More drives but motherboard is out of inputs?

[Xeogred]

Are there splitters or anything for this sort of thing? I'd like to keep my DVD drive in right now, but add another one that can BD and such. No more slots on the motherboard. Then again maybe I should just replace my DVD player, but I think I've read that can give some computers and error?

I am hoping to eliminate a harddrive or two though, while I upgrade some to bigger ones.

Also does anyone have a suggestion on good DVD/BD RW drives?

Also curious how you can backup an OS from a SSD to an HDD? Going from an HDD to SSD was easy, but now when I get some new drives in if possible it would be nice to have something on another drive that I could boot to, just in case.

[wclem]

Does your DVD cable have more than one connector on it? If not order a cable with multiple connectors. As for power you can just get a splitter if you are out of connectors.

[Xeogred]

Sounds easy enough lol. Yeah I've got another connector for power, so I just need something to get to the motherboard. Guess I'll look out for a cord with multiple connectors.

[Cronozilla]

Thought you were talking about data connections...

You just clone partitions while booting into an agnostic environment.

Windows isn't a fan of this, but if you have a install disc you can use the recover console for it to run a check on the registry and get over it's own bullshit.

I believe it's only an issue if you attempt to resize the partition externally, and I've heard that Windows now has built in tools for resizing and merging partitions. I would look into that. Chances are all you need to do is clone using a linux environment (live disc) onto the large drive (boot/OS partition first), make sure that works, then clone the other disk's partition onto the same large disc. Then use Windows to merge and resize them.

Obviously, don't do anything with the old HDDs until this is all up and working.

I put a bluray drive in a buddy's machine, had no issues in being able to use it outside of Windows or anything like that. Acted exactly like you'd expect. I can't remember the brand, it might have been LG, it was whatever the local OEM stuff was. Also, bluray drives are going to be sata, which if it's a relatively recent motherboard will be the only data connection to drives (in most cases).

If you want to keep all drives and add more, you can buy new controllers that utilize the PCI-E bus ... but honestly, it's much simpler, and cheaper, to just buy a big hard drive take an afternoon and consolidate the data. Or expand it and keep the secondary drive the way it is.

Also, if Windows doesn't have its own partition tools built in ... you can use gParted or something like that, which you would use to clone the partitions, to resize, merge, and all that stuff. The only issue there is Windows flips out, and you have to use the install disc go into the recovery mode and tell it to scan the registry. Then it'll function normally.

But look it up! Because it's been a few years since I messed with it.

[wclem]

I just looked and maybe they do not make them. I know you could do it with IDE. MAybe SATA does not support more than one drive per channel?

Showing my age, let me go find that ISA sound card I have LOL. If that makes sense to you then you are as old as me LOL!!

Looked it up you need an expansion card as mentioned by the above poster.

[DxS]

If you need more SATA connections, you'll probably have to get a PCI card like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/330830946982

[KalessinDB]

Yeah, SATA is one device per cord. IDE could support 2, but most people don't have IDE anymore. As has already been mentioned, if you've run out of SATA connections, you'll need an addon card, there's no such thing as a splitter for them.

That being said, there's little to no reason to have more than one optical drive in a computer really. Just upgrade the DVD to a BR combo drive and be done with it, IMO.

[Hobie-wan]

That being said, there's little to no reason to have more than one optical drive in a computer really. Just upgrade the DVD to a BR combo drive and be done with it, IMO.

Sure there is, maybe you're listening to an audio CD, watching a movie, or installing a retail box game while burning data backups to disc.

[KalessinDB]

That being said, there's little to no reason to have more than one optical drive in a computer really. Just upgrade the DVD to a BR combo drive and be done with it, IMO.

Sure there is, maybe you're listening to an audio CD, watching a movie, or installing a retail box game while burning data backups to disc.

*shudders*

I mean, I know burning software has come a long long ways since the early days, but being from the birthplace of Kodak and having used them since the late 90's, the mere thought of doing... ANYTHING while burning a disc sends chills down my spine. It's just conditioned at this point.

Stupid buffer underruns.

[Xeogred]

Actually, you guys kind of got me there haha. I think my drive is just failing for whatever reason and can't backup a lot of stuff lately. So yeah... thinking I'll just flat out replace it with a new drive and continue the movie backups.

Good to know SATA can't be split though. I don't know if I can fit more cords in there anyways, so I guess I'll just worry about downsizing and upgrading some HDD's.