System information

5–2 Hardware Guide

Removable Drives

Caring for Drives

Drives are fragile notebook components that must be handled

with care. The following cautions apply to all drives. Additional

cautions are included with the procedures to which they apply.

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

■ Handle a drive carefully. Do not drop it.

■ When inserting a drive, use only enough pressure to seat the

drive. Excessive force can damage drive connectors.

■ Do not spray a drive with a cleaner or other liquid or expose it to

temperature extremes.

■ Do not remove the primary hard drive (the hard drive in the

hard drive bay) except for repair or replacement.

■ To prevent electrostatic damage to the notebook or a drive:

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.

■ Avoid exposing a hard drive to devices with a magnetic field,

such as airport walk-through metal detectors and

security wands.

■ If you mail a drive, ship it in packaging that protects it from

shock, vibration, temperature, and humidity. Label the package

“FRAGILE.”

✎

Airport security devices that check carry-on luggage placed on

a conveyor belt use x-rays instead of magnetism and will not

damage a hard drive.

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