Can't remove HP ProBook 6560 hard drive

[carmen617]

Upgrading an HP ProBook 6560 to SSD, had enough trouble getting the base off the laptop because the tab mechanism didn't want to release. The hard drive caddy has 3 capacitive screws to hold it in place. They loosen perfectly well, after which the drive is supposed to just slide out, but the damned drive and the caddy won't budge. Seems to me the problem is with the upper left capacitive screw, but hard to tell and unwilling to totally force things and break the damned machine. Already broke off the mylar tab trying to get the thing to move. Anybody ever have this problem before and have a suggestion for me? Thanks!

 

[Markverhyden]

I've had a handful of laptops with issues like that. Was the bottom clean on the inside? As in no indication of spill damage. Many fluids, when dried out, work as a perfect glue on flat surfaces that are in contact.

1. I'd make sure that the screws really are loose. You should be able to move them up and down a few millimeters.
2. I'll take a knife blade or similar and put it under the edge of the side opposite the PCB connector. Wiggle it enough to elevate it just a millimeter or two.
3 Use the same tool to make sure nothing is binding on the left and right sides.
4. Use a larger chisel tipped screw driver to wiggle ever so slightly at the 2 mount points on the PCB connector side. You want to the movement to be horizontal along the length of the drive, not vertical.

Best of luck!

Service manual link below.

http://central-it-service.com/owncloud/index.php/s/CQZukJId34b1P2T

 

[carmen617]

I've had a handful of laptops with issues like that. Was the bottom clean on the inside? As in no indication of spill damage. Many fluids, when dried out, work as a perfect glue on flat surfaces that are in contact.

1. I'd make sure that the screws really are loose. You should be able to move them up and down a few millimeters.
2. I'll take a knife blade or similar and put it under the edge of the side opposite the PCB connector. Wiggle it enough to elevate it just a millimeter or two.
3 Use the same tool to make sure nothing is binding on the left and right sides.
4. Use a larger chisel tipped screw driver to wiggle ever so slightly at the 2 mount points on the PCB connector side. You want to the movement to be horizontal along the length of the drive, not vertical.

Best of luck!

Service manual link below.

http://central-it-service.com/owncloud/index.php/s/CQZukJId34b1P2T

Thanks Mark - it's definitely not releasing on the left hand screw side. I can lift the drive slightly, so it's not stuck to the bottom, but it lifts more on the right than the left. I don't know what to do about a captive screw that won't release, sigh. Hate giving up but i might just have to, have a cloned SSD ready to install and a promised Monday delivery, so a little time to wriggle away.

 

[carmen617]

Got it, thanks - just took gentle, persistent jiggling and the courage of my convictions!

 

[Markverhyden]

Got it, thanks - just took gentle, persistent jiggling and the courage of my convictions!

Great to hear!

 

[River Valley Computer]

BE SURE TO ALWAYS HAVE ONE OF THESE ON HAND.

 

[Markverhyden]

BE SURE TO ALWAYS HAVE ONE OF THESE ON HAND.

This is my preference for sticky situations.....

 

[carmen617]

Haha, all fun and games until you break the damned client's machine and have to deal with the consequences! (Only happened a few times and NEVER want it to happen again). At least these HP ProBooks are built to replace the drive. Once I had one of those Dell consumer laptops that need to be completely disassembled to get to the hard drive, promised the client an SSD upgrade, and found it had a FACTORY STRIPPED screw in a critical spot on the motherboard that I couldn't budge. That one I just reassembled and handed back to the client.

 

[Big Jim]

Haha, all fun and games until you break the damned client's machine and have to deal with the consequences! (Only happened a few times and NEVER want it to happen again). At least these HP ProBooks are built to replace the drive. Once I had one of those Dell consumer laptops that need to be completely disassembled to get to the hard drive, promised the client an SSD upgrade, and found it had a FACTORY STRIPPED screw in a critical spot on the motherboard that I couldn't budge. That one I just reassembled and handed back to the client.

you can always drill it as a last resort, or use those stripped screw removal tools.

 

[carmen617]

you can always drill it as a last resort, or use those stripped screw removal tools.

Sure, I do that when I have a stripped screw surrounded by black glossy plastic. But I'm just not going to risk drilling out a screw on a motherboard - I'd rather take the known loss of handing the system back without the upgrade, than risk borking the system and having to replace it.