replacing HD in Latitude x300

[steve]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

The first day of a 9 day road trip I got the BSOD on my Latitude x300
and it hasn't booted since. I suspect the HD may need replacement.
Without going into all the symptoms and diagnosis steps here (I've got
help with that coming, actually) - if it DOES prove necessary to
replace the hard drive, I'd love some help with that.

1. Source for a replacement drive? Mail-order or otherwise, in the US?

2. Process for removing/installing? I've found a few websites where
someone has done the whole take-photos-document-the-tricky-bits in a
laptop but haven't found it for the x300 specifically. Is that
removable panel on the underside where we start? I've done this
replacement on a desktop machine, but never on a laptop and so am a bit
intimidated, but am eager to do it myself!

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

for a source, try buy.com, zipzoomfly.com, tigerdirect.com
these are very reliable and respectable.
look for a long warranty from a good company, like seagate!
get 5400 rpm or better. dont get less than 40gb.

i 've never done it on that specific laptop, but it is easy enough to
pull up the docs on dell's support site.
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/latx300/en/sm/index.htm
it has good pics and shows how to do it.
Good luck.

steve@portigal.com wrote:

> The first day of a 9 day road trip I got the BSOD on my Latitude x300
> and it hasn't booted since. I suspect the HD may need replacement.
> Without going into all the symptoms and diagnosis steps here (I've got
> help with that coming, actually) - if it DOES prove necessary to
> replace the hard drive, I'd love some help with that.
>
> 1. Source for a replacement drive? Mail-order or otherwise, in the US?
>
> 2. Process for removing/installing? I've found a few websites where
> someone has done the whole take-photos-document-the-tricky-bits in a
> laptop but haven't found it for the x300 specifically. Is that
> removable panel on the underside where we start? I've done this
> replacement on a desktop machine, but never on a laptop and so am a bit
> intimidated, but am eager to do it myself!
>
> Thanks!
>

 

[Fixer]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Before removing the Hard-Disk drive:

· Remove the AC power.

· Remove the battery.

· Remove the keyboard.

· Remove the palm rest



Turn the system over to access the screws holding the keyboard.



Remove the four screws marked K.

3.


Turn the system top side up to gain access to the keyboard.
Place a small slotted screwdriver in the slot just under the Microsoft key.
Pry the keyboard forward.


CAUTION: To keep from damaging the keyboard, it is
advisable to hold the Microsoft key down while applying pressure with the
slotted screwdriver.


4.


Lift the keyboard to access the keyboard cable connection.

5.


Lift the keyboard cable up to disconnect the keyboard from the
system board.

6.


Lift the keyboard up and remove it.


7.


Reverse the previous steps to replace the keyboard 8.
.



· Remove the keyboard



Turn the system with the bottom side facing up.



Remove the three screws from the bottom of the system.



Place the system right side up and open the display to remove
the five screws on the palm rest.



Lift the palm rest upward and rotate it foward.



Lift the ZIF connector, and then disconnect the palm rest from
the ZIF connector on the system board.


NOTE: A locator line has been added near the end of the
palm rest flex cable. When replacing the palm rest flex cable, press the
cable into the connector until the line aligns with the system board. (The
locator line may reappear after the connector is closed, which should not
indicate a problem with the connector.)



Reverse the previous steps to the palm rest.



Loosen the four screws that secure the hard drive to the system board.


NOTE: Rubber gromments secure each screw to the hard drive, so it
is not necessary to completely remove the screws.



Disconnect the hard drive connector from the system board.



Lift the hard drive up and out of the system.



Reverse the previous steps to the hard drive.





<steve@portigal.com> wrote in message
news:1128011002.520247.229970@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> The first day of a 9 day road trip I got the BSOD on my Latitude x300
> and it hasn't booted since. I suspect the HD may need replacement.
> Without going into all the symptoms and diagnosis steps here (I've got
> help with that coming, actually) - if it DOES prove necessary to
> replace the hard drive, I'd love some help with that.
>
> 1. Source for a replacement drive? Mail-order or otherwise, in the US?
>
> 2. Process for removing/installing? I've found a few websites where
> someone has done the whole take-photos-document-the-tricky-bits in a
> laptop but haven't found it for the x300 specifically. Is that
> removable panel on the underside where we start? I've done this
> replacement on a desktop machine, but never on a laptop and so am a bit
> intimidated, but am eager to do it myself!
>
> Thanks!
>


begin 666 clip_image001.gif
M1TE&.#EA& `8`+,+`!EDD____P)5B,GJ^Q!?CA<I4)?7]KOD^ -6B)_9]LGJ
M^@```````````````````"'Y! $```L`+ `````8`!@```2-<,E)ZT((`,LY
MUEVX"$)@!J!8D2>ZJ5)1M(IBDK!,VP$>L@'9X9!(R'P=H)!H+"!7)==@(#L*
M1$#-M.J\<K* J<9@D&&CVL&X7$BBPVH`^6D!B^4&^D1C2J_U%'Q2<7->%H)^
L>(![`'UP?X8<@HZ%,),NE2J"4W<P$IN<*98:I*(+!*BIJJBEI12KL 01`#L`
`
end

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

get a 5400 rpm drive and this repair will also mean a noticable performance
upgrade (your original drive was 4200 rpm).

you can't do better then newegg.com for laptop drive prices...
here's a 40gb/5400rpm/3yr warranty for $73 delivered
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822153018
here's a 60gb/5400rpm/3yr warranty for $85.50 delivered
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822153022
if you don't like fujitsu for some reason or want something larger then look
at all of their laptop drive offerings here...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=SubCatDeals&SubCategory=380

then to install, remove your laptop's battery, unplug the ac adapter from
the system, and hold the powert button down for ten seconds to discharge any
residual power.
remove the keyboard per dell's instructions...
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/latx300/en/sm/keyboard.htm#1102200
remove the palm rest as per dell's instructions...
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/latx300/en/sm/palmrest.htm#1084976
replace the drive as per dell's instructions...
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/latx300/en/sm/hdd.htm#1084976
reconnect battery and power and put your windows xp cd in the drive and
press f12 durring post to bring up a boot menu and select to boot from the
cd... then follow prompts. if you boot from the windows cd then you will
not have to 'activate' windows with the serial number on the bottom of the
machine. be sure to install the intel chipset driver first... then the
video driver (intel 855gm or intel 830m, which ever you have) any then any
other driver that you need. finally, be sure to install all of the windows
xp updates...
you can follow this link for detailed instructions from dell on what and how
to reinstall each software component...
http://tinyurl.com/7dsn7
good luck.



<steve@portigal.com> wrote in message
news:1128011002.520247.229970@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> The first day of a 9 day road trip I got the BSOD on my Latitude x300
> and it hasn't booted since. I suspect the HD may need replacement.
> Without going into all the symptoms and diagnosis steps here (I've got
> help with that coming, actually) - if it DOES prove necessary to
> replace the hard drive, I'd love some help with that.
>
> 1. Source for a replacement drive? Mail-order or otherwise, in the US?
>
> 2. Process for removing/installing? I've found a few websites where
> someone has done the whole take-photos-document-the-tricky-bits in a
> laptop but haven't found it for the x300 specifically. Is that
> removable panel on the underside where we start? I've done this
> replacement on a desktop machine, but never on a laptop and so am a bit
> intimidated, but am eager to do it myself!
>
> Thanks!
>

 

[benj]

I have the exact same problem on my Latitude X300 (unmountable_boot_volume, "chkdsk /r/p" cannot fix it.).

I also want to change the hard drive.
I found very useful informations here (thanks to all) but there is still something I do not understand :
What type of ATA interface should I choose when I buy the hard drive?

I found out that :
- the original drive interface is Ultra ATA 100 (so I assume that the X300 interface is also ATA 100),
- the MHT2040BH you talked about (on Newegg) has a Serial ATA150.

My question is : are they compatible?
Will a MHT2040BH work on a Latitude X300?

Since I know nothing about ATA interface I looked on wikipedia (Advanced Technology Attachment) and I found that the standard name for ATA 100 is ATA-6.

I also chekcked on Fujitsu MHT2040BH page and it says:
Interface: ATA-7,SATA 1.0a, SATA II 1.0
Does it mean it has several interfaces and is compatible?

Would a MHT2040AH (ATA-6 interface instead of Serial ATA150) also work?

Ben.