[ltp] Swapping out thinkpad hard drives

[Olaf Schultz]

On Sat, 2008-09-13 at 10:45 -0700, Mendel Cooper wrote:
> 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.
...

Just my two cents: In my A30/A31 the guidance of the primary
harddrive-caddy is done via flat-headed screws with a certain (not to
say unusual) diameter. If you don't have these screws, it's  a mess...
with these screws it's much more easy to find the correct rows of
pins:-)

Greetings,

Olaf Schultz