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ServiceTag
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Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 66
Location: CA OC
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 Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:09 am Post subject: WD My Passport for Mac 320Gb extHD-buyers beware!? |
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helping my friend who was mistreated by Apple and since they couldn't fix it they did compensate him with this external USB 320GB 2.5" HD, model # WDBAAB3200ACH-NESN.
His idea was to upgrade his MacBook's original 80Gb HD for something bigger....
Well, after I took apart this a little puppy (BTW, worst case design ever - it's almost impossible to open it w/o breaking some clips no matter how careful you are..) I would expect only two possible scenarios for internal HD hook up - SATA or IDE, right?
Wrong!?
Some air head from WD (and I am sure other will now follow) came up with brilliant solution - internal 2.5" drive with no interface whatsoever!
Obviously, no way to reuse it in any laptop, MM or in any other HD case.
Can't believe this was all done because of cutting manuf. cost..... |
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ahatterschivalry
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Joined: 11 Apr 2009
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:55 am Post subject: |
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Sorry what ??
How was he mistreated by apple ?
Which model mac ?
[also the thread title is pretty irrelevant] |
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Bandit Bill
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Joined: 07 Jun 2005
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Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 12:00 pm Post subject: |
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I took the Western Digital drive out of my 250GB enclosure without breaking the enclosure. I then installed it in my mini and it's working just fine.
Perhaps you should have watched a video on how to open the case. There are plenty on the internet. |
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MacDSmith2
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| Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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Are you referring to the external hard drive or the Mac Mini?
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Fox
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| Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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Somewhat tangental, but I just picked up an Iomega Prestige 320gb external HD on a Boxing Day sale. I tried opening the case and got it 3/4 open, but couldn't figure out how to pop the last part unless there are screws under the rubber pieces. Anyone have this drive and know how to open it?
The other odd thing about it is that when you look at the drive under System Profiler (USB), it lists the drive, itself as Iomega. I didn't think this company made drives, just enclosures.
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Bandit Bill
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| Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ0bgz3tyNk
This video clearly shows the SATA interface being removed from the drive.
You may want to turn down the music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITObQxytdH4
This video shows how to open the case without breaking anything. This guy is sloppy as heck, he's using nail clippers and he didn't break the clips. The idea is to crack the case slightly and then slide the drive out of the clips. If you continue pulling up once the drive case is cracked then you will break the clips.
So crack, then slide.
Sorry Fox, I haven't had any experience with the Iomega case. I searched Youtube and couldn't find a video. |
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ServiceTag
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Posts: 66
Location: CA OC
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| Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 2:12 am Post subject: |
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| Bandit Bill wrote: | I took the Western Digital drive out of my 250GB enclosure without breaking the enclosure. I then installed it in my mini and it's working just fine.
Perhaps you should have watched a video on how to open the case. There are plenty on the internet. |
| Bandit Bill wrote: | ...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITObQxytdH4
This video shows how to open the case without breaking anything. This guy is sloppy as heck, he's using nail clippers and he didn't break the clips. The idea is to crack the case slightly and then slide the drive out of the clips. If you continue pulling up once the drive case is cracked then you will break the clips.
So crack, then slide. |
Sorry, but till you try to open this specific model you have no idea what I am talking about.
It's similar to the drive in this second video, but clips are different. No need to watch video for somebody who can fix Swiss watch....
I guess nobody got my message!
This 2.5" drive has integrated logic board and interface into one piece - there is NO way to install it in mini or anything else. This is the first time I ever seen something like this.... |
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Bandit Bill
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| Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 2:37 am Post subject: |
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| ServiceTag wrote: | Sorry, but till you try to open this specific model you have no idea what I am talking about.
It's similar to the drive in this second video, but clips are different. No need to watch video for somebody who can fix Swiss watch....
I guess nobody got my message!
This 2.5" drive has integrated logic board and interface into one piece - there is NO way to install it in mini or anything else. This is the first time I ever seen something like this.... |
Interesting, I specifically search the 320GB model you mentioned. They are obviously different models than yours. It would be great if you could post a pic as I've never heard of anything like this either. Doesn't surprise me that Western Digital would do this to save a few bucks and perhaps encourage people to buy their raw drives for upgrades.
Thanks for the heads up. Sorry if it sounds like I bashed you. It's just what you said seemed hard to believe. |
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MacDSmith2
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| Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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I watched the two videos. What a pain in the butt! What is the point of doing this? It would be much simpler and cheaper to buy a plain drive at Fry's, format it and stick in the Mac Mini than to bother prying one out of an enclosure like this.
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Bandit Bill
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| Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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| MacDSmith2 wrote: | | I watched the two videos. What a pain in the butt! What is the point of doing this? It would be much simpler and cheaper to buy a plain drive at Fry's, format it and stick in the Mac Mini than to bother prying one out of an enclosure like this. |
In my case, I bought a 250GB WD external for about $80. I installed the 250GB in my mini and put the 80GB dirve from the mini into the enclosure to use with my laptop. It seemed like an alright thing to do at the time. I'm not to sure if today's HD prices would dictate this being a good way to go, but it worked for me at the time. Originally I hadn't even planned on doing the swap. |
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Undo
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| Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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I've done this on more than one occasion myself....buy a portable drive and swap its disk with the smaller one in your computer. What you have left is a usable portable drive to use for backups or whatever. I prefer this method to buying an empty enclosure and bare drive.
But I've never heard of a portable drive you couldn't do this with!!! |
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Fox
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| Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:03 am Post subject: |
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I think I found another unswitchable portable, the Iomega Prestige 320 that I asked how to open. I got it open far enough to see that it didn't have the usual SATA connector; the connection looked to be soldered to a board. Good thing I happened to read this thread or I wouldn't have known what to look for. I got this drive on a Boxing Day special for $70, but once I saw what it was I returned it for a refund. No way I want this kind of drive even for a good price. If the enclosure goes South, you have no options.
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philiparcario
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| Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:36 am Post subject: |
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yes wd makes the 2.5inch 1tb with a hard wired usb connection. I wrote about this on an older post wd makes the newr 2.5 inch 750gb with a hard wired usb connection.
newegg bad portable
go to this page all the long ones are good by long 5" they can be turned into a normal sata.
by short 4.3" these are all fu
newegg 5 inch good 4.3 inch no good
all the 4.3 inch have hard wire usb connectors with no chance to convert to internal they have software you can't erase in short they are no what i want in a usb protable
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Bandit Bill
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Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 1:20 am Post subject: |
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| philiparcario wrote: | go to this page all the long ones are good by long 5" they can be turned into a normal sata.
by short 4.3" these are all fu
newegg 5 inch good 4.3 inch no good |
Great info. Phil. We'll pay more attention next time you post 
While we are on the topic of messed up externals. In another post I indicated that HP integrated their back-up software into their enclosures firmware. You can't get rid of it unless you ditch the enclosure. That's assuming they haven't started integrating controllers into 3'5" drives. Then you are totally messed up. |
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CaliforniaMini
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| Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:35 am Post subject: |
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So how was your friend 'mistreated' and how was he compensated? Did they just give him that drive? What was it that was needing to be fixed to begin with? There seem to be holes in this story.
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