Man, how the heck do I get this case opened??!!

[shrubble]

OK, here's a good one go those of you with the ability to remember useless information for years (usually a member of this group myself, my brain has let me down this time!).

I am looking at a Dell Dimension XPS M200s PC that one of my users brought in, so that I could swap the CD-drive out.

This sleek momma has a 4 gig hard-drive and 64 megs of RAM, not to mention a CPU, that while I can't tell exactly what it us by looking, is covered by one of those extra sharp MASSIVE blue anodized aluminium heat sinks.

Makes me think of by-gone eras.

The upshot is this: this machine is harder to open than the Hellraiser puzzlebox. The side panel comes of easily, and the screws on the removed side of the CD-rom are accessible. The problem is that I can't get to the other side of the drive, and see no mechanism by which to cause the entire drive bay to hindge outward.

What a pain! Any ideas?

deletion mistake
no I can't recover that
you didn't save it

-Shrubble

http://www.ishrubble.com

 

[IslandCustom]

I can't help, but thanks for the great laugh. I could actually picture you wincing in pain as the "extra sharp MASSIVE blue anodized aluminum heat sink" sliced your hand open. Been there, done that!

I did check the Dell web site, as you probably already have, and there doesn't seem to be any information for the chassis of that model. I hope someone can point you in the right direction. Many of the older battleship cases are horrible to work on -- not much upgrading going on then, I suppose.

Kevin

 

[shrubble]

Thanks for the effort. Actually, after I posted the question, my friend (a biologist) and myself (with a B.S. in Computer Science) attacked the case and figured out how to get in.

2 degrees to open a box... figures.

I would describe the procedure, but I'm not so sure I could do it again!

(interesting side note: this particular model shipped, from Dell, with 64 megs of RAM- and cannot recognize any more than that... WHAT A DEAL! Also, when I went to format the hard-drive to install Windows 2000, I found that the 4 gig hard-drive also shipped with that same drive partitioned into THREE separate logical drives... wow. I might need to throw a shovel full of coal in the back of it to fire it up!)

Take care





deletion mistake
no I can't recover that
you didn't save it

-Shrubble

http://www.ishrubble.com

 

[Bacardi412]

Dont really remember that one being a youngun but had some problems with others until I noticed that the power supply cage needed to be swung open. Could this be one of those? Let me know how you managed it?

 

[shrubble]

This machine, I think, was the type that ultimately led to the swing-out design. The power supply is held in place by two tiny screws, and when these are loosened, the whole thing slides out on rails (rather easily).

-but-

To get the CD-Drive out:
1) Take off side panel, unplug drive

2) Remove strange small bracket from near drive that appears to serve no practical purpose, except to make upgrading more of a pain.

3) Push a mini-screwdriver or penknife in strategic places around the front cover,start pullin' (and hope that it pops off the front before it breaks in half).

4) Find and remove a REALLY small screw in the front of the machine (originally behind the cover). At this point the entire front of the machine comes apart into two pieces. Weird.

5) Pull out the piece with the CD-Drive, and swap it out as normal.

6) Reverse the process, and wonder why you have pieces left over, but the machine works fine.

Thanks for input guys

deletion mistake
no I can't recover that
you didn't save it

-Shrubble

http://www.ishrubble.com

 

[IslandCustom]

Just gotta love your sense of humor...anyone in this business can relate to slicing their hands open on sharp edges in a case and, of course, having parts left over!