m17x memory card stuck in my CD Drive, oh no PLEASE HELP

well stupid me didnt look to see if i was putting my memory card in the right slot and i accidentally put my SD memory card in the CD drive instead!!!! i cant see it at all it went way in there. its impossible to see because of those flaps that go over the CD drive, is there anyway to push them down to see? i tried everything plastic cards, cd cases, double sided tape, shaking it upside down..

at this point i have no idea what to do, i think i have to take it apart, im sure if i can see the card in there i can get it out, i just cant see it because of those flaps.

i was looking at this thread the guy had the same thing happen to him but he got it out with tape, i cant..

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/459272-m17x-r1-stuck-slot-load-help.html

is there any step my step instructions with pics? or does anyone no how to get those flaps to stay down?

 

Here is something to try get a vacuum cleaner with a hose for attachments .Attach your smallest nozzle then get a drinking straw and some insulating tape .Tape drinking straw to vacuum cleaner nozzle once done insert into drive.Has worked for me before when my daughter was a baby she jammed a coin in a drive similar it worked .

 

i dont have that vacuum hose, but even if i did im not sure if that would work because its behind a CD i think. the memory card is far back id say, at first it went in while there was a CD in the CD drive, then i tried getting the memory carb but actually poped the CD out so i thought i was going to get it, but i didnt feel the memory card at all once the CD was out, i then didnt no what to do so i put the CD back in thinking i can push it way back to where it wouldnt bother anything, but now the CD is in, it cant come out when i hit the eject button, and the memory card is no where in sight, i think its far back there.

is it very difficult to do to open it up and get at this?

 

To get the drive out is a major strip down,its easier to change cpu than drive but to do it is about a hours work no big deal just refer to manual step by step guide is pretty easy just first time u strip slow as you have to refer to manual.If you got warranty & not confident to do work get Dell to do it.Good luck

 

Getting to the drive is about the same work, if you have to open it up because jiggling it out doesn't work, then yeah. way more effort.

btw op, don't sweat, I did the same thing. What I would try to do, Is remove the HDD's, and gently but firmly, 'shake' the laptop on it's side to get the card to come out, or at least enough that you can get a pair of needle nose pliers and remove it the rest of the way.

 

yeah thanks for the help guys, i think its far back there i wont be able to shake it out, i tried that already, but is there anyway to take those fibers off, because i cant see inside because of those strips of fiber to keep the dirt out..
i really want to be able to see in there so i know if its far back or not..

hmm, iv looked for the manual for some time now and i dont see it, can you please refer me to the link

 

Do you have the R1 or R2? The R2 manuals are here the R1 manuals are here

 

they're glued to the inside of the drive. you can not remove them

 

First off never use a vacuum on a notebook. It creates static electricity which in turn can fry your motherboard amongst other parts.

As to the OPs question get some EXTREMELY thin and flat tweezers and carefully enter the cd bay if you can.

Alternatively you can use a very thin strip of metal, make sure its coated in rubber or something to prevent scratching and try and pull out the card.

 

thank you i appreciate that, how can you tell if you got the r1 or r2, sorry im not to sure how to check lol

 

I thought I read somewhere where I guy used a can of compressed air and forced it out that way....

 

You can tell a few ways, if you have a core 2 duo or core 2 quad cpu it's an R1, if you have an i5 or i7 cpu it's an R2. You can also look on the bottom on the service tag, it will say either just M17x which is an R1 or M17xR2 which of course is an R2.

 

If you live in the Bay Area, CA then I can do it for you for free. Its not that hard to open it up and take the drive out. Its time consuming, and you need to know what your doing (I do). But I am more then happy to help. I know the m17x-r2 very well, if the r1 is built the same (I'm guessing pretty close), I should be well versed in that too.

Jon

 

I demand pictures of said ACR Viper. Or else be perma-banned.

 

I can tell you after having both the R1 and R2 in the last couple of weeks and having to disassemble both that they are very similar in disassembly, honestly I can't really remember anything that stood out to me as different in the disassembly. The main differences is the type of hardware used(i7, rgb vs c2d,ccfl) not the way it's put together. As the other guys have said if you know what you're doing with a computer it's not all that hard, but it is a royal time consuming PITA.

 

lol. I didnt know you were on my nutz... is that why your thread chasing me ??

Back in 2002 I did buy a 2002 ACR Viper, I also joined viperclub.com and gave myself the user name you see today, and I have carried it since then, and use the same user name on almost any forum I join, even if its not car related, or even if it is, but isnt about Vipers. (just like the computer forum)

But now the bad news, you caught me, I no longer own it. I bought it new with 27 miles, and drove it in 3 years and collected 60,000 miles on it.... so I sold it....

And bought a NEW 2006 Viper SRT10 Coupe, with super charger, that puts out 700+ rwhp and pulls 10.60's in the 1/4 mile. look me up on viperclub, you'll see my time slip. I did get banned for fighting with a moderator, but you can still go look at my photo album in that section of the board, that coincidentally has computer parts photos, but also the 2002 Viper and the 2006 Viper... and believe it or not, the 2005 srt10 Viper I bought for my father for Xmas 2005.

Sorry for the thread derail.

Jon

ps. Here is the link, maybe you'll be nice to me now, and realize I have no reason to lie: http://gallery.viperclub.org/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/22486/sl/2

 

oh ok thank you, i got a m17x r1 then, i got a quad core 2 and it says m17x on the back, thanks

 

Seriously, let me know if you need some help getting it out, and your in the bay area, more then happy to help.

 

i appreciate that but i live in port richey FL, that would be pretty crazy if we lived close to each other haha

anyways, i think i can handle taking it apart, will i have to take the drive out? then do what? because i actually have a CD in the drive as well and im not sure where the memory card is in the drive.

also the instructions you gave me, when you took it apart did you follow them and all the parts were clear and understandable?

 

yeah, just use Moo's disassembly instructions for the system, and pull the dvd rom drive out after you remove the daughter board (or secondary board, or audio board, or w/e he calls it in the video

Then its easy to get at the mem stick even if a cd is in it, becuase they dont even have 'drive bay doors' on them, you can probably easily fish the mem stick out.

 

would i be able to open the CD drive up in anyway? like does the top unscrew? because i see the instructions how to take the CD drive out, but once its out the memory card is in the very back it will be hard to get out, especially with the CD in the CD drive

 

Not that I saw you would probably ruin it. I recently switched my DVD drive out to put in a bluray burner and it's pretty much a sealed case other than the front where the dvd goes in. You might be able to pull out the dvd though as there's a decent amount of room in there once you get the drive out of the machine. If you end up not being able to fix it, and Dell won't help out either I could sell you my DVD drive I just pulled for a decent price.