Removing the HDD in the Macbook and replacing with a PATA HDD

[7on]

I have an extra 100GB PATA drive that I used to use in a 15" Tibook and I was wondering (with the advent of the MBA) if I could remove the optical drive in my 2006 Macbook and put in this 100GB HDD. I have taken the machine apart before several times so I know the innards, I just don't know if the connectors are compatible and if not, are there ways to make it fit? Thanks!

 

[Freyqq]

if it's anything like a desktop, it should work.

never taken apart a laptop tho

 

[Maccleduff]

Macbooks use SATA hard drives so as yours is PATA its unlikely to work.

 

[xeux]

Interesting idea my friend.

I'm curious as well if this is possible through a few different connections...

Even though the lack of optical drive could prove to be frustrating.

To the above poster... He is not asking to replace his internal sata drive he's refferring to removing the optical drive which runs on an ATA bus.

 

[Mechcozmo]

It won't work.

SATA and PATA are different connectors. They make bridges between the two, but they are impractical for laptops; you only see them for desktops. (The power connections I think are also different, but that's somewhat irrelevant)

 

[gotzero]

Optibay, not with a PATA though.

 

[7on]

My Superdrive is on the ata bus

I've looked at optibay and $100 IMO would be too much for just their piece of plastic. Unless it converts the superdrives ATA to a hdd ata - I'm not sure if it's a different connector to my hdd.

 

[DocSmitty]

Don't know of any alternatives to the Optibay to doing this, but that is pretty much exactly what it's meant for.

My guess is it's more about mounting securely into the drive space than the physical connectors, but I've never gotten a good look at one.