Help me with a vomit box upgrade

[mubs]

Someone I know has an HP Pavilion 6912 and wants to upgrade the RAM in it. Yours sincerely was nominated, of course, to do the job. I'd like to get it done by the end of the month.

It's a very small chassis, completely cramped inside. And of course, the two DIMM slots are behind the CD-RW/floppy drive cages. The best I could do at first attempt was to put my huge paw in and disconnect the power supply connector from the mammaboard. Even after removing the power supply out of the case, I don't think I'll be able to stick by paws under the drive cages.

I couldn't take a very good look at everything thus far - the front bezel, screws, catches, etc. This kind of learning experience I am happy to do without, and don't want to cut/bruise mah paws. So, anybody know the right was to remove the drive cages and/or get the job done?

Please, no jokes about Dremels, drills and electric saws.

 

[Groltz]

Guess I better keep quiet then...

Good luck!

 

[mubs]

Well, you didn't, did you?

If it was my box, I'd gladly borrow that mean looking thing in the photo. But then, I'd never have one of those VBs in the first place.....

 

[Mercutio]

Sadly, I know this one.

The 69xx Pavilions are the MicroATX P3s with Asus boards, aren't they?

You obviously got one side of the case apart without problem. The problem is the other side, of course.

Three choices, depending on the case:
There may be a button in a CD tray (it's on the lip toward the front of the case, IIRC) on the top of the case. If it's that case, pushing the button will pop the front which will let you access some screws that will let you strip the drive cages.

There may be a pop-out motherboard tray & backplate. If it's that case, there's a "handle" - essentially rounded sheetmetal - on the tray back. Pull it up and toward the back of the case to pop the motherboard tray.

Lastly, several Pavilion cases have a severely obstructed handle on the drive cages (sometimes for all the cages, so at the top of the case, sometimes only for the 3.5" drives, in the middle of the case. The handle needs to be pushed up and toward the back of the case. This will swing the drive cage(s) outward, allowing access to screws on the opposite side of the drives, and unobstructed access to the RAM and disk cables.

... and if that sounds like too much work, you're absolutely correct.

 

[Tannin]

Sadly, Mubs, Mercutio is right in every detail. Horrible damn thing to work on. There's no chance you could immerse it in the fishtank and put in an insurance claim for storm and tempest damage? No, I didn't think so. In that case, you're just going to have to pull the damn thing apart. Take your time, and lubricate yourself liberally with the fluid of your choice. (I prefer tea, of course, but scotch is an option.) The one saving grace of those things is that they are generally easier to get back together than they are to pull apart. And it's always easier to pull them apart the second time.

Oh - and you always need to pull them apart and reassemble them at least three times to succeed with even the simplest of jobs. I dunno why, you just do.

 

[LiamC]

Glenfarclas 15yo if you don't mind thanks.

http://www.glenfarclas.co.uk

or

Balvenie 12yo double wood

http://www.thebalvenie.com/

or perhaps

Glenmorangie 10yo.

http://www.glenmorangie.com/home.asp

JW Black isn't bad either. Hey Tannin (or anyone), you may be interested in this

http://www.johnniewalker.com.au/

Go to the Journey of Taste. They do sample nights around the country. Free and five scotch's to try. Very much a JW night, but an entertaining evening none the less. Well I enjoyed it

Drop my name in the referee thingy (if you wish) and I may garner a bottle o' black.

Which brings me to Cardhu, which was my pick on the night.

Do you thnk I have a taste for Speyside malts? :mrgrn:

 

[Buck]

Yum, Glenmorangie.

 

[Mercutio]

The "expertise" in taking a Pavilion apart is hard won. I spent 2.5 hours trying different things and furtively searching HP's site while working on one before I realized that, despite good documentation for some of their cases, some others have absolutely none.

 

[Buck]

Besides opening the case of Pavilions, figuring out how to remove some of the drive bays or the drive's themselves can be a challenge. It just takes patience.

 

[blakerwry]

if the motherboard is on a tray that slides or swings out, dont forget to remove ISA/PCI/AGP devices as they are connected to the mobo and screwed into the case.. there is no sliding the mobo when these things are in place.

 

[mubs]

Thank you kind people, thanks--good advice! And misery loves company, does it not?

LiamC, I must chide you for tempting and distracting me :mrgrn:

blakerwry, I have an Inwin somewhere in storage that has the brackets for the add-on card screws integrated with the removable mammaboard tray. So you can actually plug in and fasten the cards outside of the case and then slide the whole thing in. Neat!

 

[blakerwry]

wow, i've never seen a case like that.. but then again.. I've never used the motherboard trays(when available) in a mini-ATX or full ATX case anyway...

The only time I've ever touched them was in a proprietary Compaq case/mobo layout.

 

[NRG = mc²]

Sliding trays with card mountings are blessed. Theres nothng nicer than working on a a tray and mobo rather than stacking the whole tower on your knees.

 

[blakerwry]

i just set it down on the floor.... that way i don't drop it >8- ) I wouldn't want to ruin the HDD because of my carelessness.

On the floor with the side open, facing up. That way the computer is the most stable and easiest to see/work with.