Compaq Hard Drive Rail Hardware 1

[duane123]

Does anyone know where I can purchase the Compaq hard drive rail screws that are needed for a 2nd hard drive install? Normal screws supplied with WD drives will not work - has to be Compaq unique. (Model = Compaq S3500CL)

 

[Blujacket]

Are the type of shoulder screws that fit in the drive and slide into slots providing the mounting of the drive? Probably can get them only from Compaq or from a junk Compaq computer.

 

[edfair]

If the shoulder screw, Compaq normally puts extra screws in the front frame.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[bcastner]

Your original Compaq vendor can get the parts (and should know what you are asking about)

It is a genuine p.i.a. as an issue.

True story that may not help:

There was a large local chain that went out of business, and I went to the bankruptcy sale. They way it worked was that you negotiated with the bankruptcy representative as to the final sale price of an item.

So among other things, I pick up a case of 100 item count, Compaq rail kits. The bankruptcy representative wants $12.30 per item in the 100 count box. I offer $1 for the whole deal, we agree on US $2 for the 100 count box. Behind me in line is a fellow IT guy, in charge of a large US Government site. "Bill, you got robbed. Compaq would supply me with rail kits for free."

22 days later the same guy calls me "Hey Bill, you still have any of those Compaq rail kits?"

"Sure, US $12.30 each" I ended up giving 30 kits to him for free, but it was sure nice to hear his attempts to argue the point.

 

[edfair]

The real fun is finding the right one for obsolete equipment. For about 60 different case styles I think I've seen about 200 different mounting kits.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[bcastner]

ed fair,

Well, not quite that many.

I did find once in a newsgroup discussion a rather heart rending complaint about Compaq hardware issues such as this one.

The fellow had spent some years, happily, designing power supplies for Compaq. On retirement he purchased a Compaq desktop and became so frustrated with the little mounting screw/rail and other difficulties he Ebayed the Compaq and built his own.

I thought at the time if the fellow was just a disgruntled ex-Compaq employee I would dismiss his rant, but having never been a Compaq employee, just a user of the boxes, I agree with him 100%.

There is just too much proprietary hardware in the boxes, (HP and Sony are on my hit list as well). I understand the problem of Warranty and support, but at least use commonly found hardware items like rails and screws in building the box.

 

[duane123]

I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR ADVICE.
I once owned an older Presario model and wanted to upgrade the RAM - found out the only memory module it would take was a proprietary COMPAQ device that cost $80 (in 2002) and would only allow going from 48Mb up to 64Mb. That was the end of my association with COMPAQ. I am trying to help my daughter with this rail question, as she has just purchased a brand new Presario. I am not surprised to see they are still using proprietary devices!!

 

[xWastedMindx]

That's why you don't purchase computers from the vendors. Learn a bit.. read a magazine.. and build one yourself.

"Hey...Where are all the chicks?" -- unknown

 

[duane123]

Precisely what I did last summer. And it OH-SO easy to work on when I want to modify it.