7–14 Hardware and Software Guide
Hardware Upgrades and Replacements
Caring for Drives
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CAUTION: To prevent damage to the notebook or a drive and loss 
of
 work:
■ Do not remove the internal hard drive except for repair or 
replacement. For instructions, refer to the 
“Replacing the Internal 
Hard Drive” section next in this chapter.
■ Electrostatic discharge can damage electronic components. To 
prevent electrostatic damage to the notebook or a drive, follow 
these 2 precautions: (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 to the “Electrostatic 
Discharge” chapter in Regulatory and Safety Notices guide.
■ Excessive force can damage drive connectors. When you insert a 
drive, use only enough force to seat the drive.
■ Handle a drive carefully. Do not drop it.
■ Avoid exposing a hard drive or a diskette to devices with magnetic 
fields. Products with magnetic fields include video and audio tape 
erasure products, monitors, and speakers. Security devices with 
magnetic fields include airport walk-through devices and security 
wands. The airport security devices that check carry-on luggage, 
usually while it is placed on a conveyor belt, use x-rays instead of 
magnetism and will not damage a hard drive or a diskette.
■ Do not spray a drive with cleaning products.
■ Avoid exposing a drive to liquids or temperature extremes.
■ If you mail a drive, ship it in packaging that protects it from shock, 
vibration, extreme temperatures, and high humidity. Label the 
package “FRAGILE.”