View original (French)

Unmount Toshiba USB hard drive

Doudou Rodriguez, l'ami des merguez -  
 ASRIA -
Hello,

I have an external Toshiba USB hard drive of 200GB (References: PX1398E-2G20). It seems it fell, so the drive is damaged. I need to take it out of its enclosure to see if the data is recoverable and also replace the internal drive. Problem: I don’t see any screws or clips. Once the warranty sticker (void if removed) is removed, there are two metal tabs that I bent back, but there’s no way to open the case without forcing it... Since it isn’t mine, I don’t want to be brutal with it.

Could someone know how to open this damn enclosure “gently”? Or is there a procedure available on the net (Personally, I haven’t found one) ??

Thanks in advance for any answer or advice. This thing is starting to drive me crazy.

Configuration: Windows XP K-Meleon 1.1.5

2 answers

  1.
    alainc25 Posted messages 127 Registration date   Status Member 37
     
    Hello,

    is the warranty still valid, if it is and if you open it then Goodbye warranty!

    You CANNOT change the disk inside, it is made in a clean room!

    Note that if it has neither screws nor clips, then you cannot open it without breaking the housing: it is designed and planned that way.

    Another thing: even if you manage to connect the disk directly, without going through USB, know that you may not be able to access the data on your disk at all, because some manufacturers design their disk to be used only via USB!

    Try instead to recover the data with a recovery software like EasyRecovery Pro or Getdataback for NTFS
    1
    1. Doudou Rodriguez
       
      Dude!! I thank you for your response.
      But are you sure of what you’re saying?
      The warranty I know, but anyway it’s already been void for a while.


      I quote:
      "You CANNOT change the disk inside, it’s manufactured in a clean room"
      ->I think you didn’t understand that I’m just trying to take out the 2"5 disk from the laptop’s aluminum housing that surrounds it. Or Toshiba are the dirtiest guys in the world. The clean room is only useful when you open a disk properly with the platters exposed. (unless you certify me that it isn’t a standard disk in my model.


      "Note that if it has no screws or clips, then you cannot dismantle it without breaking the casing: that’s designed and intended that way."
      ->Hmm and for the repair how do the clowns do it? My question was: is there a method? I can’t accept a flaky answer with a preface like "if it has no screws or clips."
      Or worst case if I break it in a last resort I’ll buy a 12 euro case and voila/

      "because some manufacturers design their disks to be used only via USB!"
      -> This remark is interesting, I’ll start researching (I knew the concept for HDDs locked for Xbox 360). But I still have serious doubts having personally tinkered with quite a few disks of this type.

      "Try instead to recover the data with a recovery software like EasyRecovery Pro or Getdataback for NTFS"
      -> I prefer a good old Stellar Phoenix NTFS, thanks.


      My question goes to people who really know this model, Thanks for your info, I’ll check.
      But I insist that the information given to me be exact. Sorry for being dumb like that but I don’t like to do things by “approx.” “not sure”..

      If others can confirm or give me other info I’m all ears. Thanks in advance
      up
      0
      1. Doudou Rodriguez, l'ami des bonnes infos > Doudou Rodriguez
         
        Hello again, Well, here we are, once more people are talking without knowing. I didn’t listen to the advice the other person gave me, so the proper disassembly is done. (For info, under the warranty sticker "void if removed" you find two small metal pins that you must lift with a very fine tool. Do not damage these pins as they are fragile. Then you can pull on the two parts of the case to slightly separate them. To avoid forcing too much, I then used a small flathead screwdriver to widen the whole contour of the case. In fact this case is a bit well built, interlocked like a grinder (for those in the know). It opens quite easily once you’ve pried the lower and upper parts apart. The disk inside is a 2.5" SATA disk from Toshiba and can be easily replaced. This disk is NOT LOCKED, and can be easily connected to a computer via SATA interface. However, to recover my data I’m going to have a hard time. As a last resort I’ll try the freezing method. Please, guys, when a question is asked clearly, don’t answer if you don’t know; otherwise this kind of forum loses credibility. And misinformation will kill us all!!! Best regards
        2
      2. alainc25 Posted messages 127 Registration date   Status Member 37 > Doudou Rodriguez, l'ami des bonnes infos
         
        Hello,

        I think you didn’t understand that I’m just trying to take the 2.5" disk out of the portable and out of the aluminum enclosure that surrounds it. Or else Toshiba are the dirtiest guys in the world. The clean room is only used when you open a disk in, strictly speaking, with the platters exposed (unless you certify to me that it isn’t a standard disk in my model).
        -> There are far more vicious manufacturers than you think...

        "Know that if it has neither screws nor clips, then you cannot disassemble it without breaking the case: it’s designed and intended that way."
        Hmm, and for the warranty how do they do it, the lazybones? My question was: is there a method? I cannot accept a reckless answer with an "if it has neither screws nor clips" as a preface.
        Or worse, if I break it as a last resort I’ll buy a 12 euro enclosure instead and that’s it/

        -> The "lazybones" most of the time do not disassemble the disk! they replace it with a new one.... (long live capitalism!)
        If the disk ends up being broken by the warranty service, it’s considered a loss!

        And the warranty service will never admit that... because the manufacturer rarely repairs the disks themselves: the manufacturer sells, the warranty service repairs: the manufacturer doesn’t give a damn about you once the disk is sold by one of its distributors, I learned it the hard way!
        so if you’re guaranteed, for example, that the parts of a disk guaranteed for 2 years can be repaired without issue, know that it’s nonsense! it happened to me many times.
        Concrete example: I bought a Teac disk new in 2007 with a 2-year warranty, just one month after my purchase it was impossible to repair that disk because this disk and the parts that compose this disk were no longer manufactured by the maker.
        The only solution offered by the warranty service: replacement by another new disk!

        Moreover, the warranty service did not hide from me that limiting the operation of disks via USB is extremely common.

        Please guys, when a question is asked clearly, don’t answer if you don’t know; otherwise this kind of forum loses credibility. And misinformation will kill us all!!!
        -> Know that my arguments are not the fruit of delirium! These arguments are based on a person in IT support for at least 20 years!

        Anyway, I wish you good luck in recovering your data because you’ll need it!
        0
    2. Tresleucas
       
      Hello,

      how does the housing open,

      I didn’t see an answer.

      Best regards
      Thomas
      0