Can it be done?? 2Hard drives?

[HP_on_Linux]

I got a 500GB hard drive given to me for repairing a laptop, it still had Win 7 installed, I reset it to factory default and set it up in my name, it came out of a HP so everything is working on my dv6 on this drive, I also have my 500GB linux tripboot drive with Ubuntu, Mint, and Fedora.
Now I can order two new factory HP dv6 Hard Drive connectors no problem, i can splice the two together to have two connectors for the hard drive go to the single connector for the mother board also not a problem. But will the laptop recognise both hard drives individually, or will it read as a 1TB(1000GB) harddrive? And will it have sll four Operating systems on the grub2 screen or will Windows 7 overpower Linux? I am going to add a custom enclosure on the bottom of the casing for the windows 7 harddrive so I can make it easily accessed to plug and unplug the Windows drive since I don't use Windows much, maybe play a game Linux can't configure or back-up my iPhone, camera, iPod, etc.....
If anyone has ever tried this let me know the results and how many hard drives can be attached as there are still a few more Linux OS I would like to add and maybe even tackle the Hackintosh on AMD platform, it's pretty easy on a intel but I hear AMD gives fits!

 

[OhSnapWord]

Simply put, it won't work at all. If you want to switch between the hard drives, you would have to do it manually.

 

[HP_on_Linux]

Ok I was wondering, I know you can have multiple harddrives on a desktop figured I could hotwire in a second on my laptop, now the dv7 my mom had me fix had a compartment and a spot on the motherboard that could plug in a second harddrive but she won't trade lol hers is a 17 inch screen mines only 15.6

 

[HP_on_Linux]

Well just hooked both harddrives up in my moms dv7 and windows dominated unhook windows linux loaded so I think I can make this work

 

[Dngrsone]

If I recall correctly, your laptop uses SATA drives, which are desigend for one device per bus channel. As long as only one device is connected to the channel at a time, then things should work for you (the additional connector may cause noise which could slow operations). In a nutshell, mulitple drives on the SATA channel will interfere with each other and make a hash of communications (in other words, it won't work).

The PATA drives on a typical (older) desktop had addressing lines which told one fo two drives on the bus which unit should be responding (with master or slave, which was set either manually or automatically depending on configurations and the physical cable and connectors).

Since desktop machines have plenty of room for stuff on the motherboards, there are often extra connectors and busses for mulitple SATA drives to be connected on newer machines (I have one with connectors for up to six SATA drives), whereas laptops are not designed for such flexibility.

 

[MMM]

If he can hook both up to work he will have problems with boot options for the OS's.
Hot wiring might be his option and easy method would be using an external hard drive docking station.

 

[HP_on_Linux]

Well I'll let you guys know how it turns out, ordering two new plugs for my laptop friday so I don't mess up the original if it don't work I can swap drives cause the plugs comin with caddies for my laptop, but my mon's dv7 laptop I just repaired for her has a second hardrive slot and winfows just overpowered linux on it I can easily modify my laptop to hold more drives and just plug in the one I need don't use Windows much but still need it for backin up stuff that just ain't Linux compatable.