1.8Zif or CFF Upgrade Instructions Please

I used a simple disposable nail file to sand down the cable. You need to do it to make it /thinner/, so that it can fit in the drive's connector. With a Toshiba drive, you can use the cable already installed in your One (the one that connects the SSD to the mainboard). You'll only need a flipside cable if you plan to install a Hitachi drive (don't know about Samsung or other brands, sorry). Installed a 30GB Toshiba drive here using this method, it works just fine.

Just make sure you have a nail file handy when disassembling your One, and you'll figure it out when you try to insert the cable in the drive: it's slightly too thick ;)
 
deebo said:
Heres pictures of what I did.

I had to sand down the zif connector too for it to fit in the toshiba 3008gal drive, i used 1200 grain (no idea if these values are "international") sanding paper (the really fine one) and sanded it from the blue side (naturally) until it fit.

Then i made a template out of sturdy, but thin cardboard that fit on the bottom of the case. Then i put 3M double sided tape strips on the cardboard for the HDD to stick to the cardboard. The cardboard doesnt move at all at this point. Then i added a film of antistatic plastic on top of the drive to make sure it wont short out anything. Then i put it all together and voila, working aspire1 with a zif hdd.

http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/~torkko/aspire1-hdd.jpg
Click to expand...

My 3008gal is yet to arrive this week!!!

What is that in picture two???

Sanding paper... hmmm 1200 grain... this is totally foreign to me... Did a google search but nothing seems to make sense.

Can you take a photo of that or a link maybe???

I guess I can get one in a hardware store?
 
just steal a disposable nail file from your girlfriend and you'll be fine (well maybe not ;))
 
SbM said:
just steal a disposable nail file from your girlfriend and you'll be fine (well maybe not ;))
Click to expand...

Are you serious????? Can anyone post a video before they do it??

Shit man!!!! I'm so nervous!
 
SbM said:
jacku said:
SbM said:
just steal a disposable nail file from your girlfriend and you'll be fine (well maybe not ;))
Click to expand...

Are you serious?????
Click to expand...
I'm dead serious. That's what I used to sand down my cable.

Something like that, if you really need to know ;) : http://www.beautyexpress.ca/cat31_21.htm
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Dude... i guess it's self-explanatory/common senses when the cable arrives? Coz I have no idea what to do lol :shock:
 
jacku said:
Dude... i guess it's self-explanatory/common senses when the cable arrives? Coz I have no idea what to do lol :shock:
Click to expand...
OK, once more: the end of the cable is too thick to fit in a Toshiba drive connector, it won't get in. Think of inserting a coin in a slit that's too narrow, do you get the picture?

So you have to sand it down to make it /thinner/. Just hold it flat on a table and use the nail file to thin it down a little along the edge.

Make sure the black lever on the drive's connector is lifted up before inserting. Once properly sanded down, the cable will slide inside the connector (it won't get in very far, only maybe 2mm or so). Then lower the black lever to secure it and you should be fine. If you sanded it too much and it doesn't hold, put a piece of tape at the end to re-thicken it a bit (that's what I had to do).
 
SbM said:
jacku said:
Dude... i guess it's self-explanatory/common senses when the cable arrives? Coz I have no idea what to do lol :shock:
Click to expand...
OK, once more: the end of the cable is too thick to fit in a Toshiba drive connector, it won't get in. Think of inserting a coin in a slit that's too narrow, do you get the picture?

So you have to sand it down to make it /thinner/. Just hold it flat on a table and use the nail file to thin it down a little along the edge.

Make sure the black lever on the drive's connector is lifted up before inserting. Once properly sanded down, the cable will slide inside the connector (it won't get in very far, only maybe 2mm or so). Then lower the black lever to secure it and you should be fine. If you sanded it too much and it doesn't hold, put a piece of tape at the end to re-thicken it a bit (that's what I had to do).
Click to expand...

make it thinner!!!

Thanks champ!! Now I got it! LOL
 
Ok, here are my findings:

- Most of the Toshiba 1.8"HDD's that are sold as new on ebay are just plain refurbished ones. Trust me, I have three now, with one returning to China.
- Toshiba disks take normal zifs as well as flip sides! As long as you align the #1 pin, all goes well! Tried it on an usb-zif controller and AAO.
- Ok thickness...Toshiba uses .20-.25mm cables, the rest of the world: .35mm. Zif's with white edges are Toshiba thickness, blue is 'the rest'. You can fairly easy pull of the blue 'strip' from the zif ending. Then put on some sticky tape. ;) Cut off the sides of the sticky tape and voila, you have a zif of a proper thickness. Grinding will also do it I guess, but sticky tape makes less mess. :)

TIP: Just buy one with a HDD already installed. This whole mod just sucks. It won't fit nicely, the zif connectors of the keyboard get loose, de cover gets loose when you open it too much and last but not least: ebay gets expensive when you have to order all different parts.
 
tooltime said:
TIP: Just buy one with a HDD already installed. This whole mod just sucks. It won't fit nicely,
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Fits nicely here, using tnkgrl's how-to and taping the drive to the motherboard.

the zif connectors of the keyboard get loose,
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It doesn't here.

de cover gets loose when you open it too much
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That I don't know. Only opened it twice, so it's still perfect.

That said, the SSD version was the only one available when I purchased my One in July, so I had no choice ;)
 
davidy67 said:
hi erm yeah, i accidently damaged the zif cable and i need a new one, i have the toshiba drive which i was attempting to install and now i need a new zif cable, would this one on this ebay link be ideal or is 5cm to short if so where can i get a longer one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/10pcs-FPC-ribbon-ca ... m153.l1262

help would be appreciated :D
Click to expand...

I used that length. It's fits just nearly. When using the filter it gets crammed a bit. But with the appropriate amount of 'wrinkling' it'll fit. Longer cables are hard to get. I also think that longer cables will decrease performance/throughput.

btw, is it really necessary to use the filter? It just won't fit nicely.
 
i dont want to sound stupid or anything but what is the filter you refer to? if that cable is fine then i will order them now and have to wait for them to arrive lol well at least if get 10 it gives me 10 attempts to get it right :D
 
davidy67 said:
i dont want to sound stupid or anything but what is the filter you refer to? if that cable is fine then i will order them now and have to wait for them to arrive lol well at least if get 10 it gives me 10 attempts to get it right :D
Click to expand...

Filter - ferromagnetic filter - this square part on original ZIF tape. Tape actually goes through it... On picture linked you can see that very clearly:

http://picasaweb.google.it/FFurcas/AA1# ... 6267641154
 
Guys! I would like to say thank you to everyone here on the forum esp SbM!

I have successfully modded my AA1 with 3008GAL :)

Man, XP runs like a charm now!!!!

Questions:
I see quite a number of different version of stablising the HDD. I'm a bit worried abt my method, I just use those postage bubble plastic bags wrap around the HDD! Will it get burnt lol!!!
 
that filter then, i assume that it is not required to be fitted to an zif hdd, im just guessing that though as the zif mod pics dont have it installed anymore!
 
i would say no about your wrapping of the zif drive in anything, this will or could well do cause damage due to heat, the drive should not be fully covered. you could just cut a piece of plastic out as shown in the pictures on page one of this thread, this will stop direct contact between your zif drive and the motherboard. but a piece of plastic must be used to prevent shorting and damaging the aspire one's circuit boards. or an alternative is to use a piece of rubber or something, i have in the past used a piece of cereal carton on my pc's when using hard drives in a tight space close to casing and other metalic components.
 
davidy67 said:
i would say no about your wrapping of the zif drive in anything, this will or could well do cause damage due to heat, the drive should not be fully covered. you could just cut a piece of plastic out as shown in the pictures on page one of this thread, this will stop direct contact between your zif drive and the motherboard. but a piece of plastic must be used to prevent shorting and damaging the aspire one's circuit boards. or an alternative is to use a piece of rubber or something, i have in the past used a piece of cereal carton on my pc's when using hard drives in a tight space close to casing and other metalic components.
Click to expand...

I buy your point. I have to deal with this in the next 12 days while I'm traveling around Japan! LOL

I will try to be careful! The question I wrap around it to stablise the HDD as no screw to tighten it. What about bluetags? Will that too expensive? Any other suggestions?
 
I used a hot glue gun to make some "pads" for my toshiba "1.8 drive to rest on and keep it in place (this glue is easily removable, while it is flexible and rubberish in consistency), and I wrapped most of the drive in good old fashioned duct tape to avoid shorts. Been watching the drive while in use, and it doesnt gets hotter than 40-43c according to its internal sensor, which is more or less normal operating temperature for harddrives.

/Mac
 
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