make changes to this computer” on every boot. Samsung tech support explained that you can then remove Magician from the startup list via msconfig.
Optimizations
Recomputing the “Windows Experience Index” might make the OS recognize the boot drive as an SSD and disable defrag for it. This didn’t work for me, so be sure to unschedule defrag. Also use msconfig to remove Digital Line Detect from the startup list and turn on “No GUI boot” (no Windows splash screen). Also use power plans Advanced Settings to never turn off the “hard disk.”
ThinkPad
Thumbs up. Easy to replace the HDD with an SSD and move the HDD into an Ultradrive caddy. Sturdy. Easy to work on. Well documented. Hardware that I didn't want to replace.
Microsoft Windows 7
Thumbs down. Buggy, fragile, over complicated, inadequate error messages, painstaking to install, difficult and time consuming to administer, poorly documented, accumulates gunk over time that causes problems, failed backup software, even a fresh install has scary event log errors.
Lenovo forums & support pages
Very helpful. Sometimes it's good to use Use Google to search them e.g. https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Alenovo.com+"over+provision"
Samsung 840 EVO SSD
Fine hardware. Some confusions around the Magician software. Great phone tech support. Web support doesn’t work.
References and more info
How To Geek, Lifehacker, Lifehacker, SSD Review, Newegg, Newegg, Anandtech, Storage Review.

I may have confused you: Lenovo provides two tools, 1) one makes DVDs that restore the original out-of-the-box factory image of the entire disk (i.e. System partition, C: + Q: partitions) and 2) Backup and Restore, which is the Lenovo user backup tool that does conventional full disk backups, i.e. with all user customizations, added programs and files. Since my system-generation-to-SSD saga hadn't created the the Q: partition correctly, my only alternative was to create a full up-t-date disk backup with the second Backup and Restore tool that include all the Windows + Lenovo updates, but didn't include extra programs and my user files. This fitted on 5 DVDs, which I will use if ever I reinstall the entire operating system.
Once you get above 100-150 GB of backup volume (I'm at 450 GB right now), the Lenovo Backup and Restore is very slow, so I use the much quicker Windows built-in Backup and Restore program to backup incrementally a system image and all files.

I have a MacBook Pro which has a SSD replacing the superdrive. I have bought an Apple USB superdrive but It's not working when I plug it in?

i have a MacBook Pro which has a SSD replacing the superdrive. I have bought an Apple USB superdrive but It's not working when I plug it in? Is it broken or do I need to download something to make it work?

System Requirements
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I have a Mac book pro with regular drive, I want to replace the drive with SSD, so can I do t for Mac book pro purchased in 2012 and which SSD is recommended. I am looking for 500 to 700GB SSD.

I have a Mac book pro(13 inch non-retina, i7) with regular drive, I want to replace the drive with SSD, so can I do it for Mac book pro purchased in 2012 and which SSD is recommended.
I am looking for 500 to 700GB SSD.
Thanks

Upgrading your MacBook Pro with a Solid State Drive...
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Help required on replacing the Superdrive please!

My internal superdrive gave up the ghost a few weeks back and I have been managing fine with a LaCie external DVD burner without a problem. However, i am thinking of selling my iMac to get one of the newer models and would like to replace the superdrive before selling.
I have found these easy to follow instructions on how to remove the existing drive:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/imacg517inchOpticalDrive.pdf
This all looks simple enough and was wondering if purchasing the Pioneer DVR-K06 would be a viable option as a replacement drive as it seems to only be about £35 ?
http://www.play.com/Product.aspx?r=PCSH&title=3508472&source=9593
Will this model fit ok into the space vacated by the Superdrive or is it particularly difficult operation to carry out for a novice?
Any help would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks in advance

Hi,
Clearing can be performed, only if the GL account / Vendor account / customer account balance is 0.
In your case the account balance must not be 0.
Please check.
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A600 Replacing SATA HDD with SATA SSD

I have reviewed the current knowledge base materials, but don't see one directly tied to my problem. Appreciate any help received.
My current HDD has been making a lot of noise lately, at least much more than I have heard in the past. It's a little over 5 years old. I bought an Intel 730 series 240G SSD, and have tried to use that drive as my primary drive, replacing the current one. I used Intel's cloning software, which took a while, but appeared to be successful. My problem is that the BIOS does not recognize the new drive. Looking in the BIOS, my SATA drive 0 now shows "None", and the screen at power-up fails with "No Boot Filename received". Is there an issue with the BIOS not recognizing newer SSD's? I've read other inputs saying that people have been successful in powering up via new SSDs, so I thought it could be done. Anyone have any thoughts? Appreciate it.

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Unless there are some other options, or a way to get more control with this BIOS, I won't be able to select between AHCI or IDE regarding the SATA control. Do you know if that's the only way for me to replace my HDD with a SSD for this computer?
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If I Replace my SuperDrive with a Hard Drive or Solid State Drive. Will it void my warranty? i have a brand new macbook pro 13" entry level

I jus bought a brand new macbook pro 13" entry level
If I Replace my SuperDrive with a Hard Drive or Solid State Drive. Will it void my warranty?
Or is it possible to change it as I`ve said and put the extra hdd in the optical drive if its done somewere like bestbuy?

LowLuster, greetings:
LowLuster wrote:
It will void your warranty if Apple finds out that you have made this modification. But if you ever have a need to use the Apple warranty you should put the optical drive back in before taking it to an Apple store for the warranty work.
This is contrary to the terms of use:
8. Keep within the Law
1. No material may be submitted that is intended to promote or commit an illegal act.
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Hi,
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and tables in both the function modules.
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Edited by: anwar.indya on Mar 25, 2011 2:18 PM
Edited by: anwar.indya on Mar 25, 2011 2:19 PM

Hi,
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How to replace the '&' character with '&' in xi

Hi,
i need to replace the '&' character with ' &'.but i f i am converting it is displaying as '&' because internally '&' = '&'.
beacuse of this it is not converting.
is there any possiblity to change the standard conversion in xi.

Graphical mapping does not support special character like & , <,> to be mapped.
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The problem is to understand your question (or your two questions : do you both mean the same thing ?)
An answer to Hatstead question would help.
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2 - Do you mean using other softwares based on folders rather than databases ?
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Replacing the Superdrive with an SSD or HD

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