Problem removing the hard drive VGN-SZ583N

Hi.

I'm new on here and I hope I have posted this in the right place and that someone can help me.

I am trying to remove the hard drive of my Sony VGN-SZ583N (Asia model number), but it seems something is stopping it from being lifted up or slide to the right and being lifted up. I have already removed the 4 screws of the hard drive holder.

I suspect the ribbon cable need to be disconnected first before the hard drive can be taken out (??). But I am not sure how to do this as there seem to be 3 possible places that I could try:
The first is to prise apart the black plastic part that is directly connected to the hard drive.

The second is the thin plastic strip that is after the black plastic part. This seems to be holding the ribbon cable on top of the black plastic part and

The third is the other end of the ribbon cable that sits on top of a small black plastic square which is attached to the motherboard/printed circuit board. If is is this place, should I just lift up the ribbon cable or both the ribbon cable and the black plastic square so that this comes out of the motherboard/printed circuit board ?

I have goggled and searched for articles and videos for the past few days trying to find something that is clear on this, but all that I found are not clear and not specific. Is there any article or videos that shows this clearly ? On has anyone done this before and could advise ?

Any help that anyone could give on this will be greatly appreciated as I am stuck. I worry I may prise apart the wrong part and thus damaging the connectors/ribbon cable.

Many thanks.

 

I believe you have to lift up the black plastic square, however could you post up a photo? (possibly use a macro mode if your camera has one)

 

Hi - thanks for your response. I am not sure which black plastic square you are referring to.

Unfortunately, I don't have a camera. But the link here shows it all:
How to take apart Sony Vaio VGN-SZ series laptop >> Inside my laptop

I have some problems with the instructions on this link in 2 areas as follows:
Step 13 - the picture below this shows a yellow arrow. I am not sure where is the right on the picture - nearest to the bottom of the picture or above the yellow arrow to lift up the clip to release the ribbon.

Step 15 onwards on removing the hard drive -

I am not sure if the instruction is referring to disconnecting it from the thin end of the ribbon cable (is the yellow arrow showing where to disconnect the ribbon or showing where the screws are for the hard drive?) or from the hard drive end.

If from the thin end, under the orange strip at the end of the orange ribbon, do I pull up the orange bit together with the small black square it sits on, which is a black square under the ribbon and is fixed onto the the motherboard or just the orange strip on top of the black square. (the picture does not show the black square under the orange ribbon)

OR

from the hard drive end. If from the hard drive end, there is a black plastic that is fixed on top of the hard drive and on top of the hard drive, there is a thin strip which the ribbon goes into between the hard black plastic and the thin strip. Which part do I disconnect - between the metal hard drive and the black plastic or between the black plastic and the think stirp on top of the black plastic (the picture does not show too clearly this thin stirp) ?

Hope this helps and thanks

 

It's not the direction from the bottom of the picture. It's from the right-hand side.


I believe you will have to disconnect the cable from the motherboard and and from the hard drive end.

I believe if you wiggle and gently pull up the orange strip, attached to it is something inside a black connector.

Part of the black plastic is the connector on the hard drive. Again, attached to the thin orange strip is something inside the black connector on the hard drive. Basically: "between the metal hard drive and the black plastic" except that there is a connector on the hard drive as can be seen here: http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u90693/drive_seagate-27945_full.jpg

Look at the orange cable: http://www.google.com/search?um=1&h...s_upl=3363l5442l0l9l8l1l4l0l0l218l379l0.1.1l2
There are black connectors on both sides, but there is black connectors on the hard drive and motherboard as well that the connectors on the cable connect to.

 

But there is no clip on either side. On the right of the picture, it is only the cable inlet and on the other side, there is nothing but the back of the cable housing. No clips there either. But there is some sort of a clip on both end of the housing - on top of the arrow and at the bottom of the picture/arrow.

How certain are you that this is the correct thing to do ? The last thing I want is to have a damaged bit and need to buy a replacement cable which is pretty expensive.

Also, once taken out, can it be reused again or a new one is needed ?

Almost all instructions and videos I've seen so far refers only to the hard drive end. If the link I posted refers to the motherboard end, it's the first one I've come across, which is why I am nervous about touching this end. So I need to double check with you how certain you are about this. Sorry for being skeptical. Just want to be doubly sure first.

I did tried to dislodge between the metal part of the hard drive and the plastic but it does not move. I tried to push a flat head screw driver between it, but it does not create a gap for the screw driver to go in so that I can prise it gently apart. That was what made me to wonder if that is the correct place.

I've seen some pictures of the hard drive, but not as close up as the one you posted. Great picture. Thanks.

Thanks. These are about the only clearest pictures I've seen so far having searched google and well as eBay.