7–14 Hardware and Software G uide
Hardware Upgrades and Replacements
Caring for Drives
ÄCAUTION: To prevent damage to the notebook or a drive and loss
of work:
■Do not remove the internal hard drive except for repair or
replacement. For instructions, refer to the “Replacing the Internal
Hard Drive” section next in this chapter.
■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 to the “Electrostatic
Discharge” chapter in Regulatory and Safety Notices guide.
■Excessive force can damage drive connectors. When you insert a
drive, use only enough force to seat the drive.
■Handle a drive carefully. Do not drop it.
■Avoid exposing a hard drive or a diskette 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. The airport security devices that check carry-on luggage,
usually while it is placed on a conveyor belt, use x-rays instead of
magnetism and will not damage a hard drive or a diskette.
■Do not spray a drive with cleaning products.
■Avoid exposing a drive to liquids or temperature extremes.
■If you mail a drive, ship it in packaging that protects it from shock,
vibration, extreme temperatures, and high humidity. Label the
package “FRAGILE.”