Assembling external SuperDrive and enclosure

by jennywren1420 Mar 27, 2008 6:54AM PDT

Dear friends,

I have just received a Firewire enclosure for a SuperDrive I bought months ago from the same company, Other World Computing. I was told that they would work together, but now that I'm assembling it, I find that the tiny holes on the drive (very near the edge of the drive, and only two on each side of the top, not the many more that the enclosure seems to indicate should be there. In addition, the holes in the drive and the ones in the enclosure don't match up. The enclosure also is very long for the drive, even allowing for room to attach the ribbon cable and other cables inside.

I have now spoken with three different people at OWC, and nobody knows why this is or how to work out the problem, except to offer me another, less desirable enclosure that they assure me will fit the drive. (I didn't mention that the drive is an older model and that they no longer carry it.) Well, I was assured that the one they have already sent me was just fine for my drive, so you can 't blame me for being a bit wary of the assurances for the other enclosure.

The drive fits very snugly in the enclosure and doesn't seem to shift around. If I replaced a metal piece around the front of the drive that I took off to make it fit more flush with the front of the enclosure, it would be an even tighter fit. It wouldn't look as nice, but it could be done.

My question is I whether I can dispense with putting in those screws, which are meant to secure the drive within the case and keep it from shifting around. (The screws meant to attach the back panel of the enclosure, the one with the internal cables, and the holes in the enclosure will fit together fine, because they are both part of the same thing.)

I would really love to move on with this and not try out anything else?let alone a less good drive?if I can. I wonder what you think.

I have only a short while before I must make a decision, and I'm leaving for a visit to part of my family in about two weeks. Any input is very welcome.

Thanks,

jenny

Discussion is locked

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That enclosure

by mrmacfixit Forum moderator Mar 27, 2008 8:44AM PDT

If the drive fits in there snugly, dispense with attempting to put the screws back in.

Just remember not to carry the enclosure around with the nose pointing down.

If it is to spend its life sitting on a desk, it will be fine and will function as designed without the screws.

I still think they sent you the wrong thing, the DVD drive, in the first place.

Good luck

P

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I agree and thanks

by jennywren1420 Mar 29, 2008 6:56AM PDT

I am inclined to agree with you on both counts?that the drive will be quite safe, so long as I am careful and that it was the wrong drive in the first place. It would appear that OWC is great for anyone who knows exactly what she or he wants, but try to go there fully prepared

Many thanks again, oh, wise one,

Jenny

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You're welcome,

by mrmacfixit Forum moderator Mar 29, 2008 9:03AM PDT

let us know how you get on.

Hi to Mumsie

P

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fine so far

by jennywren1420 Mar 30, 2008 6:31AM PDT

I haven't used the drive yet, but when I turned it on, the drive sounded as though it was spinning like mad, even though there was no cd or dvd in it. (Please forgive the crazy lack of capitals. for some reason the shift on the righthand side of my G3 Powerbook isn't working.) Attaching the cables inside the enclosure was really hard, because, as I wrote in the first message of this thread, the enclosure's very deep for the drive, so it took some delicate reaching in with my fingertips in order to align the plugs. still, it's done now, and I have every reason to suppose that all systems are "go."

Nice of you to remember my mother in your good wishes, although you've never met her. she had had a hard week.

Jenny

Assembling external SuperDrive and enclosure

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