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Is there a tidy way to install a 9.5mm drive in a 12.7mm bay? There's a post on here where a flashed drive seller mentions an adapter, but no links were included and searching is a frakking nightmare. I can always cut up some 3.2mm black acrylic; but a drop-in solution would be preferred.

I assume you're putting the 9.5mm drive in a laptop that has a 12.7mm bay? I think (but can't say certain), that you can just use a different bezel on the front of the drive. They usually snap on, I think.

https://www.amazon.com/Mcsher-12-7mm-DV ... B00NLETZ6C

I know that part is out of stock, but I think something like that is what you're looking for.

Yup. I need one of those... I just don't know if that's ALL I need. Won't there be a 3.2mm gap between the drive and the bay (inside the laptop)? Also, the 9.5mm drive is obviously slimmer than the 12.7mm bay; but is the width the same? So many questions. I'm sorry. This is my first attempt at actually upgrading a laptop. I've always been a desktop man.

I'm pretty sure the width & depth is the same. They both have to fit the same size disc inside. I also think the connector on the back is in the same spot on both sizes. You would think the mounting screw holes would be in the same spot too. You could open up your laptop and try it. Or just put the new drive in an external enclosure and be done with it.

So, here to report back. The 9.5mm drive "fits" in the 12.7mm bay. In this case, "fits" simply means it successfully reaches the SATA connectors and one mounting screw can be installed. If you don't mind a brand new drive dangling about inside your laptop, this is a pretty good solution. In my case, it was useful long enough to flash the firmware and then immediately drop it into a USB enclosure. All good now. The upside is that I can use the 12.7mm bay with a 12.7mm SSD caddy since my optical drive is now external. I was fretting for days about potential issues obtaining and flashing the right drive. There was no need for any of that. This was one of the simplest mods I've ever done. It's definitely in the "easy" category. Point and click.