Caring for Drives

Maintenance, Shipping and Travel

Drives are fragile notebook components that must be handled with care. The following cautions apply to all drives at all times.

ÄCAUTION: To prevent loss of work, damage to the notebook or a drive:

■Electrostatic discharge can damage electronic components. To prevent electrostatic damage to the notebook or a drive, follow these 2 precautions: 1) Discharge yourself from static electricity before handling a drive by touching a grounded metal object and, 2) Avoid touching the connectors on a drive. For more information about preventing electrostatic damage, refer on this CD to Regulatory and Safety Notices.

■Excessive force can damage drive connectors. When you insert a drive, use only enough pressure to seat the drive.

■Handle a drive carefully. Do not drop it.

■Avoid exposing a hard drive to devices with magnetic fields. Products with magnetic fields include video and audio tape erasure products, monitors, and speakers. Security devices with magnetic fields include airport walk-through devices and security wands. Airport security devices that check carry-on luggage via a conveyor belt typically use x-rays instead of magnetism, which will not damage a hard drive.

■Do not spray a drive with cleaning fluids.

■Avoid exposing a drive to liquids or temperature extremes.

■If you mail a drive, ship it in packaging that protects it from shock, vibration, temperature, and humidity, label the package, “fragile.”

Maintenance, Shipping and Travel