Replacing Lafite Laptop Hard Drive

N

Not a Specialist

Member
So, my laptop's hard drive is on its way out and has already trashed 4000 sectors of data so can't be trusted. Its replacement has been sitting around for a week or so now, as I need to figure out how to replace it.

I've boiled it down to two main obstacles:

1) This ribbon cable needs disconnecting. I know how fragile they can be and I don't have any tools to use.

ribbon.jpg

2) The drive needs taken out. I'm not sure how easy or difficult this process will be as I've not gotten to that stage yet.

drive.jpg

I have been wondering if it would be best to ask some computer repair shop guy to do it, but it ought to be easy enough to switch out a drive.

Any help? All the guides out there begin with "remove the hard drive compartment cover" but these things are getting more difficult to replace. In the past you'd literally just press a button to take out the hard drive, at least on some laptops.
 
Oussebon

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
I don't have a lafite so can't speak from personal experience but would you not unscrew the HDD bracket (black screw in the bottom left of pic 2, plus any others) then gently move the ribbon out of the way and pull the hdd and its bracket horizontally away from the sata connectors where the drive is plugged in, sliding the whole thing out from under the ribbon? Not sure if you can unplug that cable, or if you need to even if you can.
 
Stephen M

Stephen M

Author Level
PCS staff are pretty helpful, if you give them a call tomorrow they will probably talk you through it. I do not know the Lafitte but my three PCS laptops have all been quite simple to change drives in and I would only go to a local shop as a last resort, experience of them has taught me there may be some good ones but a lot will charge the earth and not always do a decent job.

Just be careful what you touch when the machine is open, if you are like me and carry a lot of static electricity ans earthed wristband is a good idea, they are not expensive and can avert expensive accidents.
 
N

Not a Specialist

Member
Stephen M said:
I would only go to a local shop as a last resort, experience of them has taught me there may be some good ones but a lot will charge the earth and not always do a decent job.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I would worry about being overcharged. The job they'd do is probably no worse than what I'd manage.

Stephen M said:
Just be careful what you touch when the machine is open, if you are like me and carry a lot of static electricity ans earthed wristband is a good idea, they are not expensive and can avert expensive accidents.
Click to expand...

I don't have an earthed wristband but static electricity is something I do take into consideration, although I never really build up static. Probably depends on clothing and footwear. Anyway, I still do the old radiator pipe trick and try to stick to prodding things with a plastic stylus - not that there's any reason to prod much.

Stephen M said:
PCS staff are pretty helpful, if you give them a call tomorrow they will probably talk you through it.
Click to expand...

Hmm... they did send me replacement feet for free at some point. The warranty's long gone and I have no intentions to shop here again in the foreseeable future, so I don't want to push their generosity. Might send an email if I can't find out what type of screwdriver is needed to remove the hard drive.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
I could well be wrong (I've been wrong before!) but I don't think that 'screw' has anything to do with the hard drive. In my Optimus IV for example, the primary hard drive is held in place only by the plastic cover, once you remove the cover the hard drive slides out.

I would try GENTLY to see whether you can lift by hand the edge of the drive furthest from the connector (and nearest to that ribbon cable). If you can, then GENTLY pull the drive away from the connector, keeping that far edge just high enough to clear the ribbon cable.

If you meet any resistance at either point then I'm wrong and the drive is fixed in place somehow. I'd call PCS for advice in that case.
 
L

Lez501

Gold Level Poster
It does look like a "classic" HDD screw, you may also find that the drive is also fixed to the cage with 4 more screws. I have a set of precision screwdrivers (jewelers) that take care of most delicate jobs like this.
 
Oussebon

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
If ubuysa's right, then you certainly want to disregard my advice. My advice re: the screw was based on the HDD being screwed into a metal bracket, and the bracket being screwed into the laptop - with the black screw we see on the right hand side being part of what holds the bracket down.

I have a laptop with this arrangement, but can't see for sure if that's what's going on with your laptop above, and the advice above was framed very much as a suggestion/question.

If in doubt, phone PCS I guess :)
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Oussebon said:
If ubuysa's right, then you certainly want to disregard my advice. My advice re: the screw was based on the HDD being screwed into a metal bracket, and the bracket being screwed into the laptop - with the black screw we see on the right hand side being part of what holds the bracket down.

I have a laptop with this arrangement, but can't see for sure if that's what's going on with your laptop above, and the advice above was framed very much as a suggestion/question.

If in doubt, phone PCS I guess :)
Click to expand...

Like I said, I could be wrong, but I think there is no harm in testing the drive to see whether it is free to move before looking to unscrew anything. As I said, if it's clearly fixed in place then your best option is to ask PCS for advice.

:)
 
N

Not a Specialist

Member
Okay, the black screws on the left are not screws at all. Not sure what they are. Anyway, the screwdriver I used to open the laptop also worked for taking out the drive - there are two black screws on the right. The second one was under the ribbon cable so here's hoping it's alright.

Anyway, the hard drive caddie thing could be unscrewed and screwed onto my replacement drive but it's a couple millimetres too fat to fit! I might be able to return it since it was from Amazon and they tend to be more forgiving than they have to be.

So, where do I go from here? I thought a 2.5" drive was a 2.5" drive and that was that. Oh, this is frustrating.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Not a Specialist said:
Okay, the black screws on the left are not screws at all. Not sure what they are. Anyway, the screwdriver I used to open the laptop also worked for taking out the drive - there are two black screws on the right. The second one was under the ribbon cable so here's hoping it's alright.

Anyway, the hard drive caddie thing could be unscrewed and screwed onto my replacement drive but it's a couple millimetres too fat to fit! I might be able to return it since it was from Amazon and they tend to be more forgiving than they have to be.

So, where do I go from here? I thought a 2.5" drive was a 2.5" drive and that was that. Oh, this is frustrating.
Click to expand...

You get 7mm high drives and 9mm drives, yours obviously needs the 7mm drives.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Not a Specialist said:
Yeah. I've worked that much out, minus the actual numbers. Didn't see those filters on Amazon so was oblivious to their existence. Or in any of the listing titles, for that matter.
Click to expand...

It is naughty of manufacturers, they don't label it nearly as much as needed especially these days with most slim chassis needing 7mm drives.
 
N

Not a Specialist

Member
SpyderTracks said:
It is naughty of manufacturers, they don't label it nearly as much as needed especially these days with most slim chassis needing 7mm drives.
Click to expand...

Welp, the drive thickness was part of the exact measurements, which I guess I could have looked at and thought harder about. At least I know for future reference about there being multiple depths.

I've now ordered a Seagate drive since the selection of 7mm drives is very small. They make the shoddiest drives I've ever seen but I'm a sucker for good prices and will be sure to keep the two-year warranty safe.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Glad you were able to get the drive out anyway and your description will no doubt help others and give them the confidence to try. :)
 
N

Not a Specialist

Member
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