Drive handling
Note the following guidelines when handling drives.
IMPORTANT: Drives are fragile components. Handle them with care. To prevent damage to the
computer, damage to a drive, or loss of information, observe these precautions:
● Before removing or inserting a hard drive, shut down the computer. If you are unsure whether
the computer is off or in Hibernation, turn the computer on, and then shut it down through the
operating system.
● Before handling a drive, be sure that you are discharged of static electricity. While handling a drive,
avoid touching the connector.
● Before removing an optical drive, be sure that a disc is not in the drive, and be sure that the optical
drive tray is closed.
● Handle drives on surfaces covered with at least 2.54 cm (1 inch) of shock-proof foam.
● Avoid dropping drives from any height onto any surface.
● After removing a hard drive or an optical drive, place it in a static-proof bag.
● Avoid exposing an internal hard drive to products that have magnetic fields, such as monitors or
speakers.
● Avoid exposing a drive to temperature extremes or liquids.
● If a drive must be mailed, place the drive in a bubble pack mailer or other suitable form of
protective packaging, and label the package “FRAGILE.”
Electrostatic discharge information
A sudden discharge of static electricity from your finger or other conductor can destroy static-sensitive
devices or microcircuitry. Often the spark is neither felt nor heard, but damage occurs. An electronic
device exposed to electrostatic discharge (ESD) might not appear to be affected at all and can work
perfectly throughout a normal cycle. The device might function normally for a while, but it has been
degraded in the internal layers, reducing its life expectancy.
Networks built into many integrated circuits provide some protection, but in many cases, the discharge
contains enough power to alter device parameters or melt silicon junctions.
IMPORTANT: To prevent damage to the device when you remove or install internal components,
observe these precautions:
● Keep components in their electrostatic-safe containers until you are ready to install them.
● Before touching an electronic component, discharge static electricity by using the guidelines
described in Personal grounding methods and equipment on page 26.
● Avoid touching pins, leads, and circuitry. Handle electronic components as little as possible.
● If you remove a component, place it in an electrostatic-safe container.
Generating static electricity
Follow these static electricity guidelines:
Drive handling
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