Apricorn DriveWire - Universal Hard Drive Adapter - Manual (Page 15)

28 29 www.apricorn.com www.apricorn.com
NOTE: To protect against unexpected data loss, Windows checks that all
files on the disk are closed before allowing the USB device to be removed. If
you receive an error message that says “The device cannot be stopped right
now. Try stopping the device again later.” Close all Windows and Programs
that are using files from the Drive, then repeat the procedure.
Device Removal (Windows)
Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7
1) Locate the system tray on your Windows Desktop (the system
tray is the part of the taskbar that displays the date and time).
2) Click on the “Safely Remove Hardware” icon (2000, XP)
or (Vista, 7) in the system tray. A dialog box will appear.
Please note that in Windows Vista and 7 the “Safely Remove
Hardware” icon is different.
3) Click ‘Safely Remove Mass Storage Device – Drive (D:) in the
dialog box. (Your drive letter may differ).
4) Wait for few seconds until the system prompts ‘The hard disk
storage device can now be safely removed from the system.”
Click OK, and then unplug the DriveWire.
1. Why does my new drive or connector look different from my old
drive or connector?
The first thing you need to do is to determine if you bought the right
drive. There are now two standards for 2.5” laptop hard drives, Serial
ATA (SATA) and Parallel ATA (PATA). Check with your manufacturer
for the drive specifications and compare it to the specifications on the
drive you purchased. All SATA drive connectors should look exactly the
same. Use Apricorn’s hard drive configurator at www.apricorn.com to
make sure you are getting the correct drive for your laptop or notebook
computer.
The most frequent question about hard drive connectors involve PATA
hard drives. If your laptop uses a PATA hard drive, it may have a translation
board or adapter on the connector. All 2.5” laptop PATA hard drives use
the same type of connector (male 44 pins). Laptop manufacturers may
use a translation board or adapter to connect the drive to the computer.
This adapter can be removed and placed on the new drive. It will look
like it is actually part of the old drive, but it can be removed.
Removing the translation board or adapter
Take the old drive and turn it upside down so the board is face up and
the connector end is away from you, using your fingernail or fingertips,
work the one side of the connector up slightly and then the other. Be
patient you want to make gradual progress until you start to see the gold
pins (between the drive and the connector), at that point you can pull the
connector “straight” off the end of the pins. Once you have removed it,
you can then place it carefully onto the new drive in the same location.
Please note: there are 4 pins separated by 1 pin space and those 4 pins
will not be covered by the adapter or connector.
2. What is Serial ATA (SATA)?
Serial ATA is the next generation interface for the high-speed transfer
of data in PCs, workstations, and laptops. SATA allows an increase in
bandwidth from PATA’s 100 MBps to 150 MBps and higher down the
road. SATA cable connectors are much smaller than PATA connectors
and have no pins to be bent or broken. SATA connectors are more stable
and require very little pressure to attach the hard drive making them much
easier to use than PATA connectors. If your laptop requires a SATA hard
drive you must replace it with a SATA hard drive. Use Apricorn’s hard
drive configurator at www.apricorn.com to make sure you are getting the
correct drive for your laptop or notebook computer.
DriveWire FAQs