Replacing old hard drive but it doesn't fit. Help!!!!

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8 points

Replacing old hard drive but it doesn't fit. Help!!!!

Replacing the hard drive in an old black MacBook laptop (probably at least seven years old - I forget). The old drive was a 320 Seagate and I purchased a 320 Western Digital. Took out the battery followed a YouTube video and removed the old hard drive - everything seems good. I put the cover on the new hard drive and slid it into the dock. Everything seemed fine but with about a quarter inch left to go, the new hard drive wouldn't go any further. I'm going to try to attach a photo of the inside and of the hard drive as compared to the old hard drive. There are a couple of very minor design differences but I wouldn't think it would interfere with the drive fitting.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Apr 22, 2014 12:48 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 22, 2014 12:51 PM in response to Marie S

Make sure the two drives measure EXACTLY the same size...if there are mounting rails you may need to remove them.

If the WD drive is too big, there is nothing you can do but get a different drive, or place the Seagate back in and use the WD as an external drive, enclosures can be found at OWC, http://www.macsales.com

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Answer 2

Marie S Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 22, 2014 1:17 PM in response to Ralph Landry1

Hi Ralph... Thanks for your prompt reply... Is there a way to attach a photo here... Th ends of the drives appear almost identical except for a few very minor design differences... Don't know the lingo for this, but on the inside of the drive that goes into the dock, maybe two or three tiny plastic frame-like thingies between the copper connector things that are very slightly different. Are you suggesting that they can be cut with a blade?

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Answer 3

Apr 22, 2014 1:23 PM in response to Marie S

I would not cut anything with a blade...if there are protuberances they may be removable...usually are.

You can attach a photo by clicking the little image of a camera in the reply window

That will open a dialog box where you Choose file, just pick the photo from where ever you have it, on the Desktop or what ever, and then Insert lower right of that dialog box.

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Answer 4

Marie S Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 22, 2014 1:36 PM in response to Ralph Landry1

Hate to sound like a klutz but I'm using my iPhone to communicate here because my laptop isn't working and I don't see a camera icon any

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Answer 5

Apr 22, 2014 1:46 PM in response to Marie S

OK, I get that a lot of the time when using my iPad...the menu bar disappears as soon as I start to type.

If the photo is in Photos, touch the photo so you get Copy to appear, touch Copy, then close Photos and go to the reply box for our little chat we are having, touch the box and touch Paste. See if that doesn't put the pic in here.

If that doesn't work, we can try something more creative.

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Answer 6

Marie S Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 22, 2014 1:56 PM in response to Ralph Landry1

Won't paste :(

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Answer 7

Apr 22, 2014 2:16 PM in response to Marie S

Marie, just logged in on my iPhone to see what you were seeing, same view as the iPad...and tap on Advanced Editor doesn't help, either. Back on the MacBook Pro as I cannot type fast enough on that little keyboard, and you won't be able to figure out the typos 😁

Anyway, if we cannot get a pic up, you said there are plastic pieces next to the connector strip that look different on the WD drive vs the Seagate. Do the prevent attaching the connector? Or do they just make the drive to big to fit the opening?

If you look at the plastic pieces, do you see any little screws (will be really tiny) or any tabs that are holding them in place? There has to be a way to hold the plastic pieces in place.

Does the Seagate have the plastic pieces, though different design, or different size?

The difficulty with the drive in a MacBook is lining up the screws to hold the drive in place...so if there are pieces putting the drive in the wrong position it is going to be tough to get it tied down in the body.

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Answer 8

Marie S Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 22, 2014 2:25 PM in response to Ralph Landry1

To drag that I can't attach a photo. They're almost identical except for a couple of little tabs. The best way to describe it is that the plastic frame looks a bit like a maze in certain places. There are only two or three little tiny differences. Everything is good with the installation process except when I have about a quarter of an inch of the drive hanging out of the dock. At that point I can't push it any further.

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Answer 9

Apr 22, 2014 2:37 PM in response to Marie S

That sounds an awful lot like the drive isn't going to go in properly...did you buy the drive from a Mac supplier or another source? Was it sold as working with your model MacBook? Curious to step back and see if it was sold as supposed to work in that machine...and I am extremely reluctant to suggest damaging it to make it fit. It maight be better to return the drive if it will not fit and get a different drive.

What is the exact model MacBook you have, and the exact drive info on the WD drive?

With that I will take a look at the OWC site and see if they recommend that drive for the model you have. At least get an idea of do they say it works or not.

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Answer 10

Marie S Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 22, 2014 2:50 PM in response to Ralph Landry1

You are not going to believe this. After spending almost 7 hours working on this I found the culprit was a 4 inch strip of rubber that was bunched at the back of the hard drive port. I looked inside with a flashlight many times and sought but just assumed it was some part. I finally decided had nothing to lose and got along pair tweezers and gently at attend prodding a bit at first and then started pulling and it came out. I want to thank you for helping me out today and all the time that you spent. I think the one thing that comes out of this is a good lesson that sometimes logic is not always the solution. It looks like some bad technician did a shoddy job of installing the last hard drive. I just wish I could send a picture of this rubber strip. You have no idea the satisfaction I experienced when I pulled that baby out and realized that was the problem. The hard drive slid in like it was coated in butter. I need a drink!

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Answer 11

Apr 22, 2014 3:59 PM in response to Marie S

Would have been good to have taken pix with the iPhone and then email to yourself and send with the MacBook after it is operational.

Great that it is finally resolved without the need to do surgery on the new hard drive. Lesson learned...problem area may be somethng entirely different. But good work in looking and realizing something was not as it should be inside.

This has been an interesting problem to work with you on...we are all fellow users and not Apple employees so every one of these is a learning experience for us too.

Have that drink now...I stopped to get something to eat and a glass of wine myself...so have a drink, put your feet up and congratulations of resolving the problem.

Now you should give thought to stickng around here and sharing all the experience helping others 😁

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Answer 12

Marie S Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 23, 2014 6:16 AM in response to Ralph Landry1

Ahhhhh, so nice to be back on my human-sized laptop vs my iphone (aka "Barbie-sized" computer)... I thought I was going to keel over it was so exhausting doing all my communicating and researching on that little thing.

So here is the photo of the little culprit that cost me over 7 hours of my day yesterday... a task that would have taken me less than 15 minutes normally. It was coiled and jammed in the far right (dark) corner of the drive parking lot in my laptop. I'm sure it should go back in there... will look into it on the weekend, but first I need a vacation!

Thank you again for being my crisis counsellor on this... it was really nice having someone there to provide suggestions. I will consider sticking around, thanks. 🙂

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Answer 13

Apr 23, 2014 6:26 AM in response to Marie S

Hi Marie,

Just looked and saw you popped in again...that does look like something that belongs, but as a cushion or spacer of some kind...the two small holes along the bottom look like it should be attached to something.

But that is really giving it the benefit of the doubt...could have just been carelessness on the part of an assembler that caused it to be in there. It looks so much lke an edge spacer or cushion that being coiled up inside sure sounds like a mistake.

Thanks for the pic...hope you managed to get that drink yesterday 😁

It is nice to deal with another user who stays calm and coherent even dealing with a tough situation like this one yesterday...makes it all worthwhile hanging around trying to help.

Unless something sounds like it is rattling around inside, I am not sure I would mess around any more trying to figure out what to do whith that piece of plastic or whatever it is.

Stick around, you definitely have a high comfort level inside a computer.

Ralph

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