CF-30 CDROM caddy?

Greetings!

I have a CF-30FT with no CDROM unit, just the blank. I would like to get a caddy that has the ability to put a hard drive in its place. I did this on my Thinkpad with great results. The problem is that all the ones I see on eBay have the connector in the wrong position. When looking at the CF-30 I see the connector in the middle. When looking at the CDROM Caddy that accepts a 2.5" hard drive the connector is on one side.

Does anyone know a solution? I would like to install an SSD or another disk drive to supplement the current 80GB

Thanks!

Matt|ttaM

 

Welcome to the forum. It is usually at this point that one of the old grouches suggests that you do a little reading. The responses to your first question were rapidly forthcoming partly because it was a new (or mostly new) question. Your current question relates to old business and we encourage new members to do their own research before asking for answers. The stickys at the top of the forum contain a wealth of information on your CF-30, take a look there and see if you can't find the "secret" search tool to look for your hard drive in CD caddy answer. (hint: Toughasnails, our erstwhile forum moderator lists the secret search code at the bottom of every post)
Again, welcome to the forum and let us know when you need another Toughbook, you will, I promise you will.
CAP

 

Thanks for the reply. I realize I should have searched 1st. However after searching the forum, I am left with more questions.

For starters I only see results for the Cf-29 or the CF-52.

According to this matrix my cf30 has a parallel optical drive. I presume this is correct since when looking at the hole, I don't see the standard SATA connectors.

So my assumption is I will need to convert the SATA to IDE then IDE to what ever port is in the Cf30?

CPUZ reports me having an ICH8-ME

It is also worth noting I do not have a CDROM caddy for this unit at all. So i would be starting from scratch.

Optical bay caddy configuration matrix

I/O
Chipset Primary
Bay Optical
Bay Optical Bay Caddy Product Link
Example link/caddy used
ebay & newmodeus0
ICH2-8M pata or
sata1 pata23 7.0mm sata-to-pata

9.5mm pata#1
sata-to-pata#01

12.7mm pata
sata-to-pata#0 -

9.5mm pata
sata-to-pata

12.7mm pata
sata-to-pata HP 2510P 9.5mm sata-to-pata,pata/newm+ebay
Dell M1330 9.5mm pata [slot]/newm
Dell Vostro 1400 12.7mm sata-to-pata/ebay
HP 8710W 12.7mm sata-to-pata/newm
Clevo M570RU 12.7mm sata-to-pata/newm


ICH9M or
newer sata sata 9.5mm sata
12.7mm sata 9.5mm sata
9.5mm sata
12.7mm 9.5mm Clevo P150HMA 14mm/ebay
Toshiba R830-835 9.5mm/ebay-Fenvi
Alienware M14x 9.5mm/ebay-Fenvi
Dell E6400/E6500 9.5mm sata/ebay &newm
HP 2530P 9.5mm sata/newm
HP Envy14 9.5mm sata/newm
Sony Vaio Z12 9.5mm sata/newm
Lenovo E420 12.7mm sata/newm
Sony Vaio FW51JF 12.7mm sata/ebay
HP 8730W 12.7mm sata/newm
Dell XPS 1647 12.7mm sata [slot]/newm
Alienware M17xR2 12.7mm sata [slot]/newm

 

Old guy response..

Yes it is a PATA optical drive..
The CF30 has a caddy that the optical drive fits into. This converts the PATA drive to the proprietary interface.
Forget the SATA to PATA adapters...Toughbooks will not boot with an adapter in the optical bay. They get stuck at the blue Panasonic screen.
You need to get a CF30 optical drive caddy, then a optical to PATA HDD adapter..Finally get a PATA HDD in.

I've tried this all before. I speak from experience. I have a 320gb PATA drive in the optical bay of the CF52 I am typing this on.

 

Great thanks for the reply!

So bottom line is I will have to install a IDE hard drive in the CF30?

 

No..The main hard drive is SATA...The optical drive is PATA.......

 

What I meant was that I would have to install a PATA drive in the media/ CDROM caddy bay. Right?

I am not talking about the primary hard drive at all in this thread. (for clarity)

Matt|ttaM

 

Looking at Newegg for PATA drives now. WOW these are expensive now! 320GB WDD Blue for $220! I'd be better off with a main drive replacement in SSD.

Matt|ttaM

 

Correct a PATA drive in the media bay....

I just wanted to make sure you did not think the main drive was PATA...
Lots of guys don't want to spend the money on a main drive caddy..Just want to buy a cheap 2nd HDD to DVD adapter and try to boot from it.

 

But as far as I know it still will not boot with it in the 30. You will still need to buy a CF-30 DVD-ROM/CD-RW Drive (CF-VDRU301U or CF-VDR302U) and take the caddy off it. Check out this link...post #115 to see what you need http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/264961-official-cf-30-thread-12.html

 

this photo..

 

looks like a caddy modded to fit a '30 ...
my "real" '30 caddy has a push-in/pop-out extractor .
maybe safn can help out .

 

Yep. But you cant use a modded one for a second hdd setup
Cause you dont have a way to get it back out. The modded one works for a dvd drive.

 

I know the CF-30 FAQ is a long thread but if you own one you need to read it...it will save you a lot of time

 

"It is usually at this point that one of the old grouches suggests that you do a little reading."

heh heh heh ...
i believe the operative word would be "curmudgeon" .
:laugh:

 

Old fart works on my end

I guess I'm trying to understand why you would want a second drive? 7200rpm 1 TB drive in my last CF-52 pretty much covered it. Unless you want to do some kind of dual boot setup.

And the trick would be to use a flat strip of plastic glued to the dive mount case such as you see on internal drive caddies.

Pull strip and modded DVD case pops out.

 

Like this,mind you this is not functional. It was kicking around so I added the drive caddy to a unmodded CF-74 dvd caddy along with a simple plastic tab to remove it from the CF-30. Last photo shows the modded 74 dvd that is in this 30.

That tab is on there for real,I pulled hard on it and it held.

 

hmmm ...
ditto ... that '30 i built for my friend uses a modded '74 carrier ...
i could remove the carrier/dvd combo by using my fingernail or a small screwdriver on the edge to pop it out .
(it comes/came out surprisingly easy)
does the use of a HDD in the modded carrier create a removal problem ?

i can think of one good reason for another HDD : an easy way to pull files and programs for backup (aka : super glorified thumb drive) .

 

Yes because with a DVD you just eject the carrier and use it to pull the drive.

 

I answer to "old grouch", "curmudgeon", "old fart", and lots of appellations that would be too much trouble to get by the pron bot.
CAP

 

The trick is to pop the drive open,the gently pull on it and the whole shooting match comes out. Gently is the key as,from experience, if you pull too hard it comes apart. Thus the tab made out of scrap PETN packaging.

 

call me anything you want except "late for dinner" .
:laugh:

 

The wife told me the other day that it looked like I had never been late to dinner. Told her it was paid for.

 

ya got that "furniture disease" ?
you know ... the one where your chest slips to your drawers ?


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