Laptop HD installs?

[sideshow23bob]

I'm considering buying a laptop off ebay and they say the HD is dead....so I'm wondering is it very easy to remove and install a new HD in a laptop in general. Please let me know as this system would be a great birthday gift for my mom and dad if I could get it working for the cost of a new HD.
Please let me know what you think and I apologize if this in the wrong forum and or this issue has been covered in other threads, but logic and some simple searches brought me here with my questions as you see them.

Also on another note, I'd like to upgrade my DVD-burner in my desktop but am having trouble removing the original drive(I have a dvd-rom and dvd-burner installed so no more bays). I thought I knew the basics of installing/removing drive, but am convinced that I may need to remove the bezel(faceplate of the drive) somehow, is that right? if so how do I do that? Thanks for any help you can provide, any advice will gladly be thanked with bumps to any threads to might need them more.

 

[FlyingPenguin]

Laptop HDDs are USUALLY easy to replace. Depends on the laptop. Dells are real easy - two screws and a tray slides out. Some you have to remove the keyboard. Some of them are a real pain and not obvious - I had a Compaq on my bench the other day that drove me nuts, and I couldn't find a service manual online.

I'd research the model on the manufacturer's website first to find out how the drive is removed.

ALSO be aware you'll be taking a chance. No guarantees that the problem is with the HDD. Could be a bad IDE controller or a mobo problem, in which case you're up the creek.

If you're getting it for next to nothing and all you're paying for is a HDD then it might not be a bad deal (depending on the laptop). Keep in mind you're into at least $70 for a new HDD and if the lappy is not repairable you're probably stuck with the drive.

With Dell selling their budget 1200 laptop for $500, used lappies aren't worth what they used to be.

You never have to remove the bezel on the drive. If the drive won't slide forward out of the bad then it may need to come out the back. If there's no room for it to come out the back then the bezel on the CASE may need to come off to allow the drive to slide out the front.

Some cases like the budget mini cases HP uses are a real bitch. Some of them you have to pull off the bezel on the case then unlatch the ENTIRE drive cage and pull the whole cage out the front and then remove the drive.

Best to go to the manufacturer's website and see if you can find a service manual that shows you how to remove and install the drives.

Hope this helps...

 

[birdpup]

The FlyingPenguin's advice was good as usual. I wish to repeat the need to check the laptop manufacturer's website for a manual that should describe how to remove the hard drive. Concerning hard drive replacement, laptop hard drives a not the same as a standard desktop IDE hard drive. The speed of a laptop hard drive will have a large influence on the system speed. Laptop hard drives typically come in two speeds, 4200 and 5400 rpm. I would recommend the 5400 rpm with a capacity larger than 20GB and an 8MB cache. I prefer 40-60 GB for laptops but your needs may differ.

Looking at this laptop from another angle, used laptops are rarely a good deal. People tend to keep laptops until they cause more problems than they are worth, through damage and normal wear and tear. Laptops are easily damaged and difficult (or impossible) to modify or upgrade. I would not recommend for anyone to purchase a used laptop for these reasons.

Additionally, laptops seem to be designed to wear out and be replaced after three years. The background light for the LCD display panel (backlight or inverter) tends to wear out within this time and randomly turn off, making the screen dark, and then requires replacement. (a typical short term fix for this is to unplug all external connections, including power supply and mouse, and then reboot.) An inverter may cost anywhere from $40 to $120 to replace.

The cost of laptops have come down this past year and it may be a better idea to purchase a new laptop. This is immediately true now since Dell is nearing the end of their second fiscal quarter (third fiscal quarter starts August 1) and right at this moment Dell is offering sales and coupons on their laptops that may not last through next week (or even tomorrow) and may not be seen again until October 14-22. Check out the Hot Deals category here in the Anandtech forums for more information on Dell coupons and sales. In the Hot Deals category, perform a search for "dell" and you will see the sales Dell currently has. Here are a couple links to coupon codes.

http://gottadeal.com/dell.php
http://rasputinj.com/cat3.html