I'm removing my slave HD from the stack to place it in an external enclosure. Seems simple enough, except someone else installed it in this particular computer, and I can't quite figure out how it comes out.

The computer is a Compaq Presario, and the slave is installed just above the primary HD. It looks like it just slides/pulls out, but it wasn't moving easily, so I thought I'd better ask before I broke something.

Hi!
:)

I've got a few small-form-factor Compaq's, and the drive is simply a press-fit.
There are sping-steel tongues in the drive cage, that exert a force on the chassis of the HDD once in place, holding it in there. See if you can GENTLY lever the drive upwards.

GENTLY DOES IT - DO NOT USE A SCREWDRIVER.
If the HDD is held with spring-steel tongues, you should be able to lever the edge of the drive up using your fingers. Also try giving the drive a push or a pull. It may feel a little stiff, but if it is moving, it is safe to say, that you should be able to keep it moving, untill it is free. If it moves at all, there can't be any screws holding it. If you need more force then finger work, it is held by something else...

NORMALLY, with most PC cases, all you have to do, is remove the 2 or 4 machine screws, and slide the drive out. Make sure you use a grounding-strap to earth youself, then unplug the data and power cables, so you can be sure they are not holding the drive in place (turn off computer first, of coarse!)

If there are no screws, look for locking tabs.

I have seen quite a few cases, where the HDD itself, has little fixtures attached to it's chassis, then it is slid into place. The clips are spring-loaded, and the drive literally clicks into place. To remove, find the locking tabs, push them in, and slide the drive out.

Some drives slide/clip/mount from the FRONT of the case, and the whole plastic front needs to be removed, to allow this to happen.

I've also seen a case or two, where the drive is screwed to a carrier, and the carrier is slid into the case from the front, and held there with two screws. To remove, you pull off the face of the case, remove the screws, and slide the drive-and-carrier out from the front.

The latest case I have, mounts the HDD vertically. You secure the HDD to the cage, and then pivot the cage into place by rotating the cage through 90'. You then secure the cage with one machine screw.

If you keep hunting, I'm sure you will discover what it preventing you from getting the drive out.

You are 100% right though - be gentle! PC's and their parts DO NOT like force!
:p

Good luck!


MM.

On Presarios that I have seen with two HDDs they were each mounted (without screws) in their own cradle. Each cradle was fixed with one screw to the back of the case and after this was removed the cradle swung out and came loose from slots at the front of the case. Yours may of course not be like this.

Thank you both. I'll print your notes up, and as soon as I can get off this thing to mess with it, I'll try your suggestions. Thanks very much. I'll let you know if I get it out, or it I break my compter into pieces trying. :rolleyes:

Thanks!

There seems to be no end to how stupid this thing can make me feel.

It appears to be one of the designs MM mentioned. The drive itself has a screw on each side that fits into a slot in the bay on the computer -- just to hold is level, from what I can tell. The bay has a couple of steel tabs or tongues cut out from the body that can be pressed in to help stabilize the drive. I pushed those out and removed the screw from my side (left side of the computer). Now the drive flops around in the bay, but the screw on the other side (opposite where I'm sitting while I work on it) is still in a slot so the drive won't come out.

So, here's insanely stupid question #2:
How do I get to the screw on the side that is opposite the side of the case that opens? This model does not have the all-in-one case that comes completely off. It has a thumb screw at the back, and the left side panel slides off for access.

Ah-ha!

This drive is a slotted fit!!!

Generally speaking, the drive slots into position, using the screws in the side of the drive, as locating pins.

HOPEFULLY, there will be slots that correspond with the position of the screws in the side of the drive.

In the cases I have seen here with this kind of mounting, you LOSEN the screws, but don't take them out. The drive should then slide out of the housing/mounting.

The screws serve a dual-purpose - to act as pins-in-grooves for sliding the drive into position, and for actually securing the drive against any movement.

You put the screws in loose, then slide the drive into position, the do up the screws to hold the drive in place.

Put the screws you took out back in, but do not tighten them up.

Losen the screws on the other side, and the drive should slide out

...with any luck!
:p


MM.

BTW - to get to the screws on the other side: Take the other case panel off, and you should(hopefully!) see some access holes in the chassis, where you can put a screwdriver through, and engage with the screw-head for the screws you currently can't get to. This depends on the case though, and some cases give you no access holes or slots at all. In this case(no pun intended!), you generally find, that the motherboard is fitted to a sub-chassis, which needs to be released and removed(complete with m/board), or hindged out of the way, so you can get at the HDD screws... Good luck! :) MM.

I think we're on to something! Thanks. I'm not quite there yet though. There is no access panel on the other side of this model. The right side and the top are all one molded piece. The left side slides off, but I haven't found how the rest come apart. Of course, I've put it back together now, but it looked like the mother board was mounted to the cover. It might have been on sub-chassis though. There are no holes on the outside of the cover.

I know there's a way to get at this thing!

Hokey pokey. I assume then, that(for example) the bottom and sides of the case(assume desktop case) are rivited or spot-welded togeather, and the only bit that comes off is the top(or one side panel)?

If this is the case(again, no pun intended!), then there HAS to be a way to get at the other screw. Now look for securing screws, which will allow you to pivot/rotate/lift the ENTIRE HDD and FDD cage assembly up/out. The case I mentioned before, with the HDD rotating through 90', has a CD-ROM cage and FDD cage rivited togeather, and you remove them both, by releasing one screw, and then pulling the cage assembly back, then up and out of the case on guide-rails.

Case designs - there are millions!!!

Could you post a photo or two?
That would help us all see what was going on...
(don't worry if you can't - just a passing thought!)


MM.

The following link is for a Presareio 7464 so you should navigate to the appropriate model you are using.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?dlc=en&lc=en&product=94481&lang=en&cc=us&docname=bph03429

I will try photos. Ironically, this whole thing started because I couldn't get the USB or card readers to work to upload my photos (it's a long story). LOL If I make just the right face and hold the USB cable, I might be able to upload. I'll be back a little later or tomorrow with some pics (I hope). Thanks!

That's a good link, Paul. I didn't realize Compaq had info like that on their site. It might help some, but of course, my PC is different, and when I searched uner my model (1410nx), it sent me back to the same page. I have the big green thing on the side, and the side panel comes off like that (one screw, not two), but the drives are horizontal, and there are no tabs on the front to remove the front panel. My model is nothing like the video they have.

I took a couple of shots of it. I'll try to post them shortly.

I didn't look any further on the site but certainly for some models you can download a pdf format manual that should have the information you want inside.

Aha! I found the pdf document for the right model. Hooray! Thanks Paul. I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks guys!

That was pretty easy once I knew how! LOL You have to remove the front panel to get to any of the drives on this model, including HDs, then they just pull right out (forward). Without the online manual from Compaq, I'd have never figured out how to get the front panel off. That was fun!

Thanks for your help everyone. Now I'm off to see if I can access the Maxtor with the external enclosure. Wish me luck. ;)

Wish you luck!! ;)

Well done!
:)

Thanks for letting us all know!

So, it was one of the kind of case I have dealt with then!!!
:D
(pull off front face to remove the drives)


MM.

Yes, pull off the front face -- but good luck figuring out how to do it! Check out "Removing the Front Panel" on page two of this link:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00311113.pdf

Removing the drive was a breeze, but I'd have never gotten that cover off without an illustration.