Yes I know its not for the squeamish. Son's hard drive died and now I have compatibility questions. Can I just buy something cheap like this [www.geeks.com] and take out the hard drive or do I have to be sure its an old style standard ATA drive for compatibility?

Has to be IDE/ATA.
Most of the newish USB externals have SATA.
As long as you're in there, do youself a favor and go for 160 GB.

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Black Landlord
Has to be IDE/ATA.
Most of the newish USB externals have SATA.
As long as you're in there, do youself a favor and go for 160 GB.

or a 250gb.

Not easy, but here is a great guide
[www.ifixit.com]

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simonm

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Black Landlord
Has to be IDE/ATA.
Most of the newish USB externals have SATA.
As long as you're in there, do youself a favor and go for 160 GB.

or a 250gb.

Well, there's the "new biggest size available" tax on that . . .

I have done it. Removing the keyboard was the most unnerving part. I don't think it went back in exactly as it was. Just keep track of the screws.

Thanks for the advice. I am going to use this guide [www.faqintosh.com]

Don't forget to line up 6 or 8 small containers or dixie cups for the screws. The only way to go.

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Black Landlord
Don't forget to line up 6 or 8 small containers or dixie cups for the screws. The only way to go.

I agree-I use daily pill holders or ice cube trays.

Be very careful that you use the exact same screws on the memory door-there are 4 others that are VERT close to the same length, but longer and they will not let it reboot.

The phorum software should place some kind of border at the point in the thread where the discussion moves over into the unsolicited advice realm

I printed the instructions out, and taped the screws to the step where they were taken out. kj.

I tried it and never, ever got the thing back together.

It was a hobby machine anyway, but I swear, if I ever had that to do over again---I'd never have opened it. I absolutely hated it.

I've done everything you can think of to Towers, but laptops....never again.

Thought you should hear at least one story like this, a cautionary tale. One that didn't have a happy ending.

Even if you succeed, you'll be a year older by the time you put the last screw back in.