Is a 2nd HDD Hot-Pluggable?

[CDKUTTNAUER]

I have been using my T61p for a good period of time and my 200GB hard drive is quite full. I have decided to purchase a 2nd HDD in place of my DVD drive, since I use it rarely. Was wondering if the removal of the DVD and insertion of the 2nd HDD in the bay is hot-pluggable or will I need to turn off the laptop to make the change. I just order the following for my T61p:

40Y8725 THINKPAD SERIAL ATA HARD DRIVE
41N5737 THINKPAD 160GB 7200 RPM SERIAL

What is the procedure for removal of the DVD for the new HDD and vice versa?

Thanks,

[SHoTTa35]

yeah, it's hot pluggable. It's just like plugging in a USB HDD in your computer.

Seriously though, you filled 200GB ? Wow... i have 100 and barely use it

[mgo]

Was wondering if the removal of the DVD and insertion of the 2nd HDD in the bay is hot-pluggable or will I need to turn off the laptop to make the change.
Thanks,

I might just add, that if there is a password on the hard drive hot plugging does not work because there is no scheme for dealing with the hard drive password unless one does a computer cold start.

Otherwise, hot plugging works just dandy.

[steveg47]

If you are running Vista watch your activation status as it may change to not activated when you plug in that second drive.

[mtbiac]

If you are running Vista watch your activation status as it may change to not activated when you plug in that second drive.

really? how so?

[jcvjcvjcvjcv]

Because you add a S-ATA drive so you change the 'hardware configuration'

After a few changes you have to re-activate.

It really sucks. After every test round of hardware and exchange hardware parts of the desktop computers you have to re-active Windows. And offcourse it won't do it online. You've got to call in.

[mybellyisempty]

For what it's worth, I've been swapping drives out in my SATA bay....100gb, 160gb, 250gb, 320gb while running Vista. Never had to reactivate my system. Not to say it couldn't happen, just that I've not had it happen to me.

You should be ok as long as it's not your C: drive you're replacing, as I have had to reactivate when I went from a 120 to a 160 to a 120.

[Aroc]

If you are running Vista watch your activation status as it may change to not activated when you plug in that second drive.

Has this ever happened to you? If not, I'm calling bluff here. the activation scheme on notebook computers has been designed around this to mitigate this. This condition is similar to docking and undocking your computer (as far as activation is concerned).