Bolt hard drive upgrade

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Thanks. I think I will do that. Hopefully I’ll get around to it before my current drive dies.

 

tommage1, can I clarify with you the enclosure I ordered? (which still hasn't arrived ) It's this one from post #87:
Sabrent 3.5" USB 2.0/eSATA HDD Enclosure SATA/IDE with Cooling Fan (EC-UEIS7) 689744911607 | eBay

I notice it has an eSATA port on the outside of the case. Yet the enclosure data cable I ordered is SATA. Does it connect to the enclosure? or directly to the hard drive within the enclosure?

Also, I remember somewhere in the Upgrade Forum seeing pictures of your setup, but for the life of me I can't find it any more. Can you direct me?

Thanks

 

I was wondering something similar. Why can't you just use the eSATA port with an eSATA to SATA converter to the Bolt and just connect the HDD internally using the connector provided? I feel like I'm missing something important here.

Louis

 

I believe something about eSATA prevents the HDD from working properly. But Tommage1 will know, and I want to see how he brings the cable into the enclosure.

 

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Okay, I look forward to seeing the explanation particularly since I have successfully used a Thermaltake HDD docking station with eSATA connected to a my Bolt SATA to setup a couple of HDDs.

 

You are. You cannot use it because it does not work. And it is well documented in numerous older threads here.

It USED to work that way just fine, and there is no real reason why it should not continue to work, just like there is no real reason why the eSATA port on any TiVo box should not work to add or replace a drive, just like they do on a computer. EXCEPT that the toads at TiVo do not want it to work that way, so they took action to STOP it from working.

Early in the Bolt's life, many people successfully replaced their internal toy drive with external 3.5" eSATA enclosures simply by using a SATA-to-eSATA cable. And then a couple of years ago TiVo changed something with a software release that broke all of those setups.

Technically, an eSATA port can (and SHOULD) be a straight wire connection without any electronics in between, and if you can find one of the very old enclosures that is built that way, it will still work as you desire. If it is a straight wire conversion, there is no way that the TiVo box can detect it is being used. But the vast majority eSATA enclosures also have a USB or IEEE 1394 connection, and they use some electronic interface to do this, and THAT is why you can no longer use an external eSATA connection with any TiVo. But it won't hurt to try it first, before you start cutting a hole in your new enclosure - maybe you will find one that works.

 

So do you cut a hole in the enclosure?

 

Generally yes, but some enclosures are built with a cover that you can leave partially loose to snake a cable in that way. The toughest part is to find a modern enclosure that uses a separate power plug for the drive (and has enough room for a molex power adapter if it is needed). If you have an old pre-SATA enclosure sitting around, those are ideal for this.

 

Pictures of external drive conversion.

 

Awesome setup! I can see how you go SATA to SATA. Is power coming from the bolt? What are your cables?

What kind of enclosure is that?
Can I see the notch in your enclosure?

I like how you cut the notch in the bolt cover.

add:
I can see now that power is hooked up to a molex power adapter. What kind did you use?

 

Thank you for the detailed explanation. I suspected it was something like this. It is interesting that my Thermaltake docking station does work (at least with some HDDs) and it has both eSATA & USB but it is probably 15 years old.

Louis

 

That is just an old USB enclosure that was starting to have intermittent problems, so I just ripped out the internal board and ran the wires in where the original USB plug was. The enclosure is now nothing more than a metal box to hold the drive. Since I use an external fan blowing along the back of the Bolt anyway, that metal case provides excellent cooling for the drive without having its own fan.

While the enclosure did have its own internal power supply connection originally, that went away when I took out the board, so I just replaced the plug on the external power brick - basically the same thing as using one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Warmstor-Ada.../B076WZ1N4K/ref=psdc_3015394011_t3_B00BIE996S

With something like that, you technically do not even need any enclosure (but I like one for looks and protection anyway). There are lots of old drive enclosures that have that type of power brick with a round DIN-type of plug that you can just replace with any molex adapter. By keeping the plug outside the case, you do not have to worry about available space inside. In fact, with the right adapter plugs, you could even use the original drive connection cable from the Bolt as the pigtail to the drive inside of the case. It looks like this one might even have the correct plug already on the power brick to do just that:
https://www.amazon.com/AGPtek-Drive.../B00BIE996S/ref=psdc_3015394011_t1_B076WZ1N4K

 

The Sabrent enclosure arrived. How do I get it all to fit inside?

closing it makes it feel like I’m squeezing the cables

 

I'm not sure why you have all those cables (basically the power cable) coming out of the enclosure. Only the data cable should be coming out. For me I ran it over the top of the drive, then out the front of the enclosure. Too much going on near the back for the cable to come out there, needs to come out the front. I was able to put cover on enclosure, just kept the screws near the front slightly loose so the cable does not get pinched.

The power connection to the drive should be totally inside the enclosure. Using the molex to Sata power adapter. I see it in your picture but it is not connected. You have the drive connected to the Sata end of the power connector, then the molex part needs to connect to the molex part in the enclosure. One of the nice things about the enclosure is there is room to to this, just tuck the cables/adapter in. Of course will be using the enclosure for power then so it needs to be plugged in using it's own adapter. Look at the pictures of how my upgrade was done, you should be able to see what comes out of the enclosure and where, just the one data cable. You ARE close to being done

 

Initial images from upgrading my Bolt+ with a 6TB WD Purple drive.

1. Inside of Bolt. 2.5 inch drive removed. 90 Degree Right Angle SATA III 6.0 Gbps SATA Cable attached to SATA port.


2. My less than pretty modification of the Bolt cover to allow the SATA cable to exit

3. View of the SATA cable exiting from the back of the Bolt

4. Connection between a)90 Degree Right Angle SATA Cable and b)internal SATA Male to SATA Female Extension cable

5. SATA cable connected to the Purple drive inside Sabrent enclosure.


And here is where I need your help: do I have the wrong panel on the enclosure open? I have been comparing with your pictures, and I think you have your cable coming out the same end (ie: folded back over the drive so it exits on the end opposite of the molex connection), but on a different panel side. Here is another image:

 

Help! While trying to wrap the SATA cable around the drive in the enclosure so it would exit the other side, I broke a small piece of plastic off the drive, right where the SATA cable inserts into the drive. Now it won’t stay connected to the drive, and I already got 4 flashing lights hooked to the Bolt. (See photo: broken piece of plastic just south of where the cable inserts into drive)

how can I fix it in place?

 

Ok. Crisis averted I think. I wrapped the SATA cable in a way that it had the least amount of pull on the connector and magyvered some tape and some cardboard around it to keep it steady. Then I closed the panel over the cable where it exits the enclosure to keep it from jiggling. All working

 

Tape over the connector:


Red cardboard stuffed under the connector to keep it from jiggling:

 

Hard to tell but did the plastic break off from the Molex to Sata adapter or the hard drive itself? If off adapter can just buy another for $2-3. As for the drive positioning, not sure if I have mine in there label side up or label side down. I did it so could run the Sata data cable over the label side of the drive. You can just flip the drive over if need be. Which ever way puts the least stress on the Sata data cable.

One more thing, when up and running with the 6TB just leave it be. Don't swap in any other drives for testing or fun. As that could alter the flash drive and screw up the 6TB.

 

This how I ran the Sata data cable out of the enclosure. You can see it, lower part of picture, black cable with white letters. Below the fan in picture.