T410 caddy problem

[T410]

I bagged a new 410 in minty shape to replace my tired old one, and the cd player that came with it goes in and comes out fine, but I can't get my caddy to go all the way in. I'm afraid to force it that last 1/4 inch because I'm afraid I'll never get it out. I don't see anything wrong with the caddy or the slot...any ideas?

[rkawakami]

Are you talking about a hard drive caddy for the Ultrabay slot? If so, then take a look at the "back" side of the optical drive and HD caddy and that might answer your question. The Ultrabay for the T410 is actually named Serial Ultrabay Slim and is quite different from an Ultrabay Slim found on T4x / T6x.

[T410]

Are you talking about a hard drive caddy for the Ultrabay slot? If so, then take a look at the "back" side of the optical drive and HD caddy and that might answer your question. The Ultrabay for the T410 is actually named Serial Ultrabay Slim and is quite different from an Ultrabay Slim found on T4x / T6x.

Yes its a hard drive caddy. It came out of my other T410.

[atagunov]

Hi, I have messed with a T60 and an X220 so I have an idea of how the caddy should slide into the body - fairly smoothly and finally you meet some resistance as the drive engages SATA connector. These T60 and X220 don't have any issues with the caddy.

However this summer I purchased a widescreen 15" T61. Due to bad luck it took Hermes UK over 40 days to deliver it, further it was only bubble wrapped by the seller - no box. To my surprise I can't insert the caddy back into it just like you described your situation with T410. My best guess is that during its long journey with Hermes it was handled and mishandled which caused the very frame of this poor T61 to get skewed. Not a problem for me - I only purchased it to get the motherboard, but it may be more of a problem for you if your T410 is indeed damaged in such a way that basic geometry of the body has suffered..

However will you really never get the caddy out if you force it in? If T410 is anything like T60/R60 which it probably is the caddy is going to be squeezed between structure frame and bottom cover of the Thinkpad shell. That means that even if it gets stuck you can disassemble the T410 and get it out that way.

Further, which drives does T410 natively take? If it takes 9mm drives which it probably does you can be in luck: all modern SSD-s are 7mm. You generally need special rails to fit a 7mm drive into a 9mm bay. It is universally advised to run Thinkpads on SSD-s whenever possible - it makes a massive difference to their performance. So you can get a modern-ish SSD which will be 7mm and it may go in much easier. You may actually even be able to use standard 9mm or 7mm rails (whichever ones you happen to have) with a 7mm drive if the compartment is skewed: the main purpose of the step-up 7mm->9mm rails I linked above - or indeed of ad-hoc solutions like extra paper or foam - is to make sure the 7mm drive doesn't bounce around in a 9mm compartment causing wear and tear on SATA connector. But in your case the problem may have already been solved Disclaimer: I don't know if T410 bay really is 9mm or 7mm. Even if you find that a 7mm SSD does go in with great effort it will probably make more sense to force in an SSD rather than a HDD. I mean to say that this SSD can probably stay inside your Thinkpad until the end of Thinkpad's useful days. And if you really need to take it out then you should be able to do that by taking off the keboard, palmrest and then lifting structure frame + motherboard up from the bottom shell.

Just in case here is the HMM. I found it on this website using the "HMM" link at the top of this page.

[atagunov]

...just to double-check - you're not inserting that HDD upside-down are you? %) If you did you wouldn't be able to connect to SATA connector

[T410]

Oh its right side up alright. Its identical in every way to to the CD drive which fits fine and it fits fine in my other T410 so it just doesn't make any sense. Sure I could get it out by taking the laptop apart but that's rather inconvenient if I just want to switch to the CD drive.

[atagunov]

So it's the ultrabay that you cannot insert your drive into? Not the normal HDD bay? If an ultrabay HDD adapter doesn't slide into Ultrabay I'm starting to think that either the adapter is wrong for the model, or the adapter is badly manufactured (non-original), or the adapter is skewed or the Thinkpad itself is skewed.. As I described above it is possible for a Thinkpad to become skewed due to rough handling.

Also as you're speaking about last 1/4" I'm starting to be suspicious about some trouble engaging the connector on that other side. Pls. double check that the connector on the caddy matches what there is on Thinkpad - probably you can shine a small torch/mobile phone light into the Thinkpad or else you can disassemble and check what is going on..

[unixed]

Use the HMM to disassemble the laptop and have a look. It may be that the planar is not flush with the structure frame and so on, but it is easy enough to try and insert the UB device with the bottom cover off so that you can see what the problem is.

[T410]

Found the problem. Not sure what you call that nub on the inside of the caddy but apparently the receptable for it is smaller on this T410 than on my old one. This shows the CD drive that came out and my HD caddy on the right.

[T410]

so...what gives? are there different ultrabays for different 410's?

[rkawakami]

Is the Ultrabay hard drive caddy a genuine Lenovo part or is it an aftermarket version? If the latter, then I think you might have your answer. Tolerance for the opening inside the T410 could be off just a bit, which could lead the fatter pin on the HD caddy to not slide in properly.

[T410]

Is the Ultrabay hard drive caddy a genuine Lenovo part or is it an aftermarket version? If the latter, then I think you might have your answer. Tolerance for the opening inside the T410 could be off just a bit, which could lead the fatter pin on the HD caddy to not slide in properly.

Its aftermarket but again, it fit my other T410 just fine. And now I noticed that my CD player from the old one has that same larger nub, and yet it fits fine in the new laptop. So the mystery thickens. I think I will shave just a hair off of my caddy's nub and see what happens.

[cadillacmike68]

I have several genuine and aftermarket HDD trays for the T4/500 & up as well as several optical drives. All the optical drives have the thinner tab. All of the genuine trays and one of the aftermarket ones have the thicker tab but the rest of the aftermarket ones have the thinner tab. So the mystery deepens further.

[RealBlackStuff]

Most of those nubs are screwed on and can be removed or replaced.
If they are also needed for holding the drive in place, use a piece of thin metal or aluminium to make your own nub.

[T410]

well I finally got it in and working and out again, but its a beyotch to get out. I think the problem is actually the front molding, not the pin. I had to shave that down some to get it in, and I think I have more shaving to do