Securing an SSD

November 5, 2015 8:59 AM

I replaced my laptop's hard drive, and it sometimes comes loose because it doesn't fit snugly into the compartment. Solutions?

At the recommendation of the hive-mind, I replaced my laptop's hard drive a while ago with a solid state drive, and it's been running well ever since.

The issue I've been having lately, though, is that the new drive occasionally comes loose from the connecting pins, since it doesn't fit as neatly as the original drive. As you can see, there's a gap between the edge of the SSD and the compartment. I carry my laptop around in my backpack--just an ordinary Jansport--and while I'm not subjecting it to any violent motion, I'm sure all the walking about I do has an impact. It's no fun getting to work only to realize that I need to track down a screwdriver to re-insert the drive.

How can I rig it so that the drive will stay put without causing any issues for my old workhorse of a laptop that can run a bit hot?

Thanks!

posted by xenization to Technology (12 answers total)

The drive you removed... did it have rails or a carriage attached to it? In my experience the rails can be removed from the old drive and attached to the new drive for a better fit. In fact I've never seen a drive without some sort of rails or carriage, though admittedly most of my experience is on desktop drives.

Do you have a photo of the old drive?
posted by bondcliff at 9:02 AM on November 5, 2015 [3 favorites]

Could you not have kept, repurposed/reused the carrier from your old HDD? Usually those things, made to fit perfectly, are much easier to modify than trying to mess with your actual computer interior.

In lieu of that, I'd use a thick piece of rubber (note: not foam or plastic, which can be staticky) wedged in there snugly. Your heating worry is a bit concerning, but presumably the old drive and carrier filled that space anyway, and/or you could drill a few holes in it in both directions if you want extra airflow.

I am not your experienced hardware/mod hacker.
posted by rokusan at 9:03 AM on November 5, 2015 [1 favorite]

I just purchased a new hard drive for my pc. The guru at MicroCenter insisted I not leave without at least buying the cheap "case" that would hold it in place in my pc. It was about $7. I am no computer genius, but I imagine there are similar items for a laptop as described by the answers above.
posted by AugustWest at 9:06 AM on November 5, 2015

Best answer: See the 4 empty screw holes in the image? Those drives are designed to be attached to something. What was the old drive attached to, if anything?

Typically they're called a 'mounting bracket' or similar.
posted by Ashlyth at 9:24 AM on November 5, 2015 [4 favorites]

Yeah, something was holding your old drive in place. Other than plastic or metal rails or brackets, sometimes this is a rubber case fitting snuggly around the disk, sort of like a cellphone case, or two rubber bumpers on either side - it might not be immediately obvious it is not an integral part of your old disk.
posted by Dr Dracator at 9:41 AM on November 5, 2015

I work for an OEM, and you can use hot glue. Yeah, a bracket is the right thing for the job, but hot glue is a cheap thing you may have around.

Nota bene, you can't use party glue. Party glue is low-temperature hot glue made for crafts and temporary adhesion, and that's going to get warm and start flowing inside a laptop. Actual hot glue will work in a laptop.

If you screw it up, dab (don't even drip-- dab with a cotton swab) the glue with rubbing alcohol. It'll become slightly brittle and lose its grip on things.
posted by Sunburnt at 10:10 AM on November 5, 2015 [1 favorite]

Honestly, if you threw out the bracket, you could probably just add some of those rubbery feet (like these but maybe smaller, or shave them down) and the problem will be solved.
posted by destructive cactus at 11:12 AM on November 5, 2015

Or maybe some little pieces of foam with adhesive on both sides? Wouldn't take much.
posted by notyou at 12:11 PM on November 5, 2015

Best answer: There's a retention bracket for the drive that you're missing. If you post your laptop model, folks can probably help you find the part.
posted by cnc at 2:17 PM on November 5, 2015 [1 favorite]

I don't know what brand laptop you have, but a friend has a Toshiba Satellite that looks pretty similar. On the Toshiba, there's a plastic protrusion at one end of the drive panel that fits into the gap and keeps the drive from popping out -- there's no "carrier" for the drive and the drive isn't secured by any screws.

Personally I'd just jam a paper towel or whatever in there. As long as it's non-conductive it shouldn't really matter. Foam can generate static electricity, so probably don't use foam.

If you wanna get fancy, you could use Sugru.
posted by neckro23 at 3:53 PM on November 5, 2015 [1 favorite]

I've solved this exact problem by filling the gap with that reusable putty adhesive stuff. Blu tack (actually the no name store brand version). I could wedge in the exact right amount.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 9:23 AM on November 6, 2015

Response by poster: My laptop's an HP G60. I'll see about getting a photo by tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll search about for a suitable retention bracket--unless someone knows which one would be best.
posted by xenization at 1:40 PM on November 6, 2015