Laptops All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies- P49: Okay, I’ll admit it: I’ve got a strange biography. I’ve been a writer all my life. My first semi-pro job was sports editor of my high school newspaper. (Go Commodores!) After college I was a political reporter for daily newspapers in Ohio and New York (I covered four national nominating conventions and two Presidential campaigns) and a correspondent for The Associated Press. And then, in 1983, I gave in to my inner geek and became the first Executive Editor of PC Magazine, back in the days when most people asked, “What is a PC?”. | 454 Replacing a Laptop Hard Drive Ground yourself by touching the middle screw on an electrical wall outlet or by touching a metal pipe. 6. Locate the hard disk drive compartment or bay. Your laptop instruction manual should include a chart showing its position. 7. Unscrew any locking screws that may be holding the drive in place or unlatch any catches. Set aside the screws in a safe place make notes on any unusual steps you had to take. 8. Slide or lift the hard drive out of its bay or compartment. 9. Reverse the steps to install latch and power up the new drive. Using a generic drive Depending on your laptop s design or market popularity you may be able to purchase a bare mobile hard disk drive from a computer parts supplier and make it work. A bare drive is sold as a simple spare part without all the fancy packaging and extra cost of an item sold in a retail store. You may install the new drive into the original carrier by carefully disassembling it or you may purchase a carrier from another source. It may come indirectly from the same source as the one your laptop maker used or it may be a concoction from a third party. Installing a new drive in the original carrier Follow along to reinstall a new drive 1. Turn off the laptop. 2. Unplug the AC adapter. 3. Prepare your work area. You want a clean well-lit and stable surface. Place a soft cloth or other cushioning material to protect the top of the laptop you can use almost anything that isn t metallic or packing an electric charge. 4. Remove the battery. 5. Ground yourself before touching the old drive and again before opening the bag or box that holds the new drive. You can ground yourself by touching the middle screw on an electrical wall outlet or by touching a metal pipe. 6. Locate the hard disk drive compartment or bay. Replacing a Laptop Hard Drive 455 Your laptop instruction manual should include a chart showing its position. 7. Unscrew any locking screws that may be holding the drive in place or unlatch
