Other External products

[Computorney]

Ok....

So, I see there is a moderator answering questions but I still don't see an answer...

My power switch failed so I have to hold it down to retrieve an important file. I want to remove the internal drive from the enclosure. I don't care about the warranty. I don't care about keeping the external case intact or reusable. All I care about is getting the internal drive out of there so I can hook it up as an internal drive to dump all of my data.

I managed to peel off the bottom silver piece to expose the four screws that hold on the top of the gray center piece.

The problem is that those screws are pentagram shaped. Hex screwdrivers are 6 sided. Robertson screwdrivers are 4 sided (square). There is nothing for a 5 sided screwdriver. So, is this some sort of "proprietary SCREW!"

I am going to Sears tomorrow to get a "screw-out" bit and see if I can remove them that way.

Let you know how the screw out route goes.

Message Edited by AlanM on 10-28-2008 12:27 PM

[LBCF1689]

Not to be harsh, but it's YOUR responsibility to make and keep a backup.  Hardly anyone else's fault. 

Taking apart external drives risks wrecking the drive.  If you wanted an internal drive, maybe you should get an internal drive. 

Message Edited by AlanM on 10-28-2008 12:28 PM

[Computorney]

Not trying to be a hater or cause a problem but please re-read my post...

It has nothing to do w/ wanting an internal drive rather than an external.I WANT to keep it as an external drive.

It has nothing to do w/ backing up my data (which, by the way, buying two 500G external drives WAS TO BACKUP MY DATA). And, the data is intact...

It has nothing to do with a warranty. It's out of warranty so there is nothing to void.

What it has to do with is a MALFUNCTION of the power switch on the external device. Like I said, the data is intact. I just can't keep the unit powered on w/o holding the on/off button.

I just want a simple way to OPEN THE CASE to either fix the problem myself w/ a little bit of solder or to be able to remove the 500G drive and maybe put in a 1TB or bigger drive and still be able to use the external case.

I wound up having to break the case open because the screw-out wouldn't work as the screws were too small and recessed too much... The data on the drive was more important than keeping the external chassis.

I don't think it is too much to ask for the case of an external drive to be easily opened to replace the drive inside with another one in case it fails or one wants to increase the capacity. In fact, I would go so far as to say that an external drive without that ability is a sleazy way for a company to generate more money by making people buy additional units or pay hefty out of warranty fees.

I also don't think it is too much to expect that when you buy an external drive, you should be able to always keep it as an external drive and not have to resort to breaking it open to do SIMPLE and STANDARD maintenance on it.

But hey... I'm just a lawyer who happens to have 30 years of computer and other technology experience... What do I know, right?

Message Edited by AlanM on 10-28-2008 12:28 PM

[Fabio]

I was able to remove the outside case of a ST30000XS by prying the side where the serial label is.  If you look you will see three slots.  You have to insert a flat metallic object that will go at least 1 inch and push the (3) tabs at the same time, frankly a lost cause.  Seagate must have a special tool to accomplish this. Nevertheless with a little force the tabs will give way. CAUTION do not pry the other end because the three tabs are design to slide and not pop out. If you pry on this end it will break the tabs. (I broke one) After all three front tabs have popped by the SN label side then push the plastic cover  towards the SN label end and the cover should slide out.
 
Now the hard part...
 
With the cover off you will see four screws that are similar to the Torx design, but instead of 6 points it only has 5.  I did not find this design on Wikipedia, therefore I have to assume the star shaped head is a Seagate proprietary design. I did not have any tool to fit it so I used a flat head jewelers screwdriver that eventually locked and turned. It was not pretty, but I got all four out. I will replace them with a 1 inch sheet-metal screw or similar since it goes into a plastic boss that needs to self thread or any similar screw that has a similar screw thread type.
 
With the screws out of the drive and electronics are exposed. Use antistatic electricity measures so you do not zap the controller board or the drive.
 
I need to replace the drive because after 4 years of service it failed.  I guess Google's drive study was correct. Sadly, I lost 40 hours worth of HD DVR recorded content.
 
Fabio

ST30000XS, ST3000XS, case removal, how to open Seagate external, 9Y7875-560

Message Edited by Fabio on 09-30-2009 05:13 PM

Message Edited by Fabio on 09-30-2009 05:14 PM

[Mike222]

While looking for a way to open my Showcase unit, I found a UTube about opening a FreeAgent drive case.

Still haven't been able to open mine yet.

[Mike222]

After getting no help here, I resorted to the web, where I finally found the contact info to a product manager, and he passed me on to his support department contact. They were very pleasant, but ultimately unhable to help. Even they had no idea how to open their case. The support person admitted that he had the idea (or was told) that they purposefully had the cases snap together more-or-less permanently so that unqualified people would not be able to get in.

With that in mind, having only located the four screws under the stick-on feet on the bottom of the unit, I proceeded to pry the plastic case apart until I could see the internal construction. I saw that there were six more round screwposts like the four I had already discovered for the bottom scerws. Seeing no more accessible screws in the bottom, I assumed they had to be in the top of the unit, which was covered with a metal plate. I stuck a blade under a corner, and found that it was a very thin sheet of aluminum, glued down to the top of the case inside the plastic edging. I said 'to heck with it' and peeled it up, bending it (and therefore destroying it.. as it will not ever flatten properly) , which then did reveal six more screws. I removed those and the case came apart.

I was then able to remove the noisy fan and replace it with a 80 mm CPU cooling fan (available on the web).

However, the drive case is now ugly, missing it's top cover plate, but it works fine again.

I do wish that Seagate had been more forthcoming, and that a simple service didn't result in a visually unappealing case.