Second hard drive in media bay

I saw some "2nd Hard Drive HDD Caddy Adapter Bay for Panasonic Toughbook CF-28 CF-29" in eBay. The question is - will they work in CF-52?

 

Short answer.NO.

 

Answer is good enough. Thanks.

 

These adapters do need mostly the caddy/adapter which is needed to connect a IDE-CDROM/DVD to the CF-29.

For the CF-29 there is a IDE to SATA Bridge included into the ebay-Adapter to use a SATA-HD or SATA-SDD into the IDE-Mediabay-Slot.

I dont know if the CF-52 does have this Media-Slot for a IDE-CDROM or if it uses SATA directly.

If you could install a Slimline CDROM you have only to find the right ebay-Adapter with or without IDE-SATA Bridge AND the right height (9,5mm? or 12,xxmm?)

I used a adapter like this, with IDE to SATA Bridge into a ASUS Laptop and coulb boot very fast with SATA-SSD connected to the IDE-CD-Connector.

The ebay-Adapters for the CF-29 are not specialized for the Toughbook (no MediaBay Connector)...they are generic for IDE-Slimline Drives.

 

There is a couple threads on this but as Shawn said no go

Sent from my Note 2 using Tapatalk 2

 

Trying to use the IDE to SATA bridge will end in lots of frustration. An SATA drive in the media bay will NOT boot or pass the POST in a cf52 or a cf29. The laptop will freeze during POST. I have 3 different brands of those generic adapters that I tried. The OEM Panasonic cf29 2nd drive adapters work well ina cf27 cf28 or cf29. For a 2nd drive to work in a Toughbook, the 2nd drive MUST be the same interface as the optical drive. FORGET the SATA to IDE bridge. SATA to IDE bridges don't work dependably anywhere in a Toughbook. I have 6 of those HDD adapters I tried also.....

 

It's not "IDE to SATA". It's "SATA to SATA":

New 2nd Hard Drive HDD Caddy Adapter Bay for Panasonic Toughbook CF 28 CF 29 | eBay

 

I can't see that being any different. I know it has been tried before with many of them... I tried it last year and blew $50.00 on 2 of them and no go

Sent from my Note 2 using Tapatalk 2

 

Well unless you have a mk4 cf52, that will not work because all other cf52's use an IDE optical drive. If you do buy that, you will also need a cf52 optical drive to disassemble and use the caddy to put the adapter in.

Here is a thread to read.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/671264-cf-51-2nd-hard-drive-media-bay.html

 

Well I may have to try that one of these day...need to get a few other things cleaned up first before I start something else

 

Onakriss says:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/671264-cf-51-2nd-hard-drive-media-bay-2.html#post8988800

 

Someone PM'd me about a SATA HDD in the DVD on a CF 52..


Do we have search instructions in the FAQ?


https://www.google.com/search?num=20&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=sb&q=cf52+sata+site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fforum.notebookreview.com%2Fpanasonic%2F&oq=cf52+sata+site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fforum.notebookreview.com%2Fpanasonic%2F&gs_l=serp.3...4381.7737.0.8550.9.9.0.0.0.0.223.1420.0j7j2.9.0....0...1c.1.58.serp..9.0.0.zetsnPbL-Ms

 

Copied from a private message sent to me......Not my information...


Concerning a CF52....sata HDD in the media bay.

Using the Sata to Pata cable with the newer dvd multi drives, the machine will boot up and recognize the 2nd hard drive in both the mk2 mk3 models that I tested.

Do you know any sources for the Sata to Pata ribbon cable that attaches to the back of the dvd drives?

Have a handful of ide/pata ribbon cables for the dvd drives if you know someone that needs them.

Let me know about sources for cable if you would?

Thank you kindly,

I am guessing the cable being referred to is the one that is part of the factory adapter/caddy for the DVD drive. The later CF52's used a SATA DVD drive while the earlier mk's used a IDE/PATA DVD drive.

If that's the case I suggest Heartlands Services.. http://www.heartlandsi.com/

 

Another PM.......

I am done responding unless this is discussed in the proper thread so the information may be shared......

I don't know how to open threads and post pictures to forums. I can send you a picture of the cable it you like to your email. Both my CF-52mk2 and mk3 models will boot up with the 2nd hard drive inserted prior to power-on device. Using pcb board with master/slave jumper (sata to sata internal pcb board) with a sata to ide/pata proprietary ribbon cable robbed from Panasonic Sata DVD multi.

It still takes an additional 5 seconds to boot up however the drives are recognized and past BIOS post. Hot swapping is still functional. I am in the process of rewriting BIOS code for the mk3 boards to add functionality and features that the CF-52 lacks. Friend of mine is a BIOS aficionado.

Don't see how to attached a photo anywhere of the cable?

Feel free to start a thread about the 2nd hard drives and will join in.

 

I don't know how to open threads and post pictures to forums. I can send you a picture of the cable it you like to your email. Both my CF-52mk2 and mk3 models will boot up with the 2nd hard drive inserted prior to power-on device. Using pcb board with master/slave jumper (sata to sata internal pcb board) with a sata to ide/pata proprietary ribbon cable robbed from Panasonic Sata DVD multi.

It still takes an additional 5 seconds to boot up however the drives are recognized and past BIOS post. Hot swapping is still functional. I am in the process of rewriting BIOS code for the mk3 boards to add functionality and features that the CF-52 lacks. Friend of mine is a BIOS aficionado.

Don't see how to attached a photo anywhere of the cable?

Not able to post an image to this thread to help people out. Might spend half my life trying to figure out how to post photos to forums, facebook, twitter, etc............................

Hope this helps since there is a solution to the CF-52 2nd hard drive "freeze" to get beyond the BIOS post and Window 7 64bit recognition.

Cheerio,

bk

 

Why not...........

 

Or type it in yourself (like I do) using the

 

photobucket is a good place to upload pictures to :

 

Back on subject and to respond /translate kegger13's post.

Blair,
Does your MK4 CF52 have a SATA DVD drive?
If it does, will that drive and caddy assembly fit and work in a CF52 mk2? The mk2 has a PATA/IDE DVD drive..
I can not find any parts listing for the MK4 to check the numbers..

Shawn

 

Yes my MK4 is SATA and it will not fit into a MK2. We tried that a little over a year ago when this subject came up.

 

Interesting,
What kegger13 says he did was take the ribbon cable from the caddy of a later mk and use it in the caddy of a earlier mk. This got the CF52 mk2 to boot with a sata drive in the media bay..

I dunno....