VBA modification: SSD + DVD removal

[undret]

Hi all.
I purchased a 2TB VBA (based on MSI wind box) last fall. It is working very well. However, I am considering some modifications to it to care for future needs:
* Install VB sw to an ssd, while preserving /storage on the 2TB drive, or perhaps use an extra internal 2TB drive and let /storage expand to both drives.
* Remove the built-in DVD drive, and use its place for the new disk. I have not been using the DVD drive, and should there be a ripping need in the future I could use one connected to a USB port.

I guess (but I am not so HW skilled) that the box cannot expand with more disks (except for external USB)?

Then I remember seeing posts where people reported running VB from a USB memory. I also saw a wiki page describing how to install from a usb, but that article was referring to VB 1.5/1.6, so I was wondering if that procedure is still valid for VB 2.0 (I am still on 1.10, original factory installation). But I will now make a clean install to once and for all get rid of my customizations and start from square one.

So before running out to buy more disk, is this something that can be done?
Regards,
Undret

[undret]

Hi all.
Bumping my own old thread from this spring. I would like to come in contact with anyone who has modified their VBA Appliance based on the MSI Wind Box.
Main question is really: Can I replace the internal DVD drive with a hard drive (in my case a small ssd), re-install everything and then follow the guide for installing VB on such a system.

Guess I would need to change something in the bios as well? Or is it plug and play?
Regards,
Stefan

[andrew]

You can do that but you won't gain anything. I'm not sure why you would want to put an SSD in the box? If you want more space you could replace the internal hard drive with a larger one.

[undret]

You can do that but you won't gain anything. I'm not sure why you would want to put an SSD in the box? If you want more space you could replace the internal hard drive with a larger one.

Yes, sure. I gain little storage. And performance is not an issue.

I have a 30Gb SSD around, that could come to some use instead of collecting dust.

And I use /storage for my movie library not everyday, so the disk could spin down and save power for most of the time. Music, I stream mostly from Spotify or internet radio stations. And I have never used the DVD drive at all, so that space in the appliance could be put to some use.

I can try to connect the SSD without physically removing anything except cables, check the bios and see where it takes me.