How to get the HDD Caddy and SATA Cable to install a second drive in my Predator Helios 300?

2

Comments

  • Manny-Acer_Retired
    Manny-Acer_Retired Newbie Posts: 4,453 Guru
    irishbloke said:
    Acer-Manny said:

    Hi Sean_P,


    Please keep in mind that if  you don’t feel comfortable with the installation instructions we have provided https://us.answers.acer.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/46866, we can always receive the unit in our repair center and install the kit at no cost (U.S. & Canada only), keep in mind that it can take 7-10 business days, this way you don’t have to worry about the risk of pulling or breaking any parts in your computer and voiding the warranty, unfortunately extending the warranty is not something that will prevent anyone from voiding it by a spill, breaking a component or dropping your computer.


    Thanks,

    Acer-Manny

    I just spoke to someone on live chat and they said they do not do this, you have to do it yourself. Can you please clarify which it is?

    Thanks,
    I am guessing they mean that you can requested your self here:

    How can I get the HDD Kit?


    If you live in the United States or Canada, and have an Acer Predator Helios 300 that does not include the HDD Caddy and SATA cable, you can request the Kit on the following link:  https://csapps.acer.com/kit-request/#submit

    But i am happy to help, irishbloke can you please send me a PM with the unit serial number for follow up please?


    Thanks in advance,

    Acer-Manny

  • TunaLion
    TunaLion Member Posts: 3 New User
    Hi Acer-Manny, I am unable to contact the support for South Africa via the website as the online chat and mail functions are both not working.

    Will you please assist me or point me in the right direction? I will really appreciate it very much.
  • Manny-Acer_Retired
    Manny-Acer_Retired Newbie Posts: 4,453 Guru
    Hi TunaLion,

    Please check the PM i have sent you.

    Thanks,
    Acer-Manny
  • altarego7
    altarego7 Member Posts: 1 New User
    Hello--anybody know how long the hdd caddy kit usually takes to ship? I requested mine and got email confirmation nearly two weeks ago but I still have not received the caddy and don't seem to have any way to find any tracking information on the package. The Customer Self Service page says that my case status for this order has been closed, which concerns me. Thanks.
  • Kbird
    Kbird Member Posts: 8

    Tinkerer
    Like altarego posted on March 23 , I am have not received mine Ordered March 20 yet either , but I haven't even received a shipping notification yet.

    For some reason they want me to install this before they repair the WifiCard , which I don't understand as the Repair Form clearly states that ALL Data my be wiped from HDDs during repair procedures...
  • Manny-Acer_Retired
    Manny-Acer_Retired Newbie Posts: 4,453 Guru
    Hi altarego7, how did you ordered the HDD kit? Have you follow up and contact our Acer support toll free line 1-866-695-2237? or our chat support?

    Kbird - please keep in mind that you have to allow 7-10 business day for mailing time.

    Thanks,
    Acer-Manny
  • Kbird
    Kbird Member Posts: 8

    Tinkerer
    HI Manny , It is now 22 days (3 weeks) , since my original Chat session Order/Request was made and I have since spoken direct to Tech. Support too and re-ordered it again, while trying to Order an intel wifi card for the machine.

    Maybe it will come this week?
  • Manny-Acer_Retired
    Manny-Acer_Retired Newbie Posts: 4,453 Guru
    Hi Kbird,

    Please send me via PM the case ID number (Or your serial number) from your contact either on chat or when you spoke to tech support directly so i can follow up on it for you, thanks.

    Acer-Manny
  • TechSaavy
    TechSaavy Member Posts: 19 Troubleshooter
    You can get it in Amazon but if your product is under warranty with Acer I would suggest you not to do this. 
  • Kbird
    Kbird Member Posts: 8

    Tinkerer
    TechSaavy said:
    You can get it in Amazon but if your product is under warranty with Acer I would suggest you not to do this. 
    The HDD Caddy and cable are not available from Amazon , you have to contact Acer Direct, after 3 attempts ovr almost a month ,and I think Acer-Manny getting involved for me last week ( thanks) mine has finally arrived , strangely from the US (Texas) not Acer Canada . I'd have gotten the model with the HDD included but it was not available locally and Acer allows the upgrade without voiding the Warranty , they even supply the instructions on how to do it for the AN515-51 here :

    https://us.answers.acer.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/49882

    The strange part is they wont supply , even if I pay for it, an Intel wifi card as it may void the warranty , yet it sits right next to the HDD Connector as seen in the HDD instructions above and all you need to do is re-clip the two antenna wires (black and white) after sliding it into the M2 slot. Instead I have been advised to buy a new Router to sort out my incompatibility issue with the Qualcomm QCA1674A chipset in the Atheros Card.

    KB.

  • Kbird
    Kbird Member Posts: 8

    Tinkerer
    FYI , what the Instructions above don't say is that the HDD Connector is hidden under the Black Cable running Left to Right with the label USB on the Left and MB on the Right , on the Right Hand end (MB) carefully flip up the small black clip with a fingernail or plastic pick , which will release the end of the cable and fold it back as seen in the Instruction Photos , to get access to the HDD Connector underneath. Reinsert the MB cable end and , gently fold the black retaining Clip back down once the HDD connector is attached.

    PS the Silver screws are for the HDD to Caddy attachment and the smaller black screws for the Caddy to Laptop Case Bottom once the bottom is clipped back on.
  • Kay_Slay
    Kay_Slay Member Posts: 3 New User
    Hi @Acer-Manny.  

    I already tried going to our local Acer Service provider here in our area but they too, don't have the sata cable and the hdd caddy. Is there any other way that I can get my kit? I'm from Baguio city, Philippines btw. Bought my laptop through ebay. 
  • Neve
    Neve Member Posts: 1 New User

    Hi all,

    I am really not happy with the support, I tried to get the caddy but I cannot find one, the live chat guys just keep giving me a phone number of another country that I cannot call, and they leave wait until the system push me out.

    Can anyone help me to find this caddy?

  • BrigitteM
    BrigitteM Member Posts: 1 New User
    edited May 2018
    Hello, I am from Romania and I have bought an Acer Predator Helios 300 and I have just wanted to upgrade to a 2TB HDD  and found out I'm missing the cable and caddy... I was very disappointed having paid so much for the notebook. Is there any way of getting a mounting kit in Romania? I have tried contacting the Romanian service (Samabit) but they don't reply to my e-mails. Am I entitled to requesting a mounting kit for free in Romania? If yes, do they know this? (just so I don't embarrass myself). Thank you! Looking forward to your reply!
     @Acer-Manny
  • Roland_Lorinczi
    Roland_Lorinczi Member Posts: 126 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    Skelomorph said:
    You risk voiding your warranty if you spill a drink on your laptop or dropping it, which is much more likely to happen than breaking it when installing the SATA cable. The kit comes with the tools and instructions required to install the SATA cable safely and quite easily.

    These laptops rarely even have void stickers inside of them. So unless you crack the motherboard or something, you wont void your warranty. Pretty much bulletproof to anything someone can actually do to break them other than the obvious.

    You can even change the m.2 SSD and not void the warranty (according to Acer on Amazon).

    Skelo
    Do you happen to have a link to that amazon page or any other where an Acer representative states I can open the acer predator and make changes on the m.2 slot without voiding the warranty?

    I just got one but it doesn't have an SSD and I'd like to add one.

    It would just put my mind at ease to see them state what you said - I am already quite relieved to hear something like this at all...

    But hey, you know, just in case, before I go ahead with it, It'd give me an extra bit of confidence to see it said by acer (in case you still happen to know where you saw it)

    Thanks in advance Skelo!
    ⚠️ If you're affected by the System Hang/ Black Screen issue:

    - Official Fix Announced by Acer_Manny
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    Currently owned Acer systems:
    💻 Predator Helios 300 (PH317-52) - i7 8750H, GTX 1060, Win 10 64bit (build 1803), 8gb Ram (single channel), WD Blue 256GB SSD in M.2 slot, 931GB Hitachi HGST factory Hard drive. [Owned New Since 2018, May 22nd - Overheating (solved-ish) , PredatorSense not working (solved) & BLACK SCREEN ISSUE (BIOS update 1.15) ] 
    💻 Predator Helios 300 (PH315-51) - Same specs and issues as above 
    💻 Aspire 5750G - 2nd Gen. i5 processor, 4gigs of ram, nVidia GT 540M [Owned new Since 2010 - in working condition]
     
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  • sri369
    sri369 ACE Posts: 2,774 Pathfinder
    edited June 2018
    I kind of find it weird why Acer would not pre-bundle the kit already in place. Why make customers ask and then mail and then have them install, esp when it isn't going to be an easy task. The parts aren't that expensive either to cut the corners on costs.

    Luckily for me, I got mine in the US from a physical store, and it came with the kit pre-installed.
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  • brummyfan2
    brummyfan2 ACE Posts: 28,468 Trailblazer
    sri369 said:
    I kind of find it weird why Acer would not pre-bundle the kit already in place. Why make customers ask and then mail and then have them install, esp when it isn't going to be an easy task. The parts aren't that expensive either to cut the corners on costs.

    Luckily for me, I got mine in the US from a physical store, and it came with the kit pre-installed. 

    Hi,
    I think the HDD will disappear from our laptops sometime in the future, remember the laptops with dummy cover for ODD bays, nowadays, most of the laptops don't have a ODD, so it will happen to HDD as well, I guess. 

    Acer Predator PT516-51s Performance Results - UserBenchmark

  • aabloyoh
    aabloyoh Member Posts: 1 New User
    Great! It states that you have to ask for the kit so the people who had them already installed got lucky.


    ----------------------------------
    Doors and windows


  • GodnesS
    GodnesS Member Posts: 16 Troubleshooter
    Hi, I didnt get the mounting kit when i got my Predator 17 G9-793, I contacted the place that supplied it but i want to be sure i can tell them exactly what i need. Is it a rubber mounting cradle and Sata to esata cable?
    Anyone have a pic of the kit you got so i can show them if needed? (i tried googling it but the results vary and im not sure if it fits this laptop)
    Thanks!

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