[ltp] Swapping out thinkpad hard drives

[Mendel Cooper]

The later model Thinkpads make it rather more difficult to swap out
hard drives. Unlike the 760 and 770 series with their plug-in hard drive
caddies, the A30/31 and T40-3 series, and possibly the later models too,
have only rudimentary sheet metal skeleton caddies with a plastic retaining
cover. IBM and Lenovo strongly advise against swapping out the hard drive,
except in an emergency or for an "upgrade."

The real culprit is the plastic cover / end cap. It forces the hard drive
and caddy into the slot at a slight angle, which tends to bend pins on the
exposed end of the hard drive. And, you're essentially plugging it in by
feel. So, it really *isn't* advisable to do this.

But, there's a sort of fix for this. Use just the caddy, without the plastic
end plate. You need to attach to the caddy a sort of pull-tab -- a strip of
cello tape or even fabric ribbon -- in order to be able to pull out the hard
drive assembly again. This way the drive goes *straight* in, with much lower
probability of bent pins. You can still use the lock screw to keep the
drive securely in, even without the plastic cover.

It's nice to be able to swap out drives, as in the olden days. But ...
*** Do this at your own risk !!! *** Don't blame me if it doesn't work
or you end up with a hard drive with bent or broken pins. Attempt this
only if you are aware of the risks and if you are experienced with playing
around with hardware.

Best of luck.


Mendel