A22e hard drive crashed

[charlesayer]

Hello,
My A22e's hard drive died. I know everything else still works because I can still boot and run Knoppix from the optical drive. I am pondering replacing the hard drive myself. I have an abundance of confidence but very little technical knoweldge. Is this something I can/should do myself, and what does it entail? The local computer guys want to charge what seems to be an excessive amount for the drive and the installation. Could anyone also advise as to how I find the cheapest HD on pricewatch that will fit and work with my A22e? I see IBM HD's listed but I also see Hitachis listed which I believe is the company that makes some Thinkpad components. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

[jdhurst]

It appears that (at the very least) a big batch of A22e's were produced with drives that fail after about 2 and half years of use or so. I had two of them, and they both failed within a month of each other.

They are dead simple to replace. Undo the screw and remove the drive. Remove the plastic cap at then end once the drive is out (it clips over two screws on the drive and is used as a cover and as a device to pull out the drive). Move the metal cover plate from the defective drive to the new drive if you need to. Reinstall the drive and replace the locking screw.

Now at this point you need an OS. I have the A22e recovery CD's for Windows 2000 and that is how I did the recovery.

... JDHurst

[charlesayer]

Thanks for the pointers. Where do you recommend I purchase the hard drive? I want the cheapest I can find and I really only need 20 or 30 gigs. I am also concerned to make sure the one I get is compatible and will work with my A22e. Also could you just elaborate a little bit more, the instructions were great but the third sentence in the second paragraph was a little hard to interpret. i really do appreciate your help.

[jdhurst]

I was in a hurry when the last A22e failed. It belongs to a friend and he just wanted to get going fast, so I ordered a 40Gb drive from my regular vendor, as it was the best value (not the cheapest) and has a three-year guarantee. I am in Canada as well, and I wanted the guarantee to be honoured by my vendor with a fast replacement (not possible cross-border). Maybe someone here has a good source.

With respect to the second question. Remove the drive and inspect it. There is a perforated metal plate (called a carrier) that covers the bottom of the drive and wraps around the sides. It is secured with 4 screws (the cap clips on to two of those screws). You need the carrier, and if it does not come with the replacement drive, you need to transfer it.

If the new drive comes with a carrier, retrieve the carrier and the four screws from the defective drive before you discard it. You never know.

Also, if you had sensitive information on the drive, before you discard it, put it on a solid concrete floor and give it several punishing blows with a sledge hammer.

... JDHurst

[jecoled]

On my A22e, I recently replaced factory 30 GB HDD with a Toshiba 40 GB purchased thru pricewatch for under $90. Previous postings are right on - transfer mounting carriage to new drive and install. Very easy. Your biggest headache will be the OPS, etc. since your HDD is dead. Good Luck.