[f1000]

I just replaced the original Toshiba 40GB HD in my 12" PowerBook G4 1GHz with a Seagate Momentus 2.5" 100GB HD. The computer's working great now and the drive runs quietly.

Specifications:

5400 RPM
Ultra ATA/100 interface
8MB cache
Less than 26 acoustic dB
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....p;type=product

Installation of the hard drive was a snap and took less than an hour. I used the following guide to assist me: http://pbfixit.com/Guide/53.11.0.html.

Some tips:

1. Place the laptop on bubblewrap for ease of handling.
2. Use a good quality Phillips/Hex set (I used a Wiha System 4 Antistatic Precision Tool Set: Ball Hex 1/16, PH 00, PH 0, PH 1).
3. Use tape to keep all screws near their holes (Guy Kuo’s advice)
4. Do not try to lift up the keyboard until you’ve removed the long black Phillips screw next to the memory card.
5. Lift up the keyboard slowly so as not to tear the foil tape used to cover the keyboard connector ribbon. Use a sharp blade to carefully peel off the foil tape and bend it back without breaking it. There are several locations where such tape must be peeled back.
6. Touch the inside of the battery bay, which is not anodized, in order to neutralize charge before working inside the chassis.
7. When removing the upper case off the chassis, try to lift the case straight up as opposed to tilting it.
8. Retighten screws carefully.
9. Make sure that you’ve unwarped the keyboard before reinstalling it. It’s better to have the keyboard bowed slightly down (upside down U) then up (right-side up U).
10. When reapplying foil tape, use the back of your fingernail to smooth it out.
11. Restart the computer after you have initialized your new hard drive before attempting to do a clean install of OS X.

PS: This thread might belong in the PowerBook forum.

[Guy Kuo]

My Scotch tape tip probably should only be used with screws that are on the internal, non-visible portions of the machine. I'd hate to have people scratch up the external casing by taping the screws to the aluminum surface. The tape trick is great for keeping track of all those little screws on the inside of the machine, particularly the top shielding. I first started using this trick while working on iBooks. Those machines had a ton of screws to keep track of. Taping the little screws on the RF shield right beside their original hole as each was removed made reassembly super easy.