Compaq E500S, V300 manual Preventing Electrostatic Damage

■After removing a hard drive, CD-ROM drive, or a diskette drive, place it into a static-proof bag.

■Do not use excessive force when inserting a drive into a drive bay.

■After inserting a hard drive into the hard drive bay, always reinsert either the original hard drive security plate or the tamper-resistant security plate to prevent the hard drive from accidentally disconnecting.

■Avoid exposing a hard drive to products that have magnetic fields such as monitors or speakers.

■Avoid exposing a drive to temperature extremes or to liquids.

■If a drive must be mailed, do the following: place the drive into a bubble pack mailer or other suitable form of protective packaging; label the package “Fragile: Handle With Care.”

4.4Preventing Electrostatic Damage

Many electronic components are sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD). Circuitry design and structure determine the degree of sensitivity. Networks built into many integrated circuits provide some protection, but in many cases the discharge contains enough power to alter device parameters or melt silicon junctions.

A sudden discharge of static electricity from a finger or other conductor can destroy static-sensitive devices or microcircuitry. Often the spark is neither felt nor heard, but damage occurs. An electronic device exposed to electrostatic discharge may not be affected at all and can work perfectly throughout a normal cycle. It may function normally for a while, then degrade in the internal layers, reducing its life expectancy.

Removal and Replacement Preliminaries 4-3