WinBook Tech Article
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Subject: Removing and reinstalling the hard drive in a WinBook FX (MP7)
Keywords: reseat
Tech Article Number: WBTA00070387

NOTE: You, the customer, are solely responsible for data security. WinBook strongly recommends that you perform a backup of all personal data contained on your system prior to performing this procedure. Warning: WinBook will NOT be held responsible for any data loss incurred during this process.


Important Terms:

Rail kit—this is the metal box that contains the actual hard drive. The rail kit is the metal box that you see when opening the hard drive access door. NOTE: Some newer rail kits do not have a top half. If this is the case, then disregard all mention of the upper half of the rail kit.

MP5, MP6, & MP7—these are different revisions of the WinBook FX.

Hard Drive Adapter—this is a small connector that attaches to the pins on the end of the hard disk drive. This adapter allows the hard drive to connect to your WinBook.

Tools You Will Need:

  • A small Phillips blade screwdriver
  • A medium-size flat blade screwdriver

Identifying your WinBook Model

  1. Power down your WinBook.
  2. Close the lid and flip the machine over.
  3. Locate the serial number on the bar code sticker. This letter should start with three letters. If your machine’s serial number does not start with Q then you should refer to the document titled Removing and reinstalling the hard drive in a WinBook FX (MP5/MP6)

Removing the existing hard drive

  1. Situate the machine as if you were using it.
  2. Look on the left side of the unit. Towards the back of the machine you should see a door that will flip down. This door is identified by a small cylinder icon.
  3. Open this door. You should see a metal box with a plastic tab attached. This is the rail kit that surrounds your hard disk drive.
  4. On the end of the rail kit you should see a screw attached to a metal tab. The metal tab should be in the up position, which locks your hard drive in place. You must rotate this screw to the right in order to move this tab down.
  5. Pull on the plastic tab attached to the rail kit. Your rail kit (and hard drive) should come out easily.
  6. The hard drive rail kit has two pieces. The lower half is attached to your hard drive by four screws (two on each side). The upper half simply sits over top of the lower half. Remove the upper half by gently pulling it away from the lower half of the assembly.
  7. Remove the screws that hold the lower half of the rail kit to the hard drive. The hard drive can now be easily removed.
    WARNING: BE SURE THAT THE SCREWDRIVER YOU ARE USING FITS THE SCREWS PROPERLY. A POOR FITTING SCREWDRIVER MAY DAMAGE THE SCREWS. IF THE SCREWS ARE DAMAGED AND YOU CANNOT REMOVE THEM, THE DRIVE WILL NEED TO BE RETURNED TO WINBOOK TO HAVE THE SCREWS REMOVED.
  8. On the end of the hard drive is hard drive adapter that can be removed. This adapter has a small black plastic connector attached to a green circuit board. Although it is very tightly attached, this adapter must be removed. It will pull off of the end of the drive. Be very gentle and try as much as possible to pull the adapter straight off because the pins to which it attached are easily bent.
  9. The hard drive is now completely disassembled from the rail kit.

Installing a new hard drive/Reinstalling the hard drive

  1. Examine the hard drive. One end should have pins on it. There will be a group of 43 pins and another group of 4 pins. In the larger group of pins one of the rows has a pin missing in the middle. This is not a defect.
  2. The hard drive interface adapter will fit over the large group of pins. This adapter will only fit one way. Make sure that the all of the large group of pins is covered completely.
    NOTE: The smaller group of pins is not used.
  3. The hard drive can now be reinstalled into the lower half of the rail kit. The lower half of the rail kit is the part with the screw holes and the plastic tab attached. Place the hard drive into the rail kit with the label side of the hard drive up. The one end has a cutout that will accommodate the adapter.
  4. The side of the rail kit has four screw holes that should coincide with screw holes on the hard drive. Attach the rail kit to the hard drive using the four screws that are provided (or came out of the old hard drive). Again, please use caution when turning the screws.
  5. Now place the upper half of the rail kit over top of the hard drive.
  6. The hard drive and attached rail kit is now ready to be reinserted into the WinBook. Reinsert the hard drive into the unit.
  7. Rotate the screw to the left. The metal tab should now be in the up position and your hard drive should be locked in place. You can verify this by pulling gently on the clear plastic tab.

If you have any questions regarding this procedure, or if you run into some difficulties while working through this procedure, please call WinBook Corporation Technical Support at 1-800-468-1225 Monday through Friday 9am-9pm EST.


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